Bolts Look For Back to Back Wins as they Take on the Devils
By Jake Ricker
Overview
Tonight it’s the Tampa Bay Lightning (39-16-3) taking on the New Jersey Devils (29-20-8). The Bolts will look to continue their success from their last game, while the Devils will look get their 3rd win in a row. This will be the 2nd time these two teams face off with the first three meetings ending in a Devils Shootout victory of 5-4. The Bolts will look to even the series while the Devils will look to take the series sweep. Let’s take a look at the game plan for these two teams as they get set to square off.
Tampa’s Outlook and Past
The Bolts have won 3 of their last 5 games scoring 15 goals over that span. The Bolts are coming off a big win against the Detroit where the superstars shined. The Bolts finally played a much better game against Detroit and will look to continue that tonight along with are superstars leading the way. This will be the last home game before the bolts head back out onto the road so they will look to get the proper sendoff with a win. They will look to maintain their top spot in the league with another win tonight.
Three Keys To The Game
1.Home Cookin’
Bolts always show up when they play at home.
2. Big 3
Kucherov, Stamkos & Hedman came alive vs the Red Wings. Look for it to continue.
3. Solid Structure
We always play well when backchecking and being tough on defense.
Projected Lines
Offense
Kunitz – Stamkos – Namestnikov
Johnson – Point – Kucherov
Gourde – Peca – Killorn
Erne – Paquette – Callahan
Defense
Hedman – Dotchin
Sergachev – Stralman
Coburn – Girardi
Goalies
Andrei Vasilevskiy: 34-10-2 GAA: 2.30 SV%: .929 (Unconfirmed)
Injuries
Ondrej Palat (2-4 Weeks)
New Jersy’s Outlook and Past
The Devils have had a decent season so far but would like to continue their success and make sure they can reach the postseason. The Devils are on a 2 game winning streak scoring 10 goals over those two games. The Devils have the 12th best PK unit (81.9%) and will look to continue that success tonight as they face the Bolts who have a deadly powerplay. This will be the start of a two-game road trip for the Devils before returning back home. They will look to try and tie the flyers for third in the Metropolitan division with a win tonight.
Three Keys To The Game
1. Keep Up the Offense
The Devils have scored 5 goals in each of the last 2 games and as they take on a high powered offense they will look to continue that tonight.
2. Early Pressure
The Bolts have played really well at home so look for the Devils to try and put some pressure on them early.
3. Taylor Hall
Hall has lit it up for the Devils this year as he leads the team in Goals, Assists, and Points. Look for him to have the puck at all times when he’s on the ice.
Projected Lines
Offense
Hall – Hischier – Palmieri
Bratt – Zacha – Lappin
Wood – Zajac – Noesen
Stafford – Coleman – Hayes
Defense
Greene – Vatanen
Moore – Severson
Butcher – Lovejoy
Goalies
Eddie Lack: 1-3-0 GAA: 4.55 SV%: .833 (Likely)
Injuries
Brian Boyle (Day to Day)
Corey Schneider (IR)
John Quenneville (IR)
PLEASE NOTE THAT LINES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE BEFORE GAME TIME AND MAY NOT BE AS SHOWN.