The Tampa Bay Lightning made short work of the New Jersey Devils, winning four of five games to advance to the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tampa Bay only dropped a narrow Game 3, while winning by at least two goals in each of their victories. Their last was on Saturday, a 3-1 win at home that made them advance.
Devils vs. Lightning 2018: Schedule, scores, live stream info for NHL playoffs
The Lightning are into the next round of the playoffs after beating the Devils.
James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Before the series
The New Jersey Devils are matched up with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the first round of the 2018 NHL playoffs, and will get underway on Thursday, April 12 at 7 p.m. ET (NHL Network).
The Devils finished the 2017-18 season with a 44-29-9 record and 97 points, good for fifth in the Metropolitan Division. The Lightning, on the other hand, finished No. 1 in the Atlantic Division, thanks to a 54-23-5 season and 113 points.
What happened during the regular season?
These two teams met three times during the 2017-18 regular season, with the Devils sweeping the series 3-0. The most recent matchup was a 2-1 victory for New Jersey in late-March. In total, the Devils outscored the Lightning, 11-8.
Who are the key players?
Originally a question mark heading into the first game of the playoffs, Tampa’s Steven Stamkos has been confirmed for the Thursday night matchup following an injury to end his regular season. Stamkos is a scoring machine for the Tampa Bay team: His 348 goals and 668 points in 664 games is good for No. 2 in the NHL since the 2008-09 season.
For the Devils, 6-foot-1 left wing Taylor Hall is looking to make a statement in his first-ever NHL playoff run. Hall kept himself in the Hart Trophy discussion all season thanks to 39 goals, 54 assists, and 93 points.
What is the Devils vs. Lightning schedule?
Game 1: Lightning 5, Devils 2
Game 2: Lightning 5, Devils 3
Game 3: Devils 5, Lightning 2
Game 4: Lightning 3, Devils 1
Game 5: Lightning 3, Devils 1
Any playoff history?
The Devils haven’t made the postseason since losing in the Stanley Cup finals in 2012 — the longest drought in franchise history. The Tampa Bay Lightning are a year removed from a 2016-17 campaign that finished with them one point shy of making the postseason. Neither team wants this awaited trip to be a short one.
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