In a wild, high-scoring affair that saw a combined 13 goals, the Tampa Bay Lightning emerged victorious over the New Jersey Devils by a score of 8-5 on Tuesday night. The star of the show was undoubtedly Brandon Hagel, who notched his first career natural hat trick to power the Lightning offense.
Hagel’s trio of consecutive tallies all came in the second period, which saw the Lightning erupt for five goals to take control of the game. His first marker came at the 9:27 mark, followed by goals at 13:01 and 15:52 to complete the rare feat.
I think I’ve got to give credit to everyone playing the right way. We’re just doing the right things out there, making the right plays.
– Brandon Hagel on his performance
Hedman Chips in with Two Goals
Not to be outdone, Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman also had a multi-goal game, finding the back of the net twice. Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, and Janis Moser rounded out the scoring for Tampa Bay, who improved to 4-2-0 on the young season.
Devils’ Offense Not Enough
On the Devils’ side, Timo Meier scored two goals, while Jack Hughes, Nathan Bastian, and Stefan Noessen each chipped in with one. However, their offensive output wasn’t enough to overcome the Lightning’s relentless attack.
New Jersey actually held a 2-1 lead early in the second period before the floodgates opened and Tampa Bay took over. The Devils have now lost three of their last four games, with their usually stingy defense surrendering 14 goals over their past two home losses.
Lightning Focused on Growth
Despite the impressive offensive outburst, Hagel emphasized that the Lightning still have room for improvement as they continue to gel early in the season.
We need to continue to grow as a team. This is our sixth game here, it’s still just the little details, and teaching points.
– Brandon Hagel on the Lightning’s focus moving forward
The Lightning will look to build on this win as they navigate a competitive Atlantic Division, while the Devils aim to shore up their defensive woes and get back on track in the Metropolitan.
With offensive showcases like this one, the 2024-25 NHL season is shaping up to be an exciting one for fans who love high-scoring hockey. As teams continue to find their footing, expect more fireworks and impressive individual performances like Hagel’s natural hat trick.
Both the Lightning and Devils boast deep, talented rosters capable of putting up big numbers on any given night. As they iron out the kinks in their respective games, these types of offensive outbursts could become more common occurrences.
For now, the Lightning will savor this victory and the spectacular performances from Hagel and Hedman as they prepare for their next test. The Devils, meanwhile, will regroup and look to tighten things up defensively to avoid being on the wrong end of more high-scoring affairs moving forward.
As the NHL season marches on, fans can look forward to more electrifying games like this one, where individual brilliance and offensive firepower take center stage. With stars like Brandon Hagel capable of taking over a game at any moment, the excitement level around the league should only continue to grow.
