The New Jersey Devils will face elimination in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series vs. Tampa Bay on Saturday afternoon after the Lightning took a 3-1 series lead with a 3-1 victory Wednesday night in Newark.
Nikita Kucherov had an assist on the first Tampa Bay goal, scored the go-ahead goal later in the first period and added an empty-netter to seal the victory in the third period in the Lightning's Game 4 win
Kucherov now has four goals and five assists in the series, equaling the most points by an opposing player vs. the Devils in the first four games of a playoff series. Here's a look at the top six.
Dino Ciccarelli (1990, Was) 9 pts (7 goals 2 assists)Nikita Kucherov (2018, TB) 9 pts (4 goals 5 assists)Martin St. Louis (2007, TB) 8 pts (3 goals 5 assists)Dany Heatley (2007, Ott) 8 pts (3 goals 5 assists)Ken Linesaman (1988, Bos) 7 pts (3 goals 4 assists)Mario Lemieux (1993, Pit) 7 pts (4 goals 3 assists)
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Taylor Hall had an assist on Kyle Palmieri's goal in the Game 4 loss and now has six points (two goals and four assists) in the first postseason series of his career.
The only Devils player who had more than six points in his first four career playoff games was John MacLean, who had seven (four goals and three assists) in 1988 in the Patrick Division semifinals vs. the Islanders.
On Monday night at the Prudential Center, the Devils got back in the series with a 5-2 win over Tampa Bay.
New Jersey was hosting its first playoff game since Game 5 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Final vs. the Los Angeles Kings.
Trailing 2-1 in the third period, the Devils scored four unanswered goals to defeat the Lightning.
It was the fifth time New Jersey scored at least four goals in a single postseason period, and the first since the third period of Game 2 of the 2012 Conference Semifinals at Philadelphia. Here's a look at each time is happened:
April 16, 2018 TB 2 at NJD 5 4 goals in 3rd periodMay 1, 2012 NJD 4 at Phi 1 4 goals in 3rd periodMay 9, 2001 Tor 1 at NJD 5 4 goals in 2nd periodApril 28, 2001 Tor 5 at NJD 6 (OT) 4 goals in 2nd periodApril 22, 1988 Was 4 at NJD 10 5 goals in 3rd period
Cory Schneider, who had not won a game since Dec. 27 vs. Buffalo, stopped 34 of 36 shots for his second career postseason win.
Schneider became the first Devils goalie other than Martin Brodeur to win a playoff game since Chris Terreri, who won Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals vs. the Bruins at Boston Garden on May 11, 1994.
Will Butcher scored his first career playoff goal in the victory, becoming the seventh Devils rookie defenseman in club history to score a playoff goal. Here are the others:
Eric Weinrich, 2 (1990 & 91)Brian Rafalski, 2 (2000)Andy Greene, 2 (2007)Paul Martin, 1 (2004)Colin White, 1 (2000)Adam Larson, 1 (2012)
On Saturday afternoon, the Devils lost Game 2 to the Lightning, 5-3.
Keith Kinkaid was replaced by Schneider after allowing the fifth Tampa Bay goal. The nine goals allowed by Kinkaid in games 1 and 2 tied the second most given up by a Devils goalie in the opening two games of a playoff series.
Brodeur also allowed nine goals in games 1 and 2 vs. Carolina in the 2006 Eastern Conference semifinals, and Terreri gave up 12 at Pittsburgh in the first two games of the 1993 Patrick Division semifinals.
Tampa Bay broke open Game 2 with four goals in the second period.
It was the sixth time in club history New Jersey allowed four or more goals in a period in a postseason game. Here's a look at each time it happened:
April 14, 1988 NYI 5 at NJD 6 4 goals in 3rd periodMay 6, 1988 Bos 6 at NJD 1 5 goals in 2nd periodApril 20, 1993 NJD 0 at Pit 7 4 goals in 2nd periodApril 28, 2001 Tor 5 at NJD 6 (OT) 4 goals in 3rd periodApril 26, 2007 Ott 5 at NJD 4 4 goals in 1st periodApril 14, 2018 NJD 3 at TB 5 4 goals in 2nd period
Alex Killorn had two power-play goals for the Lightning in Game 2, becoming the fifth opposing player to do that vs. the Devils in a postseason game, and the second for Tampa Bay. Here is a look at each time it happened:
April 14, 2018 NJD 3 at TB 5 Alex KillornApril 15, 2012 NJD 2 at Fla 4 Stephen WeissApril 20, 2010 NJD 1 at Phi 4 Jeff CarterApril 22, 2007 NJD 3 at TB 2 Brad RichardsApril 27, 1992 NJD 3 at NYR 8 Mike Gartner
Nico Hischier scored his first career playoff goal in the loss, becoming the youngest player (19 years, 100 days) in franchise history to score in a Stanley Cup Playoff game.
Brendan Shanahan (19 years, 104 days) was previously the youngest Devils player with a playoff goal, scoring his first on May 6, 1988 in a 6-1 loss to Boston in Game 3 of the Prince of Wales Conference finals
Last Thursday night, the Devils lost Game 1 to the Lightning, 5-2.
It was the seventh time in club history the Devils allowed five or more goals in the opening game of a postseason series. A look at each:
May 6, 2006 NJD 0 at Car 6April 18, 1993 NJD 3 at Pit 6April 12, 2018 NJD 2 at TB 5April 26, 2007 Ott 5 at NJD 4May 26, 2001 NJD 0 at Col 5April 5, 1990 Was 5 at NJD 4 (OT)May 2, 1988 NJD 3 at Bos 5
Kinkaid lost in his first postseason appearance, stopping 27 of 32 shots.
Here is how the other Devils goalies fared in their first career starts in the playoffs:
April 17, 1994 Martin Brodeur vs. Buf ECQF Game 1 Lost 2-0April 22, 1993 Craig Billington vs. Pit ECQF Game 3 Lost 4-3April 7, 1990 Chris Terreri vs. Was ECQF Game 2 Won 6-5April 7, 1988 Bob Sauve at NYI ECQF Game 2 Won 3-2April 6, 1988 Sean Burke at NYI ECQF Game 1 Lost 4-3 (OT)