The Tampa Bay Lightning (17-11-2) invade Prudential Center for a crucial Metropolitan-Atlantic clash with the New Jersey Devils (17-12-1), both squads desperate to build momentum after snapping mini-skids with gritty wins on Tuesday. Tampa, riding a 6-1 demolition of Montreal, looks to extend its road prowess (9-4-2) behind Nikita Kucherov’s Art Ross chase, but faces a Devils team fresh off a 4-3 thriller in Ottawa that ended a five-game drought. New Jersey’s goaltending carousel (Jacob Markstrom’s 35 saves last out) meets Jonas Johansson’s bounce-back bid in net for the Bolts, with injuries ravaging both blue lines. This projects as a tight, penalty-laden affair—expect special teams to decide a 4-3 Lightning edge in a game ripe for over bets.
Venue Location
Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey (capacity: 16,514). The Devils are 9-4-1 at home but just 4-10 ATS there, while Tampa boasts an 11-4 road ATS mark, winning seven of their last 10 away vs. East foes.
Puckdrop: 7:00 p.m. ET. Broadcast on MSG (Devils), Bally Sports Sun (Lightning), and ESPN+ nationally, with radio on 102.5 FM (TB) and Devils Hockey Network.
Injury Report
Injuries are decimating both rosters, particularly on defense and up front, forcing makeshift pairings and backup netminders. Tampa’s core is intact offensively, but blue-line holes loom large; New Jersey’s forward group takes another hit with Meier’s leave. Latest from Thursday morning skates:
| Team | Player | Position | Status | Injury | Notes |
| Lightning | Andrei Vasilevskiy | G | Out | Undisclosed | IR-eligible to return tonight; 11-6-2, 2.88 GAA. Johansson (6-5-0, 2.53 GAA) starts. |
| Lightning | Erik Cernak | D | Out | Undisclosed | 19 GP, 0G-4A; top-pair anchor missed last three. |
| Lightning | Ryan McDonagh | D | Out | Undisclosed | IR; 15 GP, 3G-3A. Depth strain on Raddysh/Moser. |
| Lightning | Dominic James | C | Day-to-Day | Undisclosed | Expected out until Dec. 11; limited impact in 10 GP. |
| Lightning | Victor Hedman | D | Questionable | Undisclosed | Up in air; 25 GP, 5G-18A. Critical if sidelined. |
| Lightning | Nikita Kucherov | RW | Available | None | Full skate; leads NHL with 36 points. |
| Devils | Jack Hughes | C | Out | Finger | IR since Nov. 18; 12G-15A pre-injury. Hischier centers top line. |
| Devils | Timo Meier | F | Out | Personal Leave | Addressing family matter; 11G-9A in 28 GP. |
| Devils | Evgenii Dadonov | RW | Out | Wrist | IR today; 0G-0A in 5 GP. Recall of Xavier Parent. |
| Devils | Brett Pesce | D | Out | Upper Body | LTIR since Nov. 15; 0G-5A in 12 GP. |
| Devils | Zack MacEwen | RW | Out | Lower Body | IR since Nov. 13; 0G-0A in 3 GP. |
| Devils | Johnathan Kovacevic | D | Out | Knee | No GP yet; preseason holdover. |
| Devils | Jacob Markstrom | G | Available | None | Starts; 8-9-1, 2.87 GAA after 35-save win. |
| Devils | Nico Hischier | C | Available | None | Full go; 14G-16A, team’s heart. |
New Jersey’s absences (Hughes/Meier) cripple scoring depth, while Tampa’s D woes could expose Johansson to Devils’ rush.
Player Matchups
These battles pit Tampa’s firepower against New Jersey’s structured forecheck, with special teams edges key:
Lightning RW Nikita Kucherov vs. Devils C Nico Hischier
Kucherov (13G-23A, NHL-leading 36 points) torques the Bolts’ power play (16.3%), but Hischier (14G-16A, 55% faceoffs) shadows him on PK shifts. Kucherov has 10 points in last 5 road games; limiting him under 1.5 points caps Tampa at 3 goals.
Devils G Jacob Markstrom vs. Lightning Top Line (Kucherov-Stamkos-Point)
Markstrom (2.87 GAA, .912 SV%) faces Tampa’s lethal unit (1.9 goals/game together), which exploits screens. He’s stopped 68 of 72 shots in last two starts; a .930+ SV% neutralizes Kucherov’s one-timers.
Lightning LW Brandon Hagel vs. Devils D Simon Nemec
Hagel (17G-12A) thrives in cycle, drawing Nemec’s rookie mobility (3G-8A). Nemec’s held wingers to 1.2 SOG/game; Hagel’s speed could generate 2+ shots if gaps open.
Devils LW Arseny Gritsyuk vs. Lightning D Darren Raddysh
Gritsyuk (3-point outing vs. OTT) sparks transition, matched against Raddysh (4G-10A). Raddysh’s gap control (1.1 BSH/game) limits rushers; Gritsyuk needs PP time for impact.
Lightning G Jonas Johansson vs. Devils C Dawson Mercer Line
Johansson (2.53 GAA) battles Mercer’s checking (9G-11A); Mercer’s line forces 14 turnovers last 5. Johansson’s .907 SV% tested by Devils’ cycle (29.4 SA/G).
Tampa’s stars give them matchup edges, but Devils’ PK (81.7%) could frustrate.
Team Records
Tampa Bay Lightning: 17-11-2 (3rd in Atlantic Division)
9-4-2 on road, averaging 3.13 GPG (12th) while allowing 2.53 (5th). PP 16.3% (14th), PK 86.5% (3rd); +0.60 goal differential, 11-19 ATS.
b 17-12-1 (5th in Metropolitan Division)
9-4-1 at home, averaging 2.87 GPG (22nd) and allowing 3.07 (18th). PP 13.7% (32nd), PK 81.7% (12th); -0.20 goal differential, 10-19 ATS.
Tampa holds season series tiebreaker (1-0 after 4-3 win Nov. 18).
Recent Team Forms
Both teams enter off wins but mired in December slumps (combined 2-8 last 10). Tampa’s defense tightened in the 6-1 rout, while New Jersey’s urgency showed in Ottawa.
| Lightning Last 5 Games | Date | Opponent | Result | Key Stats |
| vs. MTL | Dec 9 | Home | W 6-1 | Johansson 28/29 saves; Kucherov 2G-1A, 2/4 PP. |
| @ TOR | Dec 8 | Away | L 2-0 | Johansson .923 SV%; Shutout, outshot 32-24. |
| @ PIT | Dec 6 | Away | L 2-0 | Johansson .941 SV%; Another shutout loss. |
| @ NYI | Dec 4 | Away | L 4-3 | Hagel 1G-1A; 1/3 PP in high-event loss. |
| vs. NYR | Dec 2 | Home | L 2-1 | Vasilevskiy 31/33; Close, but 0/2 PP. |
Form Notes: 1-4, outscored 11-7. Road resilience (1-2, but + shots); PP clicking at 25% last 5.
| Devils Last 5 Games | Date | Opponent | Result | Key Stats | |
| @ OTT | Dec 9 | Away | W 4-3 | Markstrom 35/38 saves; Gritsyuk 3 pts, Glass GWG. | |
| @ BOS | Dec 6 | Away | L 4-1 | Allen 22/26; Outshot 38-21, weak PP (0/3). | |
| @ VGK | Dec 5 | Away | L 3-0 | Markstrom .917 SV%; Shutout on road skid. | |
| @ DAL | Dec 3 | Away | L 3-0 | Markstrom .938 SV%; Another blank, 28 SOG. | |
| vs. CBJ | Dec 1 | Home | L 5-3 | Allen 24/29; Mercer 1G, but 3 GA in 2nd. |
Form Notes: 1-4, outscored 15-7. Home cooking needed (0-2 last two); Markstrom 2-3, 2.60 GAA last 5.
Series History
All-time, New Jersey holds a 72-53-7 edge in 132 meetings (including playoffs: Devils 9-7), but Tampa’s won 7 of last 10 regular-season tilts (average 5.8 goals/game). The Lightning took a 4-3 decision on Nov. 18, 2025 (Tampa), behind Kucherov’s hat trick. In Newark, Devils lead 30-30-5 all-time, but Tampa’s 4-1 in last five visits. Overs hit 6 of 10 (average 6.2 goals), with PP goals in 70%. This is the second of three meetings this season.
Betting Trends
Moneyline: 68% bets/75% handle on Lightning (public fading Devils’ skid). Tampa 11-10 SU as road favorites; Devils 9-5 SU home but 3-7 as dogs.
Puck Line: 62% bets on Devils +1.5 (value play), 58% handle on Lightning -1.5 amid Bolts’ 7-3 streak covering. Tampa 11-4 ATS road.
Total: 59% bets on Over 5.5 (83% handle), as 8 of 10 series topped 5 and combined GA 5.60. Under in 6 of Devils’ last 9 home.
Key Trends: Lightning 13-7 SU last 20 overall; Devils 4-10 ATS home. Sharps on Lightning ML and Over.
Game Odds
Tampa Bay Lightning – 135
New Jersey Devils 5.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, December 10, 2025
