The New Jersey Devils surely game-planned about how they would counter the Tampa Bay Lightning's top line - which features Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos - but they may now want to do the same for the club's next trio.
The Lightning have jumped out to a 2-0 series lead after taking both games on home ice by a combined score of 10-5. And while Tampa Bay's top line has put up respectable numbers early, the Lightning's second line of Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point, and Tyler Johnson has been dynamite.
Through the first two games the trio has combined for 10 points, with nine of them coming at even strength.
| Player | Goals | Points | Shots |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palat | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Point | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Johnson | 2 | 3 | 6 |
For Johnson, he's once again proving that when the playoffs come around he ups his game. His three points through the first two games give him 45 points in 49 career playoff games. Meanwhile, Palat is now up to 33 points in 48 career postseason contests.
The Lightning are now just two wins away from advancing to the second round. If the Devils have any chance of getting back into the series they will need to find a way to cool down the Lightning's high-octane offense. And as weird as it may sound, that might mean addressing the Lightning's simmering second line.
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