The Tampa Bay Lightning scored four goals in the first period against the New Jersey Devils, and rode that cushion to victory, regaining first in the Eastern Conference from the Buffalo Sabres in the process. [Raw Charge]
The early moments of the first period saw the Devils apply a fair amount of pressure on the Lightning defense. Tampa Bay’s defenders weathered this early pressure by cycling the puck around the defensive zone to open up a passing lane up the ice. No pair did this better than Ryan McDonagh and Eric Cernak.