The Tampa Bay Lightning narrowly avoided a three-game losing streak by edging out the New Jersey Devils 7-6 in a dramatic overtime win on Wednesday night.
Tyler Johnson sealed the victory for Tampa Bay just 1:16 into overtime, capping off a back-and-forth game that saw the Lightning rally from multiple deficits. The win prevented what would have been their first three-game losing skid since March 2018.
“Did the game end the way we wanted? Sure, but it wasn’t easy,” said Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper, who expressed frustration with his team’s frequent penalties and lost momentum. “I’m proud of the guys for rallying to pull this one out.”
Ondrej Palat scored twice for the Lightning, who were missing several key players due to injury. Despite giving up a tying goal to Kyle Palmieri in the final seconds of regulation, Tampa Bay found a way to secure the win. Alex Killorn, Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, and Mathieu Joseph also scored for the Lightning, while Curtis McElhinney made 36 saves.
“Big points, but there’s definitely room for improvement,” said Palat, who also assisted the game-winner. “We need to be better defensively, win more battles, and limit the chances we’re giving up.”
Palmieri led the Devils with three goals, marking his first hat trick with New Jersey and the second of his career. Jesper Bratt added two goals, and Sami Vatanen scored early in the third period to give the Devils a 5-3 lead. Cory Schneider stopped 16 shots in the net for New Jersey.
“I don’t have much to say,” Schneider commented. “We deserved to win after scoring six goals, but the difference tonight was in net, and that’s evident.”
Johnson’s game-winning goal came from inside the right circle after Ryan McDonagh nearly scored in close. “Mac and Palat made great plays,” Johnson said. “I found myself open in the slot, and Ondrej made a perfect pass.”
Palat initially put Tampa Bay ahead 6-5 late in the third period with a turnaround shot from the right circle, but Palmieri tied the game with 7.4 seconds left, scoring off a rebound to force overtime.
New Jersey had turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead in the early minutes of the third period, thanks to consecutive goals by Palmieri, Bratt, and Vatanen. However, the Lightning quickly responded. Cirelli deflected a shot by Jan Rutta past Schneider at 2:45, and Joseph tied the game at 5 at 7:45 when his centering pass deflected off Taylor Hall’s skate and stuck into the net.
After the game, Hall expressed frustration with the home crowd, which booed the team despite their efforts. “We’re 1-for-3 on the power play and getting booed,” he said. “It’s tough when you’re at home and your fans are against you. I understand their frustration, but it doesn’t help us.”
Game Notes:
- The Lightning were without forward Pat Maroon, who was injured during Tuesday night’s 4-1 loss to the New York Rangers.
- Tampa Bay called up forwards Cory Conacher, Alexander Volkov, and defenseman Luke Schenn from the minors earlier in the day. Only Conacher did not play, and Volkov made his NHL debut.
- Jesper Bratt was a healthy scratch in the Devils’ previous game against Arizona.
- Palmieri’s first hat trick was with Anaheim.
UP NEXT:
- Lightning: Finish their three-game New York-area road trip against the Islanders on Friday.
- Devils: Host the Flyers on Friday to wrap up a six-game homestand.
