By Jake Ricker
The Tampa Bay Lightning looked to pick up back-to-back wins after a win against the New York Islanders. Here is how they stacked up in last night's matchup against the New Jersey Devils.
Hagel-Point-Kucherov
Eyssimont-Cirelli-Chaffee
Stamkos-Paul-Sheary
Glendening-Motte
Hedman-Raddysh
deHaan-Cernak
Lilleberg-Perbix
Crozier
Johansson
Here are the biggest takeaways from the Lightning's 4-1 win over the Devils.
Nikita Kucherov
It wouldn't be a Tampa Bay Lightning win without Nikita Kucherov factoring in. Tonight, Kuch put up a goal and three assists, making a play on all four Lightning goals. Kucherov surpassed 100 points on the season and now sits at 102, becoming the first player to reach that mark this year. Kucherov became the 10th fastest player in NHL History to reach 100 points in a season and the fastest in franchise history, beating his previous record of 62 games.
It shouldn't come as much of a surprise. to see Kucherov having such an amazing season. He only took a week off after last year's first-round exit before getting right back to work. Even when he is playing well, he can look frustrated, knowing he can be better. Kucherov is living proof that if you put in the work, you can be the best of the best. An MVP caliber player.
Team Defense
It's no secret that the Lightning have had some bad defense this year, and it had really got the best of them on their recent three-game losing streak. Tonight was a different story as the Lightning held the Devils to just one goal, which came on a power play. Johnas Johannson, who hadn't started a game since February 8th, was solid in the net, making some big stops when necessary.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the Lightning's defensive play was in the third period, where they held the Devils to just three shots. The Lightning also mustered 25 blocked shots, which is always a big key to winning hockey games. When limiting shots and keeping the puck in the offensive zone, you will always have a good chance at winning games, and that's exactly what the Lightning did last night. Calvin de Haan
There were a few players that played well against the Devils, including the already-mentioned Kucherov and Johansson, along with Mitchel Chaffee, Braydon Point, Brandon Hagel, and others.
But one player that needs to be recognized is Calvin de Haan.
de Haan, who has struggled in recent games, was impressive tonight. de Haan finished the night with five blocked shots, including a key one that would eventually lead to a Lightning goal. He also was consistently in a good position, which led to him intercepting a few passes and getting the Lightning out of their own zone.
Final Thoughts
This was a huge two points for the Lightning, with the Devils not too far behind them in the wild-card standings. Nikita Kucherov was the star of the show, but everyone played a solid game overall. Brandon Hagel also extended his league-leading point streak to 13 games. The Power play had its chances but just wasn't able to convert, making it one of the few negatives but an easy fix.
The Lightning still have a long road ahead of them as they look to shore up their wild card spot. But they again showed tonight they have the ability to play playoff hockey night in and night out. Their next game will be against the Philidelphia Flyers on February 27th at 7:00 PM Eastern.
Three Stars
Media's three-stars
1. Kucherov (1G,3A)
2. Point (1G,1A)
3. Hedman (1G,1A)
Our three-stars
1. Kucherov (1G,3A)
2. Hedman (1G,1A)
3. Point (1G,1A)
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