Darren Raddysh's goal in OT lifts Lightning over Devils

Field Level Media|published: Thu 11th January, 22:21 2024

Jan 11, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) celebrate after they beat the New Jersey Devils during overtime at Amalie Arena. credits: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Tampa Bay's Darren Raddysh scored the game-winning goal 1:52 into overtime as the Lightning won their second straight game beyond regulation, beating the visiting New Jersey Devils 4-3 on Thursday night.

Raddysh saw Nikita Kucherov skate across the slot and zip a cross-ice pass to him. The defenseman then potted his third goal as the Lightning moved to 4-5 in overtime this season.

He became the second Lightning defenseman with an overtime game-winner this week, matching the effort of Nick Perbix in Tampa Bay's 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.

Luke Glendening scored short-handed and at even strength, and Brayden Point also scored. Kucherov and Perbix had two assists apiece. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves.

Tampa Bay is 9-3-0 in its past 12 games against New Jersey.

Dawson Mercer and Jesper Bratt scored for the Devils, who are 4-2 in overtime this season. Goalie Vitek Vanecek stopped 16 shots.

Nathan Bastian scored in his 200th career game and had a brief first-period fight with Lightning forward Gage Goncalves, who made his NHL debut.

After Steven Stamkos' goal was waved off for goalie interference, Mercer used his speed to get around the left wing on a rush, drive onto the net and put a shot on net.

Vasilevskiy made the initial save, but Mercer stuck with it, found his rebound and fired the puck from a bad angle. It struck a sprawling Vasilevskiy and flopped in.

Mercer's 13th goal at 7:42 was his sixth in the past nine games.

However, the Lightning tied it at 12:35 when Glendening tipped in a shot by Perbix that would have sailed well wide of Vanecek — the center's sixth goal.

Tampa Bay took its first lead on a fluky play when Devils defenseman Luke Hughes stumbled with no one near him and lost the puck in the defensive end while on the power play.

Glendening collected it and scored his seventh goal of the season at 18:22.

In the second, the teams traded goals as Point reached the 20-goal plateau from the slot at 10:34 before Bratt scored his 15th goal of the season at 16:54 to trim the Devils' deficit to 3-2.

Bastian knotted it 3-all by beating Vasilevskiy through the pads for his second goal of the season at 3:53 of the third.

—Field Level Media

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