5 Takeaways from the Lightning’s 6-3 Win in New Jersey

The Tampa Bay Lightning flexed their quick strike offense on the road to an emphatic come from behind win in New Jersey. Tampa Bay trailed 3-1 in the second period and would go on to score five unanswered goals to earn a 6-3 lead over the Devils.
Let’s break down what happened.

1. Defensive Struggles
Tampa Bay went down by two goals early in the second period and all three Devils goals in the game came directly off turnovers by Lightning defensemen. New Jersey was not creating a ton of offensive on their own, but their pressure forced the Lightning to make multiple mistakes in their defensive zone that ended up directly in the back of the net. Once Tampa Bay got things cleaned up in their own zone, New Jersey struggled to create much on offense.

2. Getting Back in the Game Fast
After trailing 3-1 for much of the second period, the offense woke up late in the period. Steven Stamkos got the rally started after being -2 until that point in the game. His snipe and a deflection in front from Alex Killorn brought the Lightning level at 3-3, with both goals coming 41 seconds apart. In the third period, Tampa Bay kept the offense rolling as they poured in three more goals to cap off their run of five unanswered goals.

3. School Bus Line Heats up
We had not heard a lot from the combination of Corey Perry, Pat Maroon, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare in recent games. This trio was responsible for three of the Lightnings six goals as all three players recorded two points apiece.

4. Spreading the Wealth
While scoring six goals in the game, not one Lightning player recorded three points or more. 10 different skaters recorded a point as the Lightning flexed their depth. Especially when you have guys on your third line each recording multi point games, you have a recipe that very few teams in the NHL can match.

5. Hedman Responds
Victor Hedman had perhaps the most egregious turnover of all the turnovers that led to Devils goals. While on the penalty kill, Hedman held onto the puck too long and had the puck taken off his stick and it quickly wound up in the back of the net. You don’t see the Norris Trophy winning defenseman make mistakes like that very often. Hedman would go on to score the game winning goal and add an assist while also being +4 en route to what ended up being a lopsided victory for the Lightning.