The New Jersey Devils take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in a matchup of David vs. Goliath. If the Devils are going to have a chance at an upset, a few things have to fall their way.
It’s finally here, the Stanley Cup Playoffs starring the New Jersey Devils. They come in as massive underdogs, hitting at around +180 to +200 on the betting line each game. That being said, the Devils aren’t going to just lay down and die in this game. There is plenty that could happen that ends in a Devils series win.
The Devils are actually 3-0-0 against the Lightning this season. They won three one-goal games in every way you could think. Back in October, the Devils went shot for shot with the Lightning, going into overtime tied 4-4. Kyle Palmieri ended it with a shootout goal, and the Devils got two crucial points in the beginning of the season.
Then in February, the Devils rode Eddie Lack on a back-to-back in a 48 save performance. He was able to keep the Devils in the game long enough for Miles Wood to score his most clutch goal of the season, beating Tampa 4-3 in regulation.
Just a few weeks ago, the Devils beat the Lightning again. This time, a mixture of the defense and Keith Kinkaid shut down Tampa, holding them to one goal and winning 2-1.
This just shows that the Devils have the ability to beat this team. I understand that the regular season is different than the playoffs, but the Lightning knew this matchup could happen. They didn’t want to lose that last game. Still, the Devils made it happen. They could make it happen again. Here’s what they need to do in order to upset the Tampa Bay Lightning.