In Newark Monday night, the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning handed the New Jersey Devils their sixth straight, 5-1.
Nikita Kucherov extended his point streak to 10 games with a goal and four points on the night.
People don’t realize how tough it is to produce in this League, especially when you’re a top guy like that and have guys on the other team trying to stop you,” Steve Stamkos (one goal) said. “It’s difficult and sometimes the confidence isn’t always there, but when you have it, you try to keep it as long as possible.
Yanni Gourde had a goal in Bolts’ win over Devils – file photo by Lewis Bleiman
“You can tell [Kucherov] wants the puck, he’s demanding it, and he’s making plays. It’s the most confident I’ve seen him this season.”
Tyler Johnson, Yanni Gourde and Brayden Point also scored for Tampa.
“[Kucherov] is so easy to play with because he sees the ice so well,” Point said. “He has such good skill and can get the puck to you in good spots. I’m just trying to find spots for him.”
Louis Domingue made 26 saves in the win as the Bolts improved to 20-7-1.
“The [Johnson-Point-Kucherov] line is playing well,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. “They’re just always around it and doing all the right things. And then top it off with the skill and compete and all that, as a group they’re playing well and being rewarded for it.”
Egor Yakovlev scored the lone Devils goal, his first NHL goal.
The Devils dropped to 9-12-5.
Taylor Hall was benched for the final seven minutes of the game after going -2 on the night.
“Like everything, sometimes you’re playing guys who are going, and sometimes you’re not,” Devils head coach John Hynes said. “There are lots of nights when Taylor Hall gets a lot of ice time. [Monday] we felt there were some other players playing a little bit better.”
Hall has been invisible for much of the season since the hot start the Devils had to the season.
[WATCH: All Lightning vs. Devils highlights | NHL Tonight crew talks benching of Taylor Hall]
Keith Kinkaid got the start and made 16 saves before getting the hook in the second intermission; he was replaced by Cory Schneider who made five saves in relief after the Lightning eased up on the pedal.
“If you take the three games against Tampa Bay, I think you have to give them credit. They’re a heck of a hockey team, but they just outworked us. They’re a cap team, have excellent players, high skill, but what those guys did for three games was outwork us,” Hynes said.
You must be logged in to post a comment.