New Jersey 6, Tampa Bay 4

DEVILS 6, LIGHTNING 4: Alexei Ponikarovsky and Dainius Zubrus each broke 13-game goal droughts as the dormant New Jersey offense came alive to defeat visiting Tampa Bay.
 
Ponikarovsky, David Clarkson and Ilya Kovalchuk each notched a goal and an assist for the Devils, who had scored 11 goals in their previous eight games.
 
Ponikarovsky deflected in a Bryce Salvador shot 2:25 into the third period for a 5-3 lead and Clarkson added his 29th goal at 6:05 to seal it on a rebound, snapping a nine-game stretch without a goal.
 
Tampa Bay’s Ryan Malone scored his fourth career hat trick, and first since Oct. 10, 2009. Malone gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead after one period on a rebound at 19:16.
 
The Devils scored four times – once each on the power play and shorthanded – to take a 4-3 lead after two periods.
 
Zubrus swept in a pass from Patrik Elias for the Devils’ league-leading 15th shorthanded goal 3:07 into the second. Jacob Josefson scored for New Jersey, sandwiched by two Malone goals -- the second at 10:13 for a 3-2 Tampa Bay lead.
 
Kovalchuk tied it for the Devils with a scorching wrist shot from the right circle at 13:26 and assisted on defenseman Marek Zidlicky’s power-play goal 1:11 later.
 
GAME NOTEBOOK: Captain Vincent Lecavalier returned to the lineup for the Lightning after missing 18 games with a broken hand. … Adam Henrique and Elias each had two assists for the Devils. … Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos had an assist to give him 91 points, nine behind league leader Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

• New Jersey will play their next game on the road against New Jersey . The Devils have a W/L % of .568 after a win and .559 after a loss.
• Tampa Bay will play their next game at home against Winnipeg . The Lightning have a W/L % of .543 after a win and .381 after a loss.