Lightning vs. Devils playoff preview

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New Jersey Devils
Lightning:54-23-5, 113 points, first in Atlantic
Devils:44-29-9, 97 points, fifth in Metropolitan, second wild card
Season Series:TBL 0-2-1; NJD 3-0-0

RELATED: [Complete New Jersey Devils vs. Tampa Bay Lightning series coverage\]

The skinny

What a difference a year makes.
The Tampa Bay Lightning and New Jersey Devils did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2016-17. Twelve months later, they will play in the Eastern Conference First Round with entirely different expectations.
Ravaged by injuries last season, the Lightning are relatively healthy this time around and considered among the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Led by forwards Nikita Kucherov (100 points; 39 goals, 61 assists) and Steven Stamkos (86 points; 27 goals, 59 assists), it's easy to see why.
The Devils, meanwhile, caught much of the hockey world by surprise. After selecting center Nico Hischier with the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, their rebuild was projected to be an ongoing process for the next two or three seasons.
"No one really expected us to be here this quick," general manager Ray Shero said. "It's a credit to coach John Hynes, his staff and the players for exceeding expectations so quickly.
"We're young, we're fast."
And they have forward Taylor Hall, who will play in the postseason for the first time in his eight NHL seasons. Hall's 93 points (39 goals, 54 assists) were 41 more than the Devils' second-leading scorer, Hischier (52 points; 20 goals, 32 assists).

New Jersey is one of the few teams that can match Tampa Bay's speed, if not exceed it. That should prove effective on the forecheck in the offensive zone.
The Devils go into the series as underdogs, which is understandable given their lack of playoff experience. New Jersey has not been to the postseason since a six-game loss to the Los Angeles Kings in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final.
Heading into the series against Tampa Bay, the Devils have 11 players who have not played in a single playoff game, including goaltender Keith Kinkaid. The Devils roster has 590 games of playoff experience. The Lightning have 1,145.
"I think there's a whole bunch of teams to beat, not (just us)," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "When you get to the playoffs there's 15 other teams like the League's been cut in half and everybody's good. And the margin for error is just razor thin.
"But that heavy word 'favorite' still comes attached to you."
New Jersey swept the season series against Tampa Bay but that can be misleading. The Devils were outshot in all three games.
Of note: Devils center Brian Boyle will be competing against his former team. He played for the Lightning from 2014-17.

Game breakers

Devils:Was there a player more valuable to his team than Hall? We'll find out when the Hart Trophy (League MVP) is awarded in Las Vegas in June. Hall had 38 points (18 goals, 20 assists) during a personal 26-game point streak and was one of the most electrifying players in the NHL.
Lightning:Though Stamkos and Kucherov are among the top offensive producers in the League, Norris Trophy candidate Victor Hedman is the difference maker in the Lightning lineup. Few players in the League can block a shot in the defensive zone, then complete an end-to-end rush at the other. Hedman had an NHL career-high 63 points (17 goals, 46 assists) and was a plus-32.

X-factor

Devils: Forward Pat Maroon had 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 17 games since he was acquired in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 26, and brings the unique combination of hustle and muscle to the Devils. Grinding in the corners and scoring greasy goals in the dirty areas in front of the net are Maroon's forte, skills that get magnified come playoff time.
Lightning:Defenseman Ryan McDonagh brings a combination of leadership and grit to the Lightning, which needed each of those qualities when they acquired him from the New York Rangers prior to the NHL Trade Deadline. It likely will be his job to shadow Hall all over the ice. The effectiveness McDonagh has with this assignment likely will help determine how successful the Lightning will be.

Goaltending

Devils:After Cory Schneider injured his hip and groin that caused him to miss 16 games, Kinkaid went 16-3-1 with a 2.32 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in a 21-game stretch from Feb. 13 to April 5. Kinkaid is 7-0-1 with a 2.25 GAA and .931 save percentage in his past eight starts and appears to have usurped Schneider as the starter.
Lightning:When Andrei Vasilevskiy (2.62 GAA, .920 save percentage) publicly admitted he was tired during the stretch drive, panic set in among Lightning fans. However, he ended the season on a 9-5-1 run and served notice he's ready for the postseason. Vasilevskiy and Connor Hellebucyk (Winnipeg Jets) tied for the League lead in wins (44).

Numbers to know

Devils: Improvement is needed in the face-off circle, where the Devils won 47.0 percent of their draws. Only the Colorado Avalanche (44.2) were lower. Allowing a high-powered offense like the Lightning to gain frequent puck possession is something the Devils must address. The Lightning aren't much better in the circle (48.2).
Lightning:Led by Kucherov and Stamkos, the power play converted at a 23.9 percent rate. Only the Pittsburgh Penguins (26.2 percent) and Toronto Maple Leafs (25.0 percent) were better with the man-advantage. Stamkos was tied for third with 15 power-play goals.

They said it

"We can skate and play with anybody in this league. We believe in our group and we're going to focus on what we can do, and be ready to go." -- Devils forward Blake Coleman
"It's just been a weird year I think for a lot of us. We've never been in a position where we've kind of been first place the entire season. It's a different animal mentally in itself doing that." -- Lightning center Steven Stamkos
Video: TBL@NYI: Miller buries Stamkos' pass on rush

Will win if …

Devils:They get any kind of balanced scoring. Expect Cooper's game plan to focus on smothering Hall, thereby taking his chances with the other Devils forwards. The onus is on members of the supporting cast like Kyle Palmieri, Miles Wood and Maroon to create offense, which is possible given New Jersey's speed.
Lightning: They tighten up defensively. They allowed 45 goals in their final 13 games, an average of 3.46 per game. Cooper has been critical at times of his forwards for not being responsible enough in the defensive zone.

How they look

Devils projected lineup
Taylor Hall -- Nico Hischier -- Kyle Palmieri
Miles Wood -- Pavel Zacha -- Patrick Maroon
Blake Coleman -- Travis Zajac -- Stefan Noesen
Michael Grabner -- Brian Boyle -- Brian Gibbons
Andy Greene -- Sami Vatanen
John Moore -- Mirco Mueller
Ben Lovejoy -- Will Butcher
Keith Kinkaid
Cory Schneider
Scratched:Jesper Bratt, Drew Stafford, Jimmy Hayes, Damon Severson
Injured: Marcus Johansson (concussion)
Lightning projected lineup
J.T. Miller -- Steven Stamkos -- Nikita Kucherov
Ondrej Palat -- Brayden Point -- Tyler Johnson
Alex Killorn -- Yanni Gourde -- Anthony Cirelli
Chris Kunitz -- Cedric Paquette -- Ryan Callahan
Victor Hedman -- Anton Stralman
Ryan McDonagh -- Dan Girardi
Braydon Coburn -- Mikhail Sergachev
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Louis Domingue
Scratched:Andrej Sustr, Jake Dotchin, Slater Koekkoek, Cory Conacher, Peter Budaj
Injured:Adam Erne (lower body)

Status report

Johansson has been cleared for contact and practice, but the Devils are proceeding cautiously. He played 29 games this season. … Schneider played five of the Devils' final 20 games. … Erne is doubtful for the Games 1 and 2. ...Dotchin started the season on the top pair with Hedman but played 48 games and was a healthy scratch in the past 11. … Sergachev was a healthy scratch three times midway through the season but played better after being dropped to the third pairing with Colburn after McDonagh was acquired from the Rangers. … Though he spent much of the season on the fourth line, Kunitz has seen regular duty on the second power-play unit.