Guentzel's Hat Trick Fires Lightning to 5-1 Win, Snapping Devils' Streak in Hughes' Absence

 

Photo via Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning delivered a powerful offensive statement tonight, defeating the New Jersey Devils 5-1 and putting a swift end to the Devils' two-game winning streak. The narrative belonged to veteran forward Jake Guentzel, who fueled the Lightning’s dominant victory by recording a spectacular hat trick—including two goals that built a decisive early lead. For the New Jersey Devils, the loss was a tough result, but it highlighted the depth challenge they face on the road without their superstar center, Jack Hughes (out with a finger injury). Despite the scoreline, Nico Hischier scored the lone goal for New Jersey, preventing the shutout.

New Jersey Devils Lineup:

Gritsyuk - Hischier - Bratt

Meier - Mercer - Brown

Palat - Lammikko - Noesen

Cotter - Glendening - Dadonov

Siegenthaler - Nemec

Dillon - Hughes

Cholowski - Hamilton

Markstrom

Allen

Tampa Bay Lightning Lineup:

Hagel - Cirelli - Kucherov

Guentzel - Point - Goncalves

Girgensons - James - Gourde

Douglas - Finley - Bjorkstrand

Moser - Raddysh

D'Astous - Lilleberg

Carlie - Santini

Vasilevskiy

Johansson

Jake Guentzel struck first, putting Tampa Bay in front 1-0 at 8:20 of the opening period when he jumped in on a pass from Dawson Mercer that was meant to go to Timo Meier at the left boards. He went on a breakaway and beat Jacob Markstrom. With 22 seconds to go in the first, Anthony Cirelli got control of the puck off the back boards, flipping it to Nikita Kucherov in the slot for Kucherov to extend the Lightning's lead 2-0 on a one-timer. The goal was also Kucherov's 366th in the NHL, passing Martin St. Louis for third in team history.

Finding the back of the net for the second time with 9:32 on the clock in the second period, Guentzel pushed it to 3-0 with a power-play goal after a few moments of passing back and forth. He scored on a redirection from close range after Darren Raddysh sent the puck to the net after taking it back from Oliver Bjorkstrand. Nico Hischier prevented a shutout when he scored the one and only goal of the night from New Jersey, cutting it 3-1. Arseny Gritsyuk's shot bounced off Andrei Vasilevskiy's blocker and was deflected by Hischier's skate toward the goal, and while battling with Hischier at the net, J.J. Moser accidentally pushed the puck past the goal line at 2:13.

Raddysh struck, extending it to 4-1 early into the final frame at 15:11 when he beat Markstrom stick side from above the top of the right circle on a slap shot. Soon after the fourth Bolts' goal, Guentzel went on to complete his eighth career hat trick, his third with the Lightning, with a goal on the power play when he took a cross-ice pass from Kucherov and chipped it past Markstrom for the 5-1 final.

Notes:

- Andrei Vasilevskiy made a total of 24 saves for Tampa Bay, and Jacob Markstrom made a total of 31 saves for New Jersey.

- Darren Raddysh recorded a goal and a pair of assists, and Nikita Kucherov collected a goal and an assist.

- The Devils (13-5-1) had points in five straight (4-0-1).

- The Lightning (10-7-2) has won nine of its past 12 (9-3-0).

- Assistant coach Jeff Halpern served as head coach since coach Jon Cooper missed the game due to personal reasons.

- With his eighth career hat trick, Jake Guentzel matched Tage Thompson for the third most among active American players. Both Auston Matthews (13) and Patrick Kane (9) top the list.

- Surpassing Martin St. Louis into sole possession of third place on the team's scoring list, Kucherov sits behind both Steven Stamkos (555) and Vincent Lecavalier (383).