The New Jersey Devils hope to make better use of home-ice advantage when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday evening.
After earning just 37 points in 41 home games last season (17-21-3) and surrendering 149 goals at Prudential Center, second most by a home team in the NHL, the Devils are 1-1-1 in Newark, N.J., this season following their 6-5 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
“We’ve got to play better in front of our fans and make this a harder place to play,” New Jersey winger Timo Meier said. “We haven’t done a good enough job.”
The Devils scored first against the Capitals on Saturday, gave up three straight goals later in the first period, then rallied to tie the score at 3-3 and 5-5 before giving up the game-winner in overtime.
The biggest highlight for New Jersey was the two goals Nico Hischier scored just 10 seconds apart in the opening minute of the second period, the fastest two goals scored by the same player in franchise history.
That didn’t soothe Hischier’s disappointment afterward, however.
“We didn’t deserve to win that game,” he said. “It was good that we fought back and got a point out of it, but we were outcompeted, outskated in the first period and that should not happen. If that’s not there every game, you’re not giving yourself a chance to win in this league.”
The Devils are close to getting a couple key defensemen back in the lineup, but it won’t happen against Tampa Bay.
Brett Pesce sustained a fractured fibula while playing for the Carolina Hurricanes in the playoffs last season and needed offseason surgery.
Luke Hughes injured his shoulder during offseason training, though it did not require surgery.
New Jersey recalled defenseman Daniil Misyul from Utica of the American Hockey League on Monday and returned rookie defenseman Seamus Casey to Utica.
The Lightning will be trying to regroup after getting overrun by the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Monday night.
“Every time we made an error, they took advantage of it,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “It was just one of those nights. … It happens when you play 82 (games). It’s just too bad that it happened in game 5.”
Jonas Johansson was expected to start in goal for the Lightning the second game of the back-to-back set on Tuesday, but then the Monday starter, Andrei Vasilevskiy, was pulled midway through the second period after stopping just 10 of 14 shots against the Maple Leafs.
Johansson replaced him and stopped 14 of 15 the rest of the way in his season debut.
In two career starts against the Devils, Johansson is 1-1 with a .913 save percentage and a 2.03 goals-against average.
Johansson made 24 starts and 26 appearances for Tampa Bay last season, going 12-7-5 with an .890 save percentage and a 3.37 GAA.
Nicholas Paul scored against the Maple Leafs on Monday to give him goals in back-to-back games and five points (two goals, three assists) through the first five games.
Paul is coming off the best season of his 10-year NHL career, as he totaled 24 goals and 22 assists for the Lightning last season.
Brayden Point had the other goal against Toronto to give him five points (two goals, three assists) through the first five games, as well.
