All About The Jersey - Game Stream #79: New Jersey Devils at Tampa Bay LightningA world class blog for Jersey's team: the New Jersey Devilshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47083/lou-fave.png2016-04-02T22:28:43-04:00http://www.allaboutthejersey.com/rss/stream/111145372016-04-02T22:28:43-04:002016-04-02T22:28:43-04:00Devils Dropped by Lightning in a Penalty-Fest
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<img alt="Travis Zajac did a lot of defending like this to Tyler Johnson and his line tonight." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5UDIXVruAAgNB88vXVdtlTOnTvU=/0x49:3939x2675/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49223467/usa-today-9225143.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Travis Zajac did a lot of defending like this to Tyler Johnson and his line tonight. | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Amid thirteen power plays handed out, both the New Jersey Devils and Tampa Bay Lightning scored a power play goal. Only the Lightning's PPG won them the game as the Devils lost their last road game of the season, 1-3. This recap goes over how it all went down.</p> <p>Thirteen power plays were given in tonight's game between the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.rawcharge.com/">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a>. The Devils had six, the Lightning had seven. Tampa Bay took five holding calls: four traditional holding calls and one for holding the stick. The Devils' calls were more diverse, although they took two interference calls and two hooking calls. Of the 62 total shots taken tonight, 22 were during a man advantage (and one during a man disadvantage). As it turned out, special teams made the difference on the scoreboard even though each team would only convert one of these advantages. The Devils' power play goal tied up the game 1-1 in the second period. The Lightning's lone power play goal broke the deadlock in the third period. An empty netter made it a 1-3 final score; another defeat for the Devils.</p>
<p>Compared to the two games earlier this week, this was a better performance. There were two decent periods of hockey. There were poor shifts where the Devils ended up in their own end; but there were positive shifts where Tampa Bay were put on their heels. Possession and shots on net were close to even in the first forty minutes. Even with all of the calls, the Devils' penalty kill held Tampa Bay to very little while the Devils had their moments of greatness. Sure, <span>Tyler Kennedy</span> will wish he did better when he sees the tape of Victor Hedman's goal. But Adam Henrique finished his pass by firing a rolling puck past <span>Ben Bishop</span>. It was all even after the second period. Perhaps the Devils would end this week on a positive note.</p>
<p>Alas, the third period came and it all fell apart early and often for the Devils. The Lightning came at the Devils so hard that the Devils did not register a shot on net until 13:40 into the period. By the time <span>Reid Boucher</span> put a puck on frame, the Lightning had three power plays, fifteen shots on net, and scored a second goal. The Devils' penalty kill did an excellent job but with seven power play situations, it seemed like it was in due time before the Lightning really take advantage. They did so then and they were rewarded with a long shot by <span>Nikita Nesterov</span> that was put back into the net on the rebound by <span>Brian Boyle</span>. The Devils would get a power play and tried to push forward. The result: five shots on net, two against, and an ENG for <span>Nikita Kucherov</span>. It wasn't enough.</p>
<p>The obvious fault in this game are the penalties. Tyler Kennedy took a hi-sticking call fairly early into the game. <span>Joseph Blandisi</span> took a stupid hooking penalty shortly after he had a shot off an offensive rush. That was on top of knocking Bishop's stick away during a power play. <span>Sergey Kalinin</span> and <span>David Schlemko</span> got caught tripping. <span>Adam Larsson</span> took an interference call he didn't have to make. The killer was the too many men on the ice call that handed Tampa Bay their third power play of the third period. Most of these were avoidable plays. While Devils did an awesome job holding the Tampa Bay power play to only nine shots on net, the Lightning would wear out the penalty killers. In the third period, the Lightning used their power plays to at least keep the Devils from going forward and, with each advantage, they got the shot (well, two shots) that they needed to make something out of it.</p>
<p>The not as obvious fault in the Devils' game is the response to how the game went. With each kill in the third period, Tampa Bay started to attack even more and get more shots on Schneider. Despite a great first kill of those three in the third, they managed to concede more and more shots on the other two power plays and the time in between. Even after Boyle's goal, it took a few more minutes before the Devils gave Bishop any work to do. It's disappointing because the Devils did put in the work and were playing a respectable game of hockey for two periods.</p>
<p>Perhaps that can be chalked up to knowing their season is effectively over; whatever low probability they had for making the postseason ended earlier today. Perhaps that can be chalked up to the same reasons why opposing teams have been able to dominate the Devils for stretches in games; something we've seen in fuller effect earlier this week. Perhaps that can be chalked up to being frustrated at how the game was going and fatigued as each PK means more minutes for a subset of players. I'll leave the reasoning up to you just to get your two cents on it, dear reader. All the same, while it was a better performance than last two games, it was still a loss that showed flaws in the team - even if it was mostly seen in just one period.</p>
<p><b>The Game Stats: </b>The <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20152016/GS021171.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Game Summary</a> | The <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20152016/ES021171.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Event Summary</a> | The <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20152016/PL021171.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Play by Play Log</a> | The <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20152016/SS021171.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Shot Summary</a> | The <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20152016&game=21171" target="_blank">Natural Stat Trick Advanced Stats</a> | The <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://hockeystats.ca/game/2015021171" target="_blank">HockeyStats.ca Advanced Stats</a></p>
<p><b>The Opposition Opinion: </b>Check out<a href="http://www.rawcharge.com/" target="_blank"> Raw Charge</a> for a recap of tonight's game.</p>
<p><b>Seen Stamkos? Nope: </b><span>Steven Stamkos</span> was out tonight. That may be another reason to rue this result as the opposition's best forward was missing and they were still able to roll through the Devils for a period. Jon Cooper, head coach of Tampa Bay, put the "triplets" back together. Kucherov, <span>Tyler Johnson</span>, and <span>Ondrej Palat</span> were re-united and gave the Devils fits all night long. The threesome did their best work at evens against the Devils' top unit of the <span>Travis Zajac</span>-centered line, <span>Andy Greene</span>, and Adam Larsson. (Aside: This week has been rough for that five-man unit. Maybe they're not as top as we may think, but consider the rest of the roster.) They contributed ten of the team's 37 shots on net and were responsible for two of the three goals scored. They stepped up in #91's absence.</p>
<p>The Lightning also benefited from solid efforts from their bottom six set of forwards, such as <span>J.T. Brown</span> (four shots), Brian Boyle (four shots and the game winning PPG), and Vladimir Namestikov (three shots). Defensively, Hedman was as good as advertised and the pairing of Nesterov and <span>Braydon Coburn</span> was solid. Ben Bishop did well when called upon. All told, despite some poor stretches in the second period, the Lightning had a very good team effort. I'm sure they want Stamkos back as soon as possible, but the team's clearly more than just him and some guys.</p>
<p><b>The Returns of Schneider (and Schlemko and Josefson): </b><span>Cory Schneider</span> played in his first game since getting injured in Dallas back in the first week of March. He was excellent. He was composed. He was only beaten on plays where he had no chance: he didn't see Hedman's shot due to a screen and Boyle's goal was from a rebound right in front. In other words, he played like Schneider has played all season. As with Kinkaid earlier this week and Wedgewood last week, the goalies showed up and did their jobs very well.</p>
<p>David Schlemko also returned to the lineup. I didn't like the hooking penalty he took in the third period. While the Devils were not punished by it, it wasn't a good foul to commit. It didn't prevent a goal or a dangerous play. He was not going to get the puck by impeding Valteri Filppula in that spot. Other than that, I think he had a fairly solid effort. He played quite a bit in all situations and, for the most part, handled his business decently. <span>Jacob Josefson</span> also took to the ice for the first time in quite some time. The third line looked much better with him in the middle. I'd like to see more of Blandisi on his win, although he needs to get smarter on defense and with his discipline if he wants more minutes. The power play was functional in part to how he was handling and distributing the puck from the sideboards. It only yielded one goal, but thirteen shots out of six situations is pretty good for a Devils power play that isn't necessarily consistent at generating offense. I think he had a good return.</p>
<p>All told, I'm glad these three are back in the lineup. Schlemko can help a defense that was bleeding shots. Sure, they allowed 37 tonight, but that can be chalked up to one awful period as opposed to two or more. He's much better than <span>Seth Helgeson</span>. Josefson improves the bottom six and can help on special teams as well as Schlemko. Schneider playing at all is always a plus. Alas, it did not push the team's performance to a good result tonight.</p>
<p><b>About that Zajac Line...: </b>While the Travis Zajac line spent plenty of time on defense, they created some of the best offensive opportunities of the night. With all of the PK work, Zajac was effective. Boucher put up five shots to lead the team. Palmieri could have had five shots on net - maybe goals? - if he put any of his one-timers on the power play on target. Palmieri ended up with two shots and seven attempts that didn't make it to Bishop or the net. So while they struggled against the triplets, I found them to be more impressive than, say, the Henrique line even though Henrique scored the lone goal of the night.</p>
<p><b>One Last Thought: </b>As a note, there's no March Month in Review. I'm combining April's games into it as to avoid making a separate post for just four more games. So that will come shortly after the Devils' season ends. Back to the game, sorry Florida, but the Devils are "free" these days.</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b>The Devils lost 1-3 in a game loaded with penalties. What was your take on tonight's game? Who do you think played better on special teams tonight? Who excelled and who did not on each team? What did you think of the referees? Why do you think that third period went completely awry for the Devils after two decent periods? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about tonight's loss in the comments.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who commented in the Gamethread and/or followed along on Twitter with the site account, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/aatjerseyblog" target="_blank">@AATJerseyBlog</a>. Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2016/4/2/11354074/new-jersey-devils-dropped-by-tampa-bay-lightning-in-penalty-festJohn Fischer2016-04-02T18:00:03-04:002016-04-02T18:00:03-04:00Gamethread #79: Devils at Lightning
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<p>Tonight, the New Jersey Devils will play their last road game of the 2015-16 season against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This gamethread is a place where users can discuss tonight's game as it happens until the recap is up.</p> <p><strong>The Time: </strong>7:00 PM EDT</p>
<p><strong>The Broadcast: </strong>TV - MSG+; Radio - 880 AM WCBS</p>
<p><strong>The Matchup: </strong>The <a href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New Jersey Devils</a> (37-33-8) at the <a href="https://www.rawcharge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> (44-28-5; SBN Blog: <a href="http://www.rawcharge.com/">Raw Charge</a>)</p>
<p><strong>A Song for Tonight: </strong>I got a good request. Between Cory Schneider returning to perform and <span>Andy Greene</span> playing over 300 games in a row (he's at 303, if I recall correctly), <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_6g3RKHSNE">"Iron Man" by Black Sabbath</a> is a good choice. Can't go wrong with some Sabbath.</p>
<p><strong>The Reminder of Rules: </strong>The rules remain the rules. Here's a quick reminder. Please keep your comments clean, legal, and all about the game itself. Other scores are OK, but let's make sure the comments here are primarily about the Devils and this game. Also, let's respect each other, there's no need for drama or unwelcome nature of any sort. This is a gamethread, <em>let's focus on the game.</em> Thank you for reading and commenting. Go Devils!</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2016/4/2/11350498/gamethread-79-new-jersey-devils-at-tampa-bay-lightningJohn Fischer2016-04-02T07:00:03-04:002016-04-02T07:00:03-04:00Game Preview #79: Devils at Lightning
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<figcaption>Hopefully, there's less of this; albeit the uniforms will be different for both sides. | Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Tonight, the New Jersey Devils will play their last road game of the 2015-16 season against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This game preview goes into what the Lightning are good at, who's now healthy for the Devils, and more.</p> <p>The last one on the road for this season.</p>
<p><b>The Time: </b>7:00 PM EDT</p>
<p><b>The Broadcast: </b>TV – MSG+; Radio – 880 AM WCBS</p>
<p><b>The Matchup:</b> The <a href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New Jersey Devils</a> (37-33-8) at the <a href="https://www.rawcharge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> (44-28-5; SBN Blog: <a href="http://www.rawcharge.com/">Raw Charge</a>)</p>
<p><b>The Last Devils Game:</b> The Devils were in Sunrise for Rat Night against the <a href="https://www.litterboxcats.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Panthers</a>. Rats became the story of the game in time. In a mostly decent first period, the Devils went up 1-0 when <span>Mike Sislo</span> slammed in a loose puck to convert a power play. However, the Panthers really put the Devils to the sword for the final five minutes or so of the first period and the entire second period. They dominated, forcing <span>Keith Kinkaid</span> to pick up where he last left off: being the only Devil on the ice doing his job rather well. In the second period, though, Kinkaid would be beaten. <span>Jonathan Huberdeau</span> got free behind the defense (laterally) and went hard to Kinkaid’s right. The pad stopped the first shot but not the put-back that made it 1-1. Then the rats came down and the fans got a warning for throwing objects on the ice. Early in the third period, Huberdeau walked up to the right post and squeezed a shot between the post and Kinkaid’s back to make it 1-2. The rats came down and the Devils got a power play for delay of game. They didn’t do anything with it nor the short 5-on-3 that came at the end. The carryover of the second power play in that sequence went well, but the Devils struggled to do anything with the puck despite leading in shots for the period. Late in the game, <span>David Warsofsky</span> got stripped of the puck by <span>Jaromir Jagr</span>, who led a 2-on-1. Jagr faked the shot and made a pass to <span>Aleksander Barkov</span>, who finished the play to make it 1-3. More rats, another power play, and even with Kinkaid pulled, the Devils did little. <span>Blake Pietila</span> did manage to be at the right place and the right time to put back a rebound with about six seconds left in the game. That was his first goal. It was still too little, too late from the Devils as the lost 2-3. Like Tuesday’s game with Boston, <a href="http://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2016/3/31/11341952/rats-new-jersey-devils-chewed-up-by-florida-panthers-like-rats-in" target="_blank">this was not at all a good performance as explained in my recap.</a></p>
<p><b>The Last Lightning Game:</b> On that same night, the Lightning hosted Montreal. Whatever hope the Lightning faithful had in keeping ahead of Florida took a hit on that night. Montreal came to play. Goaltender Mike Condon was unbeatable for the night. In the first period, <span>David Desharnais</span> scored at about halfway through the first to make it 1-0. Within the first minute of the second period, <span>Torrey Mitchell</span> scored to make it 2-0. As the game went on, Tampa Bay’s shots faded going from 14 in the first, 9 in the second, and 3 – yes, a Devils-esque 3 – in the third period. While the Lightning offensive output faded, Montreal got a goal in the third period from <span>Phillip Danault</span>. The Lightning lost 0-3 in a stinker of their own. <a href="http://www.rawcharge.com/2016/3/31/11340718/game-77-bolts-sleepwalk-to-3-0-shutout-loss/in/11101055" target="_blank">Check out Clark J Brooks’ recap at Raw Charge for more.</a></p>
<p><b>The Last Devils-Lightning Game: </b> On February 26, the Devils hosted the Lightning. Well, the Prudential Center hosted them. The fans and stadium staff received them. The Devils players? It’s arguable they didn’t show up for this one. The Lightning took control of the game early on and never let go to win what was their fifth game in a row. Alex Killorn scored in the first period. <span>Ondrej Palat</span> and Steven Stamkos scored in the second period. Matthew Carle scored to make 4-0 in the third period. <span>Ben Bishop</span> only had to make 21 saves for his shutout. Among all of the bad performances by the Devils season, this was definitely one of them. <a href="http://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2016/2/26/11124722/double-f-minus-devils-blanked-by-bolts" target="_blank">Gerard gave it a "double F-minus" in his recap.</a> Over at Raw Charge, <a href="http://www.rawcharge.com/2016/2/27/11125550/game-61-lightning-extend-winning-streak-to-five-games-with-4-0-win" target="_blank">Brett Frieman has this recap of the loss.</a></p>
<p><b>The Goal: </b>Just fire it the puck. With only 15 and 25 shots in their last two games, they just need to fire away. Let’s consider what happens when someone pinches as an example. What’s almost as bad as the 40 shots allowed in each of their last two games has been the fact that they’ve conceded several odd man rushes in those games. Often times, it was the result of a defenseman being aggressive to either join the offense. Understandable given the state of the offense, but those plays don’t result in shots on net or. The dubious decisions to pass it or mishandling a puck often has led to not only an easy clearance for the opposition but also an easy opportunity to score. Even a routine shot at the tummy button would’ve been a more productive play. In their most recent game, even when the Devils spent more than five seconds in Florida’s end of the rink, the decision to just move the puck along only to find something better often led to a bad pass the defense took, an interception of a pass, or just losing the puck in some other manner. At this point of the season, just shoot it. Maybe they’ll even score some goals or at least not get out-shot by a 6:1 ratio in a period.</p>
<p><b>Does the Opponent Need This Game?:</b> Tampa Bay laid an egg on Thursday. Combined with Florida beating the Devils, their cross-state rivals are atop of the Atlantic Division. The Lightning would probably want that division title instead of facing either Detroit or Boston in the first round. They’re so close to getting it, I don’t think they would just mind letting Florida have it. If that wasn’t enough of an incentive for this game, then consider this. Tonight is Tampa Bay’s final home game of the season. Who wants to end their home campaign before the playoffs on a sour note? No one. Especially not after that 0-3 loss to Montreal. Good luck, Devils.</p>
<p><b>Your Latest in Injuries:</b> Everyone who was on the trip practiced. Not everyone can or will play on Saturday. So here’s the summary from Tom Gulitti’s reports from Friday’s practice (<a target="_blank" href="http://fireandice.northjersey.com/fire-ice-1.174987/hynes-tweaks-lines-as-devils-prepare-to-face-lightning-saturday-1.1536739">lines</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://fireandice.northjersey.com/fire-ice-1.174987/wrist-surgery-ends-tootoo-s-season-merrill-also-unlikely-to-return-elias-possibly-back-tuesday-1.1536761">post-practice report</a>):</p>
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<span>Cory Schneider</span> will start. I hope he does not have to face 40 shots in his first appearance since the beginning of last month.</li>
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<span>David Schlemko</span> and <span>Jacob Josefson</span> could play but it’s a coach’s decision. Neither practiced on one of the three defensive pairings or a forward line, so I’m doubtful of a switch. I wouldn’t mind it. I'd take Helgeson out for Schlemko in a heartbeat. But I’m not confident of anything since they were essentially extras. We'll see.</li>
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<span>Patrik Elias</span> won’t play. He might on Tuesday or Thursday next week.</li>
<li>Tyler Kenendy did play on Thursday and will play again, likely to start with <span>Adam Henrique</span> and <span>Devante Smith-Pelly</span>. <span>Joseph Blandisi</span> had that spot and, as not uncommon for this season, played his way off of that line.</li>
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<span>Jordin Tootoo</span> and <span>Jon Merrill</span> were ruled out for the remainder of this season, so notall of the call-ups from Albany will necessarily return to the Capital District right away. Again, keep an eye out for such transactions today as it could be a sign of someone else returning to action.</li>
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<p><b>No Joke: </b> Yesterday, I realized that the top five goal scorers on the Devils who are A) healthy and B) still on the team are: <span>Kyle Palmieri</span> (29), Henrique (27), Zajac (14), <span>Reid Boucher</span> (8), and <span>Bobby Farnham</span> (8). Such is the state of the offense. For this game. For this season. If the last game proved anything, even someone like Palmieri trying to take the offense over - he had <i>nine</i> shots on net - it really needs to be a group effort. And so far this season, as one would have predicted, it's just not there on most nights. So it goes.</p>
<p><b>Keep Seeing Him:</b> Steven Stamkos remains the top man to fear up front for the Lightning. Prior to Friday’s games, he’s tied with three others with 36 goals. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?reportType=season&report=skatersummary&season=20152016&gameType=2&sort=points&aggregate=0&teamId=14&pos=S">Stamkos is clearly Tampa Bay’s top goal scorer; he’s also their leader in points (64) and shots (216).</a> With an average ice time of 19:45, the Devils will get to see a ton of him.</p>
<p>It’s been crucial that Stamkos has been as productive as others that were featured last season just fell off a bit in production. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?reportType=season&report=skatersummary&season=20152016&gameType=2&sort=points&aggregate=0&teamId=14&pos=S">Here are the numbers at NHL.com.</a> <span>Nikita Kucherov</span> has been the exception; there’s a chance he can match his total points from last season. He has 29 goals and 32 assists along with 196 shots; he’s another Bolt to pay attention to. <a target="_blank" href="http://leftwinglock.com/line-combinations/tampa-bay-lightning/?team=tampa-bay-lightning&strength=EV&gametype=1">Given he's been skating with Stamkos according to Left Wing Lock</a>, you'll see plenty of him as well. I mean players like <span>Tyler Johnson</span>, Ondrej Palat, <span>Ryan Callahan</span>, and Valtteri Filppula. Let's look at the numbers. Johnson and Palat broke out last season; Johnson led the team in scoring with 29 goals and 43 assists and Palat put up 16 goals and 47 assists. Both missed their fair share of games this season; yet neither will come close to even matching Palat’s assist totals last season with their points from this season. Johnson is at 14 goals and 23 assists; Palat has 15 goals and 21 assists. Callahan exceeded twenty goals last season, now he just has ten. Filppula was close to 50 points last season, now he’s a few ahead of 25. Given that these are key forwards in the lineup, it's nothing to sneeze at. At least Alex Killorn’s 39 points is more consistent with his production last season.</p>
<p>This isn’t to say that those players are scrubs and can be ignored. The talent is still there, the points just haven't been there for one reason or another. Johnson and Palat are still quite fast. They can give a Devils a lot of issues on defense tonight on that alone. Filppula and Callahan have the experience to pick their spots against said defense to make life difficult. The larger point is that the 2015-16 Lightning (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/team?reportType=season&report=teamsummary&season=20152016&gameType=2&sort=goalsForPerGame&aggregate=0" style="background-color: #ffffff;">2.74 GF/GP average</a>) have not been quite as productive as the 2014-15 Lightning (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/team?reportType=season&report=teamsummary&season=20142015&gameType=2&sort=goalsForPerGame&aggregate=0" style="background-color: #ffffff;">3.16 GF/GP average</a>). Those players’ production dipping points to that and it's important to recognize that this season's team isn't like last season's team that went nearly all the way. Regardless, they can still drop a hammer on the Devils if given the chance. Just look at the last Devils-Lightning game for evidence.</p>
<p><b>Dominant in the Back: </b>If you think <span>Adam Larsson</span> is good, then check out Victor Hedman. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?reportType=season&report=skaterpercentages&season=20152016&gameType=2&sort=shotAttemptsPctg&aggregate=0&teamId=14&pos=S">Hedman has been absolutely dominant in possession</a> given his large amount of ice time (23:02) and that he usually faces strong competition. He’s head and shoulders above the other Lightning players, who are mostly no slouches in terms of CF%. On top of that, he’s got a strong offensive component to his game. Hedman is third on the team in points (8 goals, 36 assists for 44 points) and shots (173). He represents a large chunk of the Lightning’s offense from the blueline with <span>Anton Stralman</span> pretty much providing the other chunk. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?reportType=season&report=skatersummary&season=20152016&gameType=2&sort=points&aggregate=0&teamId=14&pos=D">Seriously, not a lot of points or shots beyond those two.</a> With<a target="_blank" href="http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/anton-stralman-suffers-painful-looking-lower-body-injury--video-013057684.html"> Stralman out for a while with a fractured left fibula</a>, it's all on Hedman now. The thing is, I think he can do it. He will be seen on the power play as much as he will be on the penalty kill. He’s prone to taking calls, given he’s third on the team in PIM. But otherwise, he makes good things happen for the Lightning in all aspects of the game. Hedman is that fantastic.</p>
<p><b>Strong in the Crease:</b> Ben Bishop is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. I would not be surprised if he gets some kind of consideration for the Vezina Trophy. Bishop has the wins GM’s care about, the good fortune combined with good play that comes with a 90.9% save percentage on the penalty kill, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?reportType=season&report=goaliebystrength&season=20152016&gameType=2&sort=evSaves&aggregate=0&teamId=14&pos=G">and one of the best even strength save percentages in the NHL at 93.3%.</a> Needless to say, beating Bishop is much easier said than done. Should the Devils get his backup, it won’t be a completely easier night. In 21 appearances, <span>Andrei Vasilevskiy</span> has <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?reportType=season&report=goaliebystrength&season=20152016&gameType=2&sort=evSaves&aggregate=0&teamId=14&pos=G">a solid 92.3% save percentage at even strength and a decent 87.2% PK save percentage. </a> With their play combined, the Lightning have one of the lowest goals allowed totals in the NHL at 182. While the Lightning may not be striking the opposition’s net as often as they did last season, they’ve been superb at denying their opposition.</p>
<p><b>Good in One Half, Lackluster on the Other: </b> Tampa Bay’s success rates on special teams have a stark difference. Their penalty kill has been very good; they have a top-five success rate at 84.3%. They’ve been even better in Tampa Bay. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/team?reportType=season&report=penaltykill&season=20152016&gameType=2&sort=pkPctg&aggregate=0">Over the whole season</a>, they have conceded only 37 goals out of 236 shorthanded situations. If that wasn’t enough, they have 7 shorthanded goals. All of which rank rather well within the NHL. That side of the special teams should be a strength for the Lightning. The other side, not so much. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/team?reportType=season&report=powerplay&season=20152016&gameType=2&sort=ppPctg&aggregate=0">Their power play has not been as successful with a conversion rate of 16.3%. </a> Home power plays have done much better than road power plays, so the Devils’ PK won’t necessarily face a poorly performing unit tonight. Still, the Lightning have 42 goals (below league median of 46) out of 257 opportunities (one of the highest numbers in the NHL). Not that a good power play is everything, but they’ll enter the playoffs with the worst conversion rate among the sixteen playoff teams as it stands. There’s <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?reportType=season&report=skatersummary&season=20152016&gameType=2&sort=ppGoals&aggregate=0&teamId=14&pos=S">Stamkos (14 PPG, 23 PPP), Kucherov (9 PPG, 24 PPP), and four and fewer goals among everyone else.</a> As usual, it wouldn't be wise for the Devils to hand their opposition plenty of man advantages. It's just that it won't be as ill-advised as it would be if tonight's opponent was, say, Washington or San Jose.</p>
<p><b>One Last Thought:</b> Good luck, Schneider. Defense, talk to each other. Forwards, help out. Every skater, please don’t concede the puck so easily. I suppose that about sums it up.</p>
<p><b>More Importantly: </b>By way of Raw Charge, check out <a href="http://www.rawcharge.com/2016/4/1/11349920/neurofibromatosis-type-II-NF2-charity-fundraiser-campaign-deke-the-deuce-hockey" target="_blank">Deke the Deuce.</a> John and many others suffer from a genetic neurological disorder known as Neurofibromatosis Type II (NF2). He's raising money that will go to <a href="http://www.advocurenf2.org/" target="_blank">Advocure NF2</a>, which focuses on researching the disorder. If you can't contribute, please spread the word. It's not like it's a common topic as it is.</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b> What’s your take on tonight’s game? Will this game be somewhat competitive for more than a period? Can the Devils hang with the Lightning? What do you expect the Lightning to do in the postseason? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about this game in the comments. Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2016/4/2/11350270/game-preview-79-new-jersey-devils-at-tampa-bay-lightningJohn Fischer