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Five takeaways from New Jersey's come-from-behind victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning:
1) I think Nico Hischier played the best game of his young career against the Bolts. He showed great burst with the puck on his stick, picked apart the defense with great puck movement, and was able to find soft spots in the defense to generate a few Grade A chances of his own. While he still remains without a goal, it feels like he is getting closer and closer each game and, when he finally gets one, they'll come in bunches.
2) As a whole, I thought the 1st line was fantastic and Taylor Hall, Drew Stafford, and Hischier playing together is something that should stick - at least for now. The trio combined for five points (two goals, three assists), 10 shots on goal, 10 even-strength scoring chances, and they were a consistent threat while playing against one of the best teams in the conference.
3) I'm a big Damon Severson backer but I'll be the first to admit he had a rough night against the Steven Stamkos line. He was pressured into some mistakes and they proved costly as he was on for three goals against vs Stamkos in just over six minutes of head-to-head play. The Devils didn't record one chance with Severson on the ice vs Stamkos, either, so it's not as if play was even (or close to it) and the Devils were just unlucky. That matchup was very one-sided.
As a result, John Hynes made an on the fly change and used Steve Santini vs Stamkos a lot in the latter half, and it worked. In almost seven head-to-head minutes, the Devils outshot the Lightning 7-0 and allowed just one scoring chance. You can't do any better than that.
4) That was Pavel Zacha's best game of the year and the first time he looked anything like the guy we saw in camp. He fired four shots on goal after doing so just four times in the first five games of the season, had a plus-8 5v5 shot attempt differential, a plus-7 5v5 scoring chance differential, and looked legitimately dangerous. The only nitpick I have was the late penalty he took. Sure, it's nice to stand up for teammates but you can't risk taking a penalty with two minutes left in a tie game. Even if Jake Dotchin was called for a minor, as he should have been, Zacha would have wiped away a power play opportunity and a good chance to win the game by taking an offsetting minor. Other than that, I have no complaints.
5) Jesper Bratt's offense may have dried up, but he's still playing well. He came up big with some excellent shifts on the penalty kill and the Devils out-chanced the Bolts 6-3 with him on the ice at evens.
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