The Tampa Bay Lightning overcame deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 to get back in the win column on Tuesday night against the New Jersey Devils.
The Lightning (4-2-0 this season) scored five goals in the second period with help from a natural hat-trick from Brandon Hagel and Conor Geekie's first NHL assist and point to beat New Jersey 8-5 at Prudential Center.
Goaltender Jonas Johansson picked up his first win of the season for Tampa Bay, finishing with 28 saves.
The Lightning return to AMALIE Arena for a three-game homestand, one that begins against Minnesota this Thursday.
Scoring Summary
1st Period
NJD 1, TBL 0
11:02 Jack Hughes (2) – Jesper Bratt, Ondrej Palat
New Jersey assistant captain Jack Hughes gave the home team a 1-0 lead 11 minutes into the game. Hughes snuck between the Tampa Bay defensemen, deked to the left side of the net and scored the game's first goal.
NJD 1, TBL 1
14:07 Brayden Point (4) - Anthony Cirelli, Nikita Kucherov - PP
Brayden Point scored his second power-play goal in as many nights to tie the game three minutes after New Jersey's goal. Point gloved the puck down in mid-air,
Shots: TBL 17, NJD 7
2nd Period
NJD 2, TBL 1
00:51 Timo Meier (3) - Hughes
New Jersey regained the lead during a Lightning line change, as Hughes fed Meier on the rush for the high-slot goal and advantage.
NJD 2, TBL 2
7:33 Victor Hedman (1) - JJ Moser, Jake Guentzel
Lightning captain Victor Hedman scored his first goal of the season to tie the game 2-2. Hedman jumped into the offensive zone, ripping a shot over Jake Allen's shoulder from the left faceoff dot.
TBL 3, NJD 2
9:27 Hagel (3) - Cirelli, Nick Perbix
Hagel gave the Lightning their first lead of the night less than two minutes after Hedman tied the game. Hagel fired a slap shot from the point, which bounced off a Devils defenseman for the go-ahead goal.
TBL 4, NJD 2
13:01 Hagel (4) - Conor Geekie, Cirelli
Hagel scored another goal on a 2-on-1 after receiving a pass from Conor Geekie. The assist stood as Geekie's first NHL point.
TBL 5, NJD 2
14:53 Hagel (5) - Emil Lilleberg, Cirelli
Hagel finished the hat-trick by following up a net drive by Bolts defenseman Emil Lilleberg. The puck bounced to the front of the net, and Hagel shot it past a sprawling Allen.
TBL 6, NJD 2
17:28 Hedman (2) - Hagel, Moser
Hedman scored the fifth goal of the period for Tampa Bay when his slap shot from the point went through a screened Allen.
Shots: TBL 13, NJD 15
3rd Period
TBL 6, NJD 3
2:56 Nathan Bastian (2) - Curtis Lazar
Nathan Bastian tapped home a shot just outside the crease to pull the Devils within two goals of Tampa Bay in the early moments of period three.
TBL 6, NJD 4
5:24 Meier (4) - Tomas Tatar, Siimon Nemec - PP
Meier scored his second of the game on a one-timer from the left circle on the man advantage.
TBL 7, NJD 4
5:48 Guentzel (2) - PP
A loose puck found Guentzel four seconds into the power play, and the forward scored on a one-timer.
TBL 8, NJD 4
9:19 Moser (2) - Paul - SHG
Moser scored from the defensive zone when his clearing attempt on the penalty kill bounced off the glass and into the net with Allen waiting for the puck in the corner.
TBL 8, NJD 5
12:45 Stefan Noesen (3) - Hughes, Dougie Hamilton - PP
Stefan Noesen scored the Devils' second power-play goal of the night to close the scoring. Noesen's shot from the left circle hit the post and went in for the 13th goal of the game.
Total shots: TBL 37, NJD 33
