Tampa Bay @ New Jersey preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 25, 2018 ) New Jersey 2, Tampa Bay 5

The NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning were dominant in two victories against New Jersey at home earlier this season and go after a series sweep when they visit the struggling Devils on Monday night. The Lightning, who took out New Jersey in the first round of the playoffs in April, registered 13 goals in two victories over the Devils this season and have won seven of nine overall after rallying from three goals down for a 5-4 overtime win at Florida on Saturday.

“We’re a confident group. We believe in what we have in this room,” Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman told reporters. “We know a hockey game is 60 minutes, not 20, not 40. Even though we were down three, we thought we were the better team and we knew we have the strengths on this team to come back from a deficit like that.” Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov hopes to extend his point streak to 10 games Monday and has recorded two goals and three assists in the two outings this season against New Jersey, which is winless in five games (0-2-3). The Devils rallied for two goals in the third period to tie Saturday before giving up the winner with 17 seconds left in overtime for a 4-3 setback against Winnipeg at home. “I think when you look at the resiliency the guys have had - we’re going through a little bit of a tough stretch - you’ve got a team in there that cares,” New Jersey coach John Hynes told reporters. “They fight, they battle, they want to do the right things. As I’ve always said, when you have that, you can continue to build and get better.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), MSG Plus (New Jersey)

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (19-7-1): Tampa Bay recalled goalie Eddie Pasquale from Syracuse of the American Hockey League on Sunday and he could make his NHL debut either Monday or Tuesday at Detroit with Louis Domingue working on 10 straight starts (7-3-0). “He’s winning games for us,” coach Jon Cooper told reporters of Domingue, who has a .900 save percentage since taking over for injured Andrei Vasilevskiy (foot). “. … He finds a way to make a big save for us when we need him. You just need that in a goalie, and that’s what he’s doing.” Center Brayden Point had the winner Saturday and boasts five of his team-best 19 goals in the last five games.

ABOUT THE DEVILS (9-11-5): Reigning Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall scored Saturday to pull within one of 200 goals in his career and leads the team with 27 points - four in the past three contests. Speedy forward Jesper Bratt has been a factor since returning from a broken jaw in early November, registering three goals and six assists over 12 games including his first two-point effort of the season Saturday. Center Nico Hischier (five goals, 11 assists), whose turnover led to the winning goal in overtime Saturday, has picked it up with three points in the last two contests after suffering a three-game drought.

OVERTIME

1. The Devils converted on the power play once on Saturday, but are just 2-of-31 with the man advantage over the last 13 games.

2. Tampa Bay bottom-six Fs Alex Killorn and Cedric Paquette each have three goals in the last four games.

3.New Jersey RW Kyle Palmieri had nine goals in nine games during October and three in 16 contests since.

PREDICTION: Lightning 5, Devils 3