Jesper Bratt’s first NHL hat-trick led the New Jersey Devils to a remarkable 5-2 comeback win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, ending their three-game losing streak. Nico Hischier and Nolan Foote also contributed with goals, enabling the Devils to boost their league-leading road record to 26-5-4. Nikita Kucherov scored the first goal for the Lightning, reaching the 100-point mark for the third time in his career, but it wasn’t enough to secure a victory. The Devils responded with Bratt scoring three goals, including an empty-netter, and Hischier and Foote also getting on the scoresheet. The win puts the Devils in a strong position, as they have the best record on the road in the NHL, while the Lightning’s winning run came to an end. The Devils will next host Minnesota, while the Lightning will travel to Montreal.
Jesper Bratt leads New Jersey Devils to 5-2 victory over Tampa Bay Lightning
Jesper Bratt delivered his first NHL hat-trick to lead the New Jersey Devils to a remarkable come-from-behind 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night, ending their three-game losing streak. Bratt was instrumental in helping the Devils recover from a two-goal deficit.
New Jersey’s Nico Hischier and Nolan Foote also contributed with goals, enabling the Devils to boost their league-leading road record to 26-5-4. The visitors managed to secure a win at Amalie Arena after losing their previous two home games against the Lightning, followed by another loss against the Florida Panthers.
Tampa Bay, who had won three games in a row before their encounter with the Devils, started the match strongly, with Nikita Kucherov netting the first goal at 3:26 of the first period. Kucherov became a centurion once again after scoring his 100th point for the third time in his career, with his previous milestones coming in 2017-18 and leading the NHL with 128 points in 2018-19. Alex Killorn extended the Lightning’s lead by making it 2-0 at 6:30 of the second period.
New Jersey’s comeback began just 9 seconds later, with Bratt scoring the first of his three goals, assisted by Hischier. Bratt tied the game 2-2 with a shot from just inside the blue line that went past traffic and beat the Lightning’s goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevskiy. Hischier put the Devils ahead for the first time in the game by scoring with just under eight minutes remaining in the middle period, making him a 30-goal scorer for the first time.
Foote extended the lead to 4-2 at 9:51 of the third period, scoring his first of the season. Bratt completed his hat-trick by scoring an empty-netter with 11.6 seconds remaining, making it his 30th goal of the season.
The Devils have a home game against Minnesota on Tuesday night, while the Lightning travel to Montreal on Tuesday night.
Conclusion
Jesper Bratt’s hat-trick secured a fantastic win for the Devils over the Lightning in their recent encounter, enabling them to end their three-game losing streak. New Jersey’s record on the road this season is the best in the league, and they will be looking to carry that form into their next match against Minnesota.
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