New Jersey Devils Turned Over by Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 Loss

Welcome to the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Tampa Bay Lightning were a great team during the regular season. They are the favorites in this series. Even the absolutely massive series preview at this very site showed both about the Lightning. Tonight, the Lightning showed exactly why they’re so good and so favored as the New Jersey Devils lost to them 2-5 in Game 1 of their first round series. The score was boosted by an empty net goal, but the game was decisive as the score would suggest. What follows is a summary of how the game went in order.

The Devils’ start was bad. It was not a good first period for the New Jersey Devils. Call it nerves. Credit a lack of experience. Or even blame it…