Kucherov powers Lightning to victory
Pair of goals put Tampa on verge of ousting New Jersey
A feisty Nikita Kucherov scored two goals, set up another and knocked New Jersey ’s top defenceman out of the game with a big hit, and the Tampa Bay Lightning moved within a game of making the Devils’ first trip to the playoffs in six years a short one with a 3-1 victory on Wednesday night.
J.T. Miller also scored and had two assists and Vezina Trophy finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped three breakaways in making 27 saves as the Lightning bounced back from a loss in Game 3 to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round series.
Tampa Bay can wrap up the bestof-seven series in Game 5 at home on Saturday.
Kyle Palmieri scored on a 5-on-3 advantage for the Devils, who are back in the playoffs for the first time since reaching the Stanley Cup final in 2012. It was the only time they beat Vasilevskiy. Cory Schneider made 34 saves for New Jersey in starting his second straight game.
This game might have been the roughest of the series, especially in the first period when the Lightning took a 2-1 lead in a session with a lot of scrums.
The play everyone is going to talk about and the NHL probably will look at is Kucherov’s hit on Sami Vatanen late in the first. No penalty was called, but the man who notched 100 points in the regular season appeared to jump before hitting Vatanen in the shoulder and head area. Devils coach John Hynes screamed at the officials after the play.
Vatanen did not return.
The Lightning were leading 2-1 at that point and the score didn’t change until Kucherov’s empty net goal with 1:08 to play iced the game.
Kucherov broke a 1-1 tie with 4:58 left in the first period. Defenceman Brayden Coburn sent a pass from the left boards that hit off Devils defenceman Damon Severson. Kucherov collected the loose puck right in front and put it high into the net for his third goal of the series.
The Lightning had tied it at 11:30 on a great rush. Steven Stamkos fed Kucherov entering the zone and he found Miller on the left side for a shot over Schneider’s shoulder.
For the first time in the series, the Devils scored first with Palmieri converting from the left circle with the Lightning playing two men short at 8:23 of the first.