The New Jersey Devils [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils] face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight in their second game of the season. The Devils enter the matchup 0-1-0 after falling 6–3 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night. Both teams are still searching for their first win of the year, as the Lightning dropped their season opener 5–4 to the Ottawa Senators. Last season, Tampa Bay finished with a 47-27-8 record, including a strong 29-11-4 mark at home. The Devils went 42-33-7 overall and were 23-18-3 on the road. In their last five meetings, the Lightning have won five games, while the Devils have taken just one. The most recent matchup came on January 11, 2025. Players to Watch: Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov started the season strong with two goals in the opener and will look to build on that momentum tonight. For New Jersey, Luke Hughes recorded two assists in the season opener and will look to continue his strong start. Evgenii Dadonov left Thursday’s game after taking a shot to the hand, though X-rays came back negative. It was later further examined and determined to be a fracture. Dadonov will not play for the remainder of the trip. The lineup for Saturday's skate had some adjustments due to Dadonov's absence. Jacob Markstrom will likely get his second start in the net for the Devils. The lineup for the Lighting during Friday's skate had some adjustments as well. Both teams will be seeking their first victory of the season when the puck drops at 7 p.m. ET in Tampa. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
