Stefan Noesen scored a power-play goal with 1:41 remaining in overtime as the New Jersey Devils ran their home winning streak to six games with a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night in Newark, N.J.
The Devils, playing at home for the first time in 2025 following a six-game road trip, got a power play with 3:16 left in overtime when Jack Hughes was tripped in the offensive zone by Nick Paul. After the Devils took a timeout, they put four forwards on the ice and cycled the puck around.
A pass from Jesper Bratt hit the middle of the slot but Tampa Bay forward Luke Glendening fumbled the puck and Noesen pounced. Positioned near the left side of the crease, Noesen turned around and flipped the puck into the right side of the net over goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy’s glove.
Noesen scored his first career overtime goal after the Devils went 1-4-1 on the road trip. It also was New Jersey’s second power-play tally in its last 18 chances since getting three against the New York Rangers on Dec. 23.
Besides drawing the decisive penalty, Hughes scored late in the second period and collected the secondary assist on the game winner.
Ondrej Palat scored against his former team in the first and Bratt collected two assists in the win.
Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov scored tying goals for the Lightning, who lost for the fifth time in seven games and had killed off 18 straight penalties before Noesen’s goal.
New Jersey goalie Jacob Markstrom highlighted a 23-save showing with a diving save on Brayden Point’s attempt from in front early in the third.
Vasilevskiy made 23 saves.
Following a turnover in the corner by Tampa Bay’s Gage Goncalves, Palat went to the left circle and re-directed Dougie Hamilton’s shot from the left point before Hedman could cover with 11:50 remaining in the first to open the scoring.
Less than a minute after being late to defend his former teammate, Hedman tied it when his shot through traffic from above the left circle caromed off New Jersey defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic’s stick into the right corner of the net.
Hughes made it 2-1 with 4:44 remaining in the second by making a defensive play and getting a fortuitous bounce. After intercepting Point’s clearing attempt along the boards in the neutral zone, Hughes walked into the offensive zone and his shot from the low slot deflected off Point’s stick and into the net.
Shortly after Markstrom denied Point, the Lightning evened the contest when Kucherov eluded defenseman Luke Hughes and finished off a breakaway with 11:55 left in the third to tie it.
–Field Level Media
