TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Lightning will host the New Jersey Devils for their only home game of the 2024-25 season on Saturday at AMALIE Arena. The Lightning hold a 44-53-15 all-time record against the Devils, but have been dominant in recent years, with a 9-3-0 record in the past five seasons. The teams met earlier this season on October 22, where the Lightning secured an 8-5 victory.
In their last matchup, Brandon Hagel led Tampa Bay with a natural hat-trick and an assist, while Anthony Cirelli notched four assists. Defenseman JJ Moser contributed a goal and two assists, and goaltender Jonas Johansson stopped 30 shots for the win. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos remains the franchise’s top scorer against New Jersey with 45 points (24 goals, 21 assists), followed by Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier, each with 44 points.
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Nikita Kucherov, who has recorded 38 points in 25 career games against New Jersey, leads active Lightning players in scoring versus the Devils. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has an 8-5-0 career record against New Jersey, while Johansson boasts a 2-0-0 record.
Tonight’s matchup will see Tampa Bay aiming to build on their recent success, with the team currently standing fourth in the Atlantic Division (8-6-1).
They recently secured a 4-1 win against the Winnipeg Jets and hold a 5-1-1 home record this season. The Devils, meanwhile, are first in the Metropolitan Division with a 12-6-2 record, and enter the game on a two-game winning streak, following a 6-2 victory over the Florida Panthers.
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Leading Scorers For Tampa Bay, Nikita Kucherov leads the team in scoring with 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists), followed by Brandon Hagel with 16 points (8 goals, 8 assists) and Jake Guentzel with 15 points (7 goals, 8 assists). On the Devils’ side, Jack Hughes leads the scoring chart with 24 points (8 goals, 16 assists), followed by Nico Hischier (22 points) and Jesper Bratt (20 points).
Upcoming Milestones for Lightning Players
- Zemgus Girgensons: Needs one assist to reach 100 career assists.
- Brandon Hagel: Needs two goals to reach 100 career goals.
- Nick Paul: Needs two games to reach 200 games played with the Lightning.
- Brayden Point: Needs three power-play goals to surpass Martin St. Louis for third-most power-play goals in franchise history.
- Nikita Kucherov: Needs four points to reach 900 career points.
- Victor Hedman: Needs six assists to pass Martin St. Louis for most assists in franchise history.
- Jon Cooper: Needs six games to reach 900 career games coached in the NHL.
- Brayden Point: Needs six assists to reach 300 career assists.
The Lightning are set to take on the Devils in what promises to be an exciting game. Fans can follow the action on FanDuel Sports TV or tune in on 102.5 The Bone for live radio coverage.
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