A four-goal first period helped the Tampa Bay Lightning to their 17th win of the season.
TAMPA, FL – In case you didn’t know – Brayden Point is good. Like, real good. As if you needed any additional proof, #21 scored his 16th and 17th goals of the season tonight in a dominating win over the New Jersey Devils.
Alex Killorn got the scoring started at 3:19 of the first period. The Bolts center put just his third goal of the season by Devil’s backup goalie, Cory Schneider making his sixth start. Point scored his first of two after getting a disgusting feed (in a good way) from Nikita Kucherov in front of Schneider on a Bolts power play.
“Pointer” would follow that up with an assist on Tyler Johnson’s 10th of the season to make it a 3-0 lead for Tampa at 9:15 of the first.
What even is “goalie interference?”
Less than 30 seconds after the Johnson goal, the Devils got on the board.
Or did they?
Former Bolt, Dan Boyle, skated behind Louis Domingue right as Stefan Noesen took his shot. Domingue seemed to struggle to get in position due to Boyle’s interference. After a review – the goal stood and it was now a 3-1 Bolts lead.
Cedric Paquette would put his fourth of the season in the net to round out the scoring in the first period. Dan Girardi would notch his 200th career assist on the goal.
Bolts take a 4-1 lead to the second.
The ‘ol “own goal” goal
After a birage of goals in the first – the second period was relatively quite.
Point would get credit for his second goal, however. Kind of.
With traffic in front of the Devil’s net, defenseman Sami Vatanen would try to swat a bouncing puck away from Schneider. The problem? The swat was supposed to go behind the net and instead got past the Devil’s goalie to make it 5-1 Bolts.
Bolts close it out
Devil’s winger, Jesper Bratt, would get one more by Domingue in the third but that would be all she wrote.
Tampa Bay wins their 17th game of the season. The two points, for now, has them in first place in the Atlantic division. The Buffalo Sabres, winners of nine in a row, are now a point behind.
THREE STARS
- Brayden Point – Continued his torrid play with two more goals and an assist in tonight’s win.
- Louis Domingue – The box score says he saved 33 of 35 shots – impressive enough. Of course that first goal…
- Ryan McDonagh – Over 20 minutes of ice time and finished with a +2 on defense.
