Plus, the third period was basically a consolation period after a three-goal-against second period.

Sure, some of the 5-on-5 numbers favored them, but they were chasing the game for over half of it. Still, the main takeaway from this game is very straight forward. This is why much of the narrative surrounding this game and the next three are about a playoff preview even if the only way the Devils will see Tampa Bay in the playoffs would be in the third round. This does not favor a Devils team looking to lock in their first playoff berth since 2018. This favors a playoff-experienced team like the Lightning, even if Steven Stamkos remains out. What this means is that both teams have a sense of what the other side is all about it and can (and should) make adjustments to counter it. The Devils will go to Tampa Bay on Sunday, right after a quick break/trip to Miami to play the Panthers. The Devils will host Tampa Bay on Thursday in their next game. What makes this especially annoying is the simple fact that this is very much Round 1 of 3 games. The Devils hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning for their first meeting of the season. Either way, I put it to you that the New Jersey Devils suffered their first decisive loss in quite some time. We can debate on the last time it happened.

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