All About The Jersey - New Jersey Devils vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: Game Stream #11A world class blog for Jersey's team: the New Jersey Devilshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47083/lou-fave.png2013-10-30T00:53:23-04:00http://www.allaboutthejersey.com/rss/stream/48043492013-10-30T00:53:23-04:002013-10-30T00:53:23-04:00Recap: Devils Cleaned Up Sloppy Lightning
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<figcaption>The game winning breakaway goal. (Not seen: the puck slamming into the net) | Jeff Zelevansky</figcaption>
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<p>The New Jersey Devils weren't always sharp on the puck, but they were far better than the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight. It helped them win the game 2-1 and this recap goes into how the Devils beat a really sloppy team among other observations.</p> <p>Tonight's game was nationally televised on NBC Sports Network for reasons I have yet to figure out. It wasn't a marquee game, certainly not on a night where two hated rivals duked it out an overrated arena in a city. The <a href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New Jersey Devils</a> and <a href="https://www.rawcharge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> aren't big rivals. While the Lightning has done well, the Devils have not. Yet, this was the game that the continent could see and they got to see a real messy one at the Rock. The Devils weren't sharp but the Lightning were down right miserable at times on the puck. Their lack of control helped make the difference tonight as the Devils ended October on a positive note with a 2-1 win.</p>
<p>I cannot stress enough how bad Tampa Bay was at handling puck for large stretches of this game. The Devils' stick checks were very effective. The Lightning struggled to <i>exit</i> their own zone much less enter the Devils' end. Even when the Devils weren't forechecking all that hard, there were plenty of shifts where they managed to take the puck away easily in the neutral zone, if not Tampa Bay's own end of the rink. The Devils could have done a lot more with what the Lightning gave them. 22 shots out of 33 total attempts isn't exactly dominant hockey. There were plenty touch passes, attempted reads, and poor offensive decisions (e.g. <span>Marek Zidlicky</span> driving a puck to the net and choosing not to shoot but to leave it behind the net) that undercut the Devils' attack. But the Lightning made it look like New Jersey was dominating as they only got 17 out of 23 attempts. That's just pathetic, especially when you consider the Lightning were losing for about half of the game.</p>
<p>While the Devils left plenty of offensive potential up for imagination, the two goals they did get started off with the Lightning losing the puck. The first goal was created off <span>Adam Henrique</span> blocking a pass by Matthew Carle at the point during a penalty kill. Henrique recovered the puck and essentially had a give-and-go with <span>Patrik Elias</span> before he finished the play his block started. The second goal was an unassisted breakway by <span>Jaromir Jagr</span>. However, <span>Martin St. Louis</span> deserves a primary assist. <span>Andrej Sustr</span> passed the puck from the right point to St. Louis, who pulled back to the point to see what was in front of him. Jagr applied some pressure and then St. Louis whiffed on the puck. Jagr knocked it away, St. Louis not only lost possession but position, and a 41-year old man went off to the races and won it by beating <span>Ben Bishop</span> high. The Lightning conceded plenty of possession but these two were ultimately the most damaging on national TV.</p>
<p>The Lightning did make a game of it - sort of. After the Devils owned the Lightning for the first fifteen mintues of the second period, Adam Henrique got tagged for hooking on a rare offensive shift by Tampa Bay. The kill worked out well at first but then <span>Teddy Purcell</span> tried to find Steve Stamkos right at the top of the crease. Stamkos re-directed the puck which was stopped point-blank by <span>Martin Brodeur</span>. The small rebound was right there for Stamkos, who just poked it into the net. Now on the board, they attacked more often to close out the period and I, for one, had some concerns. The Devils had a 2-1 lead going into the third against one of the highest scoring teams in the league with two of the top scorers in the league and now had some reason to feel good about themselves. Then the third happened and it was mostly the same Lightning we saw in the first and most of the second periods.</p>
<p>Sure, there were flashes of danger from the visitors. Moments where you wonder, "They do nothing for the last five minutes and all of a sudden they have a wide open man on the right flank about to get the puck." Fortunately, Martin Brodeur was excellent at nearly all of these flashes of danger. He denied <span>Tyler Johnson</span> on a breakaway in the first period. He denied Carle in the slot off a feed from St. Louis near the end of the second. His biggest stop came in the third when he robbed that open man on the right flank, <span>Valtteri Filppula</span>. There were enough of these moments to say that Brodeur was tested and that there were highlights even if they came sparingly in an ugly low-event hockey game. There was some penalty drama at the end- but the Devils held on and now have consecutive wins over good teams. It likely didn't make for great TV but that's not really my or the Devils' concern.</p>
<p><b>The Game Stats: </b> <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20132014/GS020179.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Game Summary</a> | <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20132014/ES020179.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Event Summary</a> | <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20132014/PL020179.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Play by Play Log</a> | <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20132014/SS020179.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Shot Summary</a> | <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20132014/TH020179.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Devils Time on Ice Report</a> | <a href="http://www.extraskater.com/game/2013-10-29-lightning-devils" target="_blank">Extra Skater Game Stats</a></p>
<p><b>The Opposition Opinion: </b><a href="http://www.rawcharge.com/2013/10/30/5045260/game-12-tampa-bay-lightning-at-new-jersey-devils" target="_blank">Kyle Alexander recapped the game for Raw Charge</a> and he wasn't happy at all with the Lightning's lackluster performance. I don't blame him!</p>
<p><b>The Game Highlights: </b> There were plenty of highlights even if the flow of the game was choppy and dull from both sides for long stretches.</p>
<p align="center"><iframe src="http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/embed?playlist=2013020179-X-h" frameborder="0" width="640" height="395"></iframe></p>
<p><b>Spoiler - It's Him: </b>Normally, I keep my decisions to myself on naming the Devil of the Month until the actual post is up. Not this time. It's Jaromir Jagr. Tonight showed exactly why that is the case. He kept things moving forward, he put up a few shots, and he battled for pucks along the boards while drawing attention and sometimes won them. His breakaway wasn't quick but it was magisterial from how he immediately knocked the puck up past St. Louis to his lovely finish beating Bishop. He's been a joy to watch the past few weeks and tonight was no different. <a target="_blank" href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/cocky_jagr_sets_nhl_game-winning_goal_record_as_devils_beat_lightning_2-1_for_second_win_in_a_row/">He may have been joking about his cockiness coming back (source: Fire & Ice)</a> but I really hope it does as he continues to do good things on the ice.</p>
<p><b>Non-Effort Moment of the Night: </b>Shout out to <span>Eric Brewer</span> just gliding as Jagr stormed ahead on his breakaway. He was on the opposite point when it happened but I'm sure head coach Jon Cooper isn't pleased with his lack of hustle to try and catch the 41-year old man.</p>
<p><b>Contained: </b>I wrote in the preview that the Devils needed to contain Stamkos and St. Louis. While Stamkos scored Tampa Bay's lone goal, he only had one other shot on net in 20:55 of ice time. St. Louis had one shot on net in 21:40 of ice time and helped Jagr get a goal tonight. St. Louis in particular was creamed in possession as #26 had to do a lot of defending. It's rare that both guys would have such an off night; good on the Devils for doing what they did to make the night more frustrating for them.</p>
<p><b>Shake Your Head: </b>Viktor Hedman was absolutely terrible tonight for Tampa Bay. He played 22 minutes, spent most of it trying to recover pucks from the Devils' attacks either after shooting attempts or attempted passes, leading breakouts that were more or less broken at times, and conceded plenty of possession from the blueline on offense. He had no attempts on net all night long. Like St. Louis, he was demolished in terms of attempts for and against and he helped make it easier for the Devils at times. Unlike St. Louis, his errors did not yield in a goal against. Still, while the Devils' own effort wasn't sharp in terms of keeping the puck going, they did what they could to take advantage of Hedman's foibles. It's another reason to be glad the Devils got this win as he's another key player who had a bad game.</p>
<p><b>Looking Good, Feeling Good: </b>I liked how most of the Devils' forwards pressed and jumped on pucks in general tonight. While they only generated 22 shots and two goals, their possession and aggression helped Tampa Bay make mistake after mistake which kept them out of the game for long stretches despite a close score. <span>Travis Zajac</span>, <span>Damien Brunner</span>, and <span>Dainius Zubrus</span> did quite well. I liked what I saw from Jagr (duh) and Patrik Elias. Adam Henrique had a solid game in my eyes and his shorthanded goal was sweet.</p>
<p>The only forward I wasn't real happy with was <span>Michael Ryder</span>. He tended to drift here and there. He had a few poor decisions with the puck. He only took one shot on net and it came on a third period power play. Ryder's most significant moment was hooking <span>Alex Killorn</span> in the third period. Given that Tampa Bay only had a handful of good shifts in the third, handing them a power play was really dumb. The Devils' PK did well for the first minute and then had to rely on Brodeur and missed shots to escape the second minute; Ryder's error was bailed out. I'd like him to follow Brunner's lead and take more initiative with the puck in the future; though I understand those opportunities weren't necessarily there.</p>
<p><b>Few D Complaints: </b>While Tampa Bay wasn't a shooting the puck a lot, they are one of the highest scoring teams in the East. The Devils' defense handled them quite well. I can't complain about the defensive performance after a night where the opponent was held to 13 shots at evens and only four shots out of three full power plays. Sure, there were some hairy moments and some breakdowns but that's going to happen in most games. More importantly, the Devils recovered very well just before an odd man rush or a puck-carrier heading into the slot got their shot away. The backchecking was well done and the defensemen got plenty of zone exits. At least, it looked a lot less like an adventure compared to Tampa Bay's rearguard trying to move the puck out. All six defenders did pretty well in their own end.</p>
<p>If I were to have a complaint about the defense, it's going to be in how they handled their offense. <span>Eric Gelinas</span> was really off in the first period, missing passes and mishandling pucks; but he recovered as time went on, Peter DeBoer kept giving him shifts, and at least provided two shots out of five attempts. Marek Zidlicky didn't give the puck away freely but he did make some odd decisions to pass up or skate past good shooting lanes which helped end the Devils' attack. <span>Adam Larsson</span> had a shot that was deflected onto the post in the second period but that was his only shooting attempt. Even so, I could be really nitpicky here in some of these. Again, the Devils held Stamkos, St. Louis, and the Lightning to under 20 shots and held a possession advantage in a low-event game. The D was good overall.</p>
<p><b>Nothing Soft: </b>I wouldn't call Stamkos' point-blank rebound poke a soft goal allowed. While 16 saves isn't a lot, Tampa Bay forced Brodeur to be great on a few of those shots - and he was. I really think it was his best performance to date this season. Even with a Moose-like moment in the second period that didn't end up in the back of the net.</p>
<p><b>The Neutral Zone Matters: </b>That really should be the big takeaway in general. The Devils weren't always great at getting through it but they didn't settle on just dumps-and-chases, they tried different approaches and found success with lob passes, passes off the boards, and so forth. The Lightning were abysmal and it only made it easier for the Devils to defend against a high-scoring team as well as get through a defense that has been quite solid this season. Own the neutral zone and the game can be easier to accomplish. I hope the Devils can move more fluidly and effectively through it in future games, but it wasn't a problem since Tampa Bay just plain stunk at it.</p>
<p><b>Last Point: </b>Discipline could have been better. I'm not sure how <span>Ryan Carter</span> and Sustr got matching minors for high-sticking but it was unnecessary for #20 to react to. Ryder's penalty was bad. I wasn't a big fan of Anton Volchenkov's interference call but the PK got a goal and allowed nothing (plus Adam Larsson got some PK work) so I'm not that upset by it. I don't know how you take a too many men on the ice call at the end of the game. Thankfully, Henrique won the faceoff to ice the final three seconds.</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b>Apologies for the recap but the trains come when they want to come, not when I want them to. Alas, the Devils won a second game in a row. Are you pleased with the result? More importantly, are you pleased with how the Devils got it tonight? Which Devil were you most impressed with tonight? Which Devil were you least impressed with? How surprised were you seeing the Lightning fail to break out over and over at evens? What should the Devils work on as they prepare for a back-to-back set this weekend? Please leave your answers and other thoughts on tonight's win in the comments. Thanks to all those who commented in the gamethread and follow <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twitter.com/inlouwetrust">@InLouWeTrust </a>on Twitter. Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2013/10/30/5045398/new-jersey-devils-cleaned-up-sloppy-tampa-bay-lightning-in-2-1-victoryJohn Fischer2013-10-29T18:30:06-04:002013-10-29T18:30:06-04:00Devils vs Lightning: Gamethread 11
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<p>The Devils will try to make it two in a row for the first time this season as they host the surging Tampa Bay Lightning.</p> <p><strong>The Time:</strong> 7:30 PM EST</p>
<p><strong> The Broadcast:</strong> TV - NBC Sports; Radio - 660 AM WFAN (101.9 FM)</p>
<p><strong>The Matchup:</strong> The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a> vs the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.nucksmisconduct.com/">T</a>ampa Bay <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.rawcharge.com/">Lightning</a></p>
<p><strong>The Game Previews: </strong>John wrote a preview and it's available <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2013/10/29/5040002/new-jersey-devils-vs-tampa-bay-lightning-game-preview-11">right here</a>. For the opposition's point of view, <a href="http://www.rawcharge.com/2013/10/29/5043300/beware-the-swamps-of-jersey-tampa-bay-lightning-at-new-jersey-devils">check out Raw Charge</a>.</p>
<p><strong>The Song for Tonight: </strong><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsJ4O-nSveg">Live - Lightning Crashes</a><strong>. </strong>Lightning crashes....a Stamkos cries.</p>
<p><strong>Gameday Info: </strong>No changes on the Devils side from what John discussed this morning. The team will ice the exact same lineup that played in Boston on Saturday night. Looking for a big game from <span>Martin Brodeur</span> and the defense tonight. Namely, <span>Andy Greene</span> and <span>Mark Fayne</span>, who will probably be trying to stop <span>Steven Stamkos</span> and <span>Martin St. Louis</span>. Moar Eric Gelinas pleeze. <span>Anton Volchenkov</span> will have to chip in to slow down the dynamic TB power play as well. Even better, maybe the Devils can just avoid going shorthanded Up front, I thought <span>Adam Henrique</span> had his best game of the season on Saturday, and he needs to play with the same fire today. <span>Damien Brunner</span> finally was motoring around again on Saturday night like the Brunner we saw the first few games of the year. <span>Jaromir Jagr</span> needs to continue Jagr'ing.</p>
<p>For the Lightning, <span>Ben Bishop</span> will be in net. The mammoth goaltender has been very good so far this season and big part of the team's early season success. No indication yet as to the lines or defense pairings for Tampa.</p>
<p><strong>The Reminder of Rules: </strong>This is a place where you can (and should) comment about this game before, during, and after it's played, until the recap is up. This is a place where we <em>primarily</em> discuss the Devils game. An odd mention of other NHL games is OK, but it shouldn't dominate discussion. All comments will be clean, respectful of each other, relevant to the game, and legal (read: no streams). Please refrain from super-big pictures and/or .GIFs to keep the gamethread moving for everyone. If you're going to include a some sort of picture in your comment, please add a title so anyone who wishes to can collapse it.</p>
<p>John will provide commentary perhaps here and definitely through @InLouWeTrust throughout the game. I'll be watching from my perch up in 212, and I'll probably pop in on here or twitter, Rock internet connection willing.</p>
<p><strong>Salute:</strong> Give me a D! Give me an E! Give me an V! Give me an I! Give me an L! Give me an S!</p>
<p>WHAT DOES THAT SPELLLLL ? DEVILS !!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>WHAT DOES THAT SPELLLLLLLLL ? DEVILLLLLLSSSSSS!!!!!!!</p>
<p>LETS- GO-DEV-ILS !!!!!!</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2013/10/29/5043986/new-jersey-devils-vs-tampa-bay-lightning-gamethread-11Jerry Tierney2013-10-29T18:30:06-04:002013-10-29T18:30:06-04:00Devils vs Lightning: Gamethread 11
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<p>The Devils will try to make it two in a row for the first time this season as they host the surging Tampa Bay Lightning.</p> <p><strong>The Time:</strong> 7:30 PM EST</p>
<p><strong> The Broadcast:</strong> TV - NBC Sports; Radio - 660 AM WFAN (101.9 FM)</p>
<p><strong>The Matchup:</strong> The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a> vs the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.nucksmisconduct.com/">T</a>ampa Bay <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.rawcharge.com/">Lightning</a></p>
<p><strong>The Game Previews: </strong>John wrote a preview and it's available <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2013/10/29/5040002/new-jersey-devils-vs-tampa-bay-lightning-game-preview-11">right here</a>. For the opposition's point of view, <a href="http://www.rawcharge.com/2013/10/29/5043300/beware-the-swamps-of-jersey-tampa-bay-lightning-at-new-jersey-devils">check out Raw Charge</a>.</p>
<p><strong>The Song for Tonight: </strong></p>
<p><strong>Gameday Info: </strong>No changes on the Devils side from what John discussed this morning. The team will ice the exact same lineup that played in Boston on Saturday night. Looking for a big game from <span>Martin Brodeur</span> and the defense tonight. Namely, <span>Andy Greene</span> and <span>Mark Fayne</span>, who will probably be trying to stop <span>Steven Stamkos</span> and <span>Martin St. Louis</span>. Moar Eric Gelinas pleeze. <span>Anton Volchenkov</span> will have to chip in on the power play as well. Up front, I thought <span>Adam Henrique</span> had his best game of the season on Saturday, and he needs to play with the same fire today. <span>Damien Brunner</span> finally was motoring around again on Saturday night like the Brunner we saw the first few games of the year. <span>Jaromir Jagr</span> needs to continue Jagr'ing.</p>
<p>For the Lightning, <span>Ben Bishop</span> will be in net. The mammoth goaltender has been very good so far this season and big part of the team's early season success. No indication yet as to the lines or defense pairings for Tampa.</p>
<p><strong>The Reminder of Rules: </strong>This is a place where you can (and should) comment about this game before, during, and after it's played, until the recap is up. This is a place where we <em>primarily</em> discuss the Devils game. An odd mention of other NHL games is OK, but it shouldn't dominate discussion. All comments will be clean, respectful of each other, relevant to the game, and legal (read: no streams). Please refrain from super-big pictures and/or .GIFs to keep the gamethread moving for everyone. If you're going to include a some sort of picture in your comment, please add a title so anyone who wishes to can collapse it.</p>
<p>John will provide commentary perhaps here and definitely through @InLouWeTrust throughout the game. I'll be watching from my perch up in 212, and I'll probably pop in on here or twitter, Rock internet connection willing.</p>
<p><strong>Salute:</strong> Give me a D! Give me an E! Give me an V! Give me an I! Give me an L! Give me an S!</p>
<p>WHAT DOES THAT SPELLLLL ? DEVILS !!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>WHAT DOES THAT SPELLLLLLLLL ? DEVILLLLLLSSSSSS!!!!!!!</p>
<p>LETS- GO-DEV-ILS !!!!!!</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2013/10/29/5043622/new-jersey-devils-vs-tampa-bay-lightning-gamethread-11Jerry Tierney2013-10-29T07:00:10-04:002013-10-29T07:00:10-04:00Devils vs. Lightning: Game Preview #11
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<img alt="Get ready to see a lot of this guy tonight." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/I1ayGhDLRvoH8QQ3-wwL_Ol6p8c=/156x0:3843x2458/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/21946665/20131024_ter_sv7_155.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Get ready to see a lot of this guy tonight. | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>October is finally over for the New Jersey Devils' schedule with a home game against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight. This preview goes into how good the Lightning are this season (really good) and that there are no expected changes for the Devils.</p> <p>The Devils are back at home and finally have a road win on their record. Can they make it two in a row?</p>
<p><b>The Time: </b> 7:30 PM EDT</p>
<p><b>The Broadcast: </b>TV - NBC SN; Radio - 660 AM & 101.9 FM WFAN</p>
<p><b>The Matchup: </b>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a> (2-5-4) vs. the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.rawcharge.com/">Tampa Bay Lightning</a> (8-3-0; SBN Blog: <a href="http://www.rawcharge.com/">Raw Charge</a>)</p>
<p><b>The Last Devils Game: </b> The Devils went to Boston and got outplayed for the most part in the first period. Boston scored a first, a second, and late in the period, a third goal to end the first 3-1. It looked like the Devils were outmatched again. However, a funny thing happened and the Devils started attacking more and more past the halfway mark. Call it score effects. Call it Boston taking unnecessary calls. Either way, <span>Damien Brunner</span> backhanded a puck that just got in the net to make it 3-2 near the end of the second. The Devils pushed for the equalizer and their big moment came late in the third. <span>Torey Krug</span> got tagged for a double-minor for high-sticking Brunner and during that kill, <span>Patrice Bergeron</span> threw a puck over the glass. On the rare 6-on-3 - yeah, Peter DeBoer pulled <span>Martin Brodeur</span> for this chance - <span>Marek Zidlicky</span> actually put a shot on net from distance. A shot that went in, believe it or not. The Devils tied it up with their third power play goal. They weren't done. <span>Jaromir Jagr</span> set Brunner up for a really hard one-timer that he completely botched. The puck sailed laterally right to <span>Andy Greene</span>, who put it top corner past <span>Tuukka Rask</span>. The Devils held on to win 4-3 with all four goals coming from the power play. It was gleeful madness, <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2013/10/26/5033066/power-play-powers-new-jersey-devils-stunning-4-3-comeback-win-boston-bruins">but this is only a recap of the game.</a></p>
<p><b>The Last Lightning Game: </b>On Sunday night, the Lightning visited their in-state rivals the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.litterboxcats.com/">Florida Panthers</a>. Early on, it looked like it was going to be Tampa Bay's night. <span>Martin St. Louis</span> scored 41 seconds into the game and Steve Stamkos made it 2-0 at the 4:35 mark. However, the Panthers would put up a fight. <span>Shawn Matthias</span> got on the home team on the board in the first to give them a shout. However, in the second period Radko Gudas re-established the two-goal lead for Tampa Bay when his shot deflected off <span>Mike Weaver</span> and beat <span>Jacob Markstrom</span>. Then there was drama. <span>Scottie Upshall</span> squirted Gudas with some Gatorade (or G, I guess as it's called now) from the bench and Gudas reacted by slashing the bench. Gudas got two for slashing, twenty for misconduct (regular and a game misconduct), and an ejection. With only five defensemen, one would think Florida would pour on the offense. They didn't by shots - they kept even with the Lightning - but they made a third period comeback all the same. <span>Nick Bjugstad</span> scored his first of the season to make it 3-2 and <span>Brad Boyes</span> finished off an <span>Ondrej Palat</span> giveaway to make it 3-3. Both teams held on for overtime and a shootout would be necessary. The Lightning got the win thanks to Stamkos, who has been historically not good at the shootout (5-for-27). <a href="http://www.rawcharge.com/2013/10/28/5037454/game-11-tampa-bay-lightning-at-florida-panthers">Kyle Alexander has this recap at Raw Charge of how Tampa Bay survived the Panthers.</a></p>
<p><b>The Goal: </b>Contain the opposition's top line. Tampa Bay has scored 39 goals this season, only one behind Toronto for the most in the East heading into Monday's games. 16 of these goals have come from the three men that make up Tampa Bay's top line: <span>Steven Stamkos</span>, Martin St. Louis, and <span>Ryan Malone</span>. Malone only has the one goal but with 27 shots on net already, I doubt he'll stay there for long. You really should know all about Stamkos and St. Louis. The former has a dangerous shot from anywhere on the ice, he uses it a lot, and he's been hot with a ridiculous 22.9% shooting percentage on 35 shots. He's second in the entire league in scoring with 17 points (8 goals) in 11 games. St. Louis has been the biggest little man in the game for over a decade now and he's equally hot with a 24.1% shooting percentage with 29 shots. He's got 14 points this season with seven goals; he's not that far behind his linemate. It is imperative that the Devils contain this trio as much as possible. Stamkos and St. Louis are difficult enough to stop in the run of play; they don't need help. The Devils cannot give them free chances like odd man rushes because someone lost the puck in the neutral zone or the blueline. They cannot be left alone either at evens or on the power play. They must command full attention otherwise it could be a very long night for New Jersey.</p>
<p><b>Tampa Has Other Forwards Too: </b>The Stamkos-St. Louis combination comprises of over 38% of the team's scoring this season. This also means other Lightning players have contributed in the scoring department. <span>Valtteri Filppula</span> has enjoyed a very good start with the Bolts with four goals and five assists in 11 games. Believe it or not, but he actually leads the team in power play points with five (one goal, four assists) so he's another man to watch out for on the man advantage. He's the right winger on their second line, which has been centered by Alex Killorn. Killorn has some wheels and has a good start as well with two goals and five assists. <span>Teddy Purcell</span> is behind Filppula in points with four goals and four assists. He's usually on a different line, which should give the Devils reason to pay attention. Also, he could really do some damage on the power play too. Three of his four goals have come with the man advantage, currently the most on the team. The last forward that I want to highlight is <span>Tyler Johnson</span>. He was crushing it in the AHL the past two seasons and got an extended look last season with six points in 14 games. He currently has six points in 11 games along with a regular spot on the third line. With the exception of Filppula, all of these guys have over 20 shots on net and have helped support the team beyond what Stamkos and St. Louis has done. From what I can tell, this is a reason why they're 8-3 to start the season.</p>
<p><b>Tampa Has Been A Bit Hot: </b> As a team, <a href="http://www.extraskater.com/teams/2013/5v5?sort=shooting_pct">Tampa Bay is shooting at 9% in 5-on-5 play according to Extra Skater.</a> This is the eighth best shooting percentage going into Monday's games and it's a bit high. I don't expect Stamkos and St. Louis to really slump but I really don't think they'll keep up a 20+% shooting percentage. I highly doubt Filppula will keep shooting over 30%. But for right now, the Lightning's collective sticks are a bit hot. And it's important because they're not all that good in terms of possession. <a href="http://www.extraskater.com/teams/2013/5v5?sort=corsi_pct">In 5-on-5 play, their Corsi percentage is at 48.1%</a>, which ranks 23rd; by contrast, the Devils are fifth at 53.5%. <a href="http://www.extraskater.com/teams/2013/5v5close?sort=corsi_pct">If you scale down to score-close situations</a>, the Lightning move up in the ranks a little bit to 18th though they're still at 48.4%. The larger point is that teams have been out-attempting them regularly to start this season. On paper, the Devils should be able to be another team to do that. It hasn't been a big issue for Tampa Bay because they've been able to score so much. Hopefully, the Devils won't enjoy a possession advantage because they're losing and subsequently chasing the scoreboard.</p>
<p><b>Tampa Has a Defense: </b>What's remarkable about the Lightning so far this season is their defense. While they're not good in possession, they've been one of the better teams in the league in terms of shot prevention. Tampa Bay's rate of <a href="http://www.extraskater.com/teams/2013/5v5?sort=sa60">shots against per 60 minutes in 5-on-5 play is 26.9</a> and <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm?fetchKey=20142ALLSAAAll&sort=avgShotsAgainstPerGame&viewName=summary">their average shots against per game in 28.2</a>; both are top-ten rates in the league. The Lightning have played some low event hockey and since their shots keep getting in the net, they have not had to have shoot so much. But the defensive effort has been tight. Matthew Carle leads <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20142TBLDADALL&sort=avgTOIPerGame&viewName=timeOnIce">the blueline in minutes per game</a>, plays big minutes in all situations, and takes on the toughs, usually with Radko Gudas. <a href="http://www.extraskater.com/players/on-ice?season=2013&team=tb&pos=D&sit=5v5">The duo are low on the possession end</a> but it hasn't cost the team. The second pairing of Viktor Hedman and <span>Sami Salo</span> have been better in possession and both are notable. Hedman has played more minutes at evens and plays plenty on the PK, while Salo is similar to Carle only with fewer minutes at evens. The duo has done well and I suspect the Devils' best forwards will see a lot of that top four. <span>Andrej Sustr</span> and <span>Eric Brewer</span> has been a solid third pairing this season. This is a good group of defenders so far; much better than past Lightning teams where they were all about the offense and not about the defense. If/when the Lightning's sticks get a little colder, they won't crash hard due in part to how these guys play.</p>
<p><b>Tampa Has...Goalies?: </b> Last season, <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?season=20122013&gameType=2&team=TBL&position=G&country=&status=&viewName=specialTeamSaves">the Lightning didn't impress in net.</a> So they went out and got <span>Ben Bishop</span> during the season who did well (at evens) in his nine games in Tampa Bay. In this season, <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?season=20132014&gameType=2&team=TBL&position=G&country=&status=&viewName=specialTeamSaves">Bishop hasn't been as good with a 91.5% save percentage at evens in eight games. </a> But that's not too bad of a result so far. It's buoyed by an impressive 91.4% save percentage on the penalty kill. <span>Anders Lindback</span> hasn't been all that good in either category so far. He's had a rough start to this season. Provided Bishop doesn't get real bad, then it shouldn't be a big deal.</p>
<p><b>Tampa Has Special Teams Success: </b>The Lightning have had good success rates on both ends of special teams. <a href="http://www.extraskater.com/teams/2013/5v4?sort=sf60">They don't shoot a lot in 5-on-4 situations</a> but partially because they keep scoring. Their success rate of 23.9 is seventh in the league and not just because of one awesome game (looking at you, Devils, with your 4-for-7 in Boston pushing up the success rate to 22.5%). <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/gamestats.htm?season=20132014&gameType=2&team=TBL&viewName=gameSummary">They've only been held scoreless on the power play in three games this season. </a> Needless to say, the Devils must be as disciplined as possible. Lightning's penalty kill has righted itself after a rough first give games. They've only allowed one power play goal in the last six games and are <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm?fetchKey=20142ALLSAAAll&sort=penaltyKillPercentage&viewName=summary">right behind the Devils with a success rate of 82.6%.</a> Their <a href="http://www.extraskater.com/teams/2013/4v5?sort=sa60">stinginess in allowing shots in 5-on-5 play hasn't carried over to 4-on-5 play</a>; much of that success rate can be appropriated to Bishop. Despite the night in Boston (let's be real, they're not going 4-for-7 again anytime soon) and their hot streak, I'm not all that confident that the Devils' power play could make Tampa Bay pay for their crimes. Given that the Devils have been the better possession team in 5-on-5 play, it behooves them to keep the game there as much as possible.</p>
<p><b>Tampa Has a Really Good Team Right Now So Taking Them Lightly is Really Stupid: </b> In case you haven't figured that out from this preview so far. Sure, the Devils did just knock off a really good Boston team but they needed good fortune from Boston making some big mistakes and then having to make the most of it on a situation they otherwise stunk at all season. It's not impossible but I wouldn't bet on similar heroics happening in a second straight game. It's questionable whether Tampa Bay will stay this good, their low possession rate suggests some trouble in the future. But right now, for this very game, they are arguably one of the best teams the Devils will face so far this season. I know the players and coaches won't underestimate them. Neither should you.</p>
<p><b>Everyone's Favorite #6 Defenseman Returns: </b><span>Eric Gelinas</span> had two very good games last week. He was sent down to Albany on Sunday. There was consternation. Uproar. Anger. Laments. On Monday, Gelinas was recalled and practiced with <span>Adam Larsson</span> as if nothing changed. That happened because something did change. <a href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/salvador_schneider_missing_from_devils_practice_gelinas_back_terreri_in_net/">Tom Gulitti reported on Monday at Fire & Ice</a> that while <span>Bryce Salvador</span> is back from grieving a death in his family, he has been placed on IR with a fractured foot. <a href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/comments/devils_salvador_thinks_hell_return_relatively_quickly_schneider_expected_back_by_weekend/">In this follow up post from Gulitti</a>, the injury itself is not serious but he'll be out for another week or so. This will give Gelinas a few more games to play and Lou more time to figure out a long term solution assuming there should be one, so to speak.</p>
<p>I do think Gelinas earned a third game, but I would keep expectations low regardless. He's got a great shot and he looked really good but I'm hesitant to put him (or any young player) on a pedestal after a few games. Yes, he has potential but a team with two wins doesn't need potential, it needs results. I'll be frank, I'd like Gelinas to do well but I'm not going to bank on him to be the difference maker tonight. That's going to be on the shoulders of Andy Greene and <span>Mark Fayne</span>, who will likely end up seeing a lot of Stamkos and St. Louis. It's going to be on the backs of <span>Anton Volchenkov</span>, who could have a handful against Tampa's strong power play for penalty kills, and Marek Zidlicky, whose questionable nature with the puck at times could end up being costly. The forwards as a group didn't do all that great of a job against Boston in 5-on-5 play and they should do better tonight. Martin Brodeur needs to be on point and it would be great if he can have a game without giving up even one soft goal. So on and so forth.</p>
<p>My main point is that it's going to take a real good team effort tonight for the Devils to get a win. Gelinas can certainly help out and I hope he does. But short of a totally awesome performance, I don't think his third appearance alone will give the Devils the win. At the end of the day, raging about which guy gets limited minutes and comparatively weak competition when there are larger issues elsewhere (e.g. goals, this team needs more of them and to stop giving up so many of them too) seems pointless to me. It's also why I'm not terribly concerned about the long-term solution at the moment.</p>
<p><b>No Other Changes: </b>Basically, what you saw in Boston is what you'll see tonight. <a href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/salvador_schneider_missing_from_devils_practice_gelinas_back_terreri_in_net/">There were no other changes in practice per Gulitti's post</a> other than Salvador being moved to IR. <span>Travis Zajac</span> will center <span>Dainius Zubrus</span> (get more involved) and Damien Brunner (keep shooting) for a second game. <span>Michael Ryder</span> (it would be cool if he showed up tonight, by the way) and <span>Rostislav Olesz</span> (I have no complaints) will go with <span>Adam Henrique</span>. <span>Jacob Josefson</span>, <span>Mattias Tedenby</span>, and <span>Peter Harrold</span> are expected to be scratches. <span>Ryane Clowe</span> is still out. Martin Brodeur will be back in net as <span>Cory Schneider</span> is on IR. <a href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/comments/devils_salvador_thinks_hell_return_relatively_quickly_schneider_expected_back_by_weekend/">He could be ready for the weekend</a> so if Brodeur wants more minutes, then he's got more incentive to have a good game tonight.</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b>The Devils will close out October with a very good opponent at home, some new goal song that I'm so very sure that the fans totally and legitimately decided, and either with two or three wins on their record. The month will thankfully end at least. However, November begins very quickly with a back-to-back set. It really never is easy in the NHL.</p>
<p>Still, a game awaits and who knows, perhaps the Devils will rise to the challenge. Do you think they'll do it? Who on the Devils do you think needs to lead the way to accomplishment? Can Stamkos-St. Louis really be quelled? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about tonight's game in the comments. Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2013/10/29/5040002/new-jersey-devils-vs-tampa-bay-lightning-game-preview-11John Fischer