TAMPA www.sabresshoponline.com , Fla. (AP) The highest-scoring team in the NHL is playing a stingy brand of defense in the playoffs.Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Tampa Bay Lightning know ultimately that will be the key to the chances for a deep run for the third time in four years.The top seed in the Eastern Conference won its opening round series 4-1 over the New Jersey Devils, with Vasilevskiy stopping 53 of 55 shots over the last two games.¡±We did a good job. They¡¯re a good team, but we were better a little bit,¡± the 23-year-old goaltender said after Saturday¡¯s 3-1 clinching victory.¡±The guys played well,¡± Vasilevskiy said. ¡±When your team is playing well, I¡¯m feeling much better, more confidence. ¡­ ¡±Now it¡¯s in the past and we have to move on and think about the second round.¡±Nikita Kucherov scored goals in four of the five games, including three game-winners.With five goals and five assists, he set a franchise record for points in a playoff series and also tied Vincent Lecavalier for second place on the Tampa Bay¡¯s postseason scoring list with 52 points in 50 games.But as well as the league¡¯s third-leading scorer and the rest of the offense performed over the course of the series, the defense was just as good after struggling at times over the last two months of the season.The Devils scored seven goals in the four games they lost. Before yielding one goal in each of the final two games, Vasilevskiy had never allowed one or fewer goals in a playoff start.¡±He¡¯s been unbelievable. He¡¯s so young, but it seems like he¡¯s been in the league for 20 years,¡± Kucherov said. ¡±When he makes the saves, it gives energy to our group and the bench, everyone is fired up.¡±In his first season as a No. 1 goalie, the finalist for the Vezina Trophy tied for first in the NHL in victories (44) and shutouts (eight) and finished with a 2.62 goals-against average and .920 save percentage.Those numbers might have been even better if the Lightning had played better defense in front of him over the last half of the season.¡±He was on it from Game 1,¡± coach Jon Cooper said of the young goaltender¡¯s performance against the Devils.¡±He just came up huge in every big situation. ¡­ The timely saves were phenomenal for us Buffalo Sabres T-Shirts Womens ,¡± Cooper added. ¡±He just played with confidence.¡±And, that gives the Lightning reason to feel good heading into the Eastern Conference semifinals against the winner of the first-round matchup between the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs.¡±We don¡¯t care who¡¯s going to be there. There¡¯s no easy teams in the playoffs,¡± Kucherov said. ¡±We have to make sure we play the same way and we play our way.¡±Cooper appreciates being able to close out the Devils early, avoiding a return trip to Newark, New Jersey, for Game 6.¡±Ultimately, you just don¡¯t want to get on the plane, again. It¡¯s not that there¡¯s still series left, but it¡¯s the wear and tear on the body and mind,¡± Cooper said. ¡±I¡¯m not one of those, let the series go seven and just keep playing. We¡¯ll take the rest, take a step back and prepare.¡±¡ª BOSTON ¡ª Fresh off a four-point weekend that included a difficult start time in Ottawa, the Bruins host the Coyotes Tuesday night looking for a sweep of the two-game season series with Arizona.And also looking for their 14th straight win over the Coyotes and ninth in a row at TD Garden.After routing the Toronto Maple Leafs to end a three-game losing streak Saturday night, the Bruins left immediately after that game for a late-afternoon start in Ottawa Sunday. They fell behind 1-0 but won the game in overtime, making the difficult travel weekend easier to accept.Article continues below ...¡°Tonight was a game we stayed patient and eventually got things to go our way,¡± Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said after Torey Krug converted a nifty pass from David Krejci at 1:53 of overtime for the win. ¡°I thought we were the better team the last 40, 43 minutes whatever it was Buffalo Sabres Hoodies Womens , and eventually we got rewarded.¡±Saturday night, the Coyotes, who, like the Bruins, are in the middle of a severe injury situation, rallied from three goals down but lost 5-3 to the San Jose Sharks at home. Now, Rick Tocchet¡¯s team opens a four-game road trip ¡ª and are apparently ready to get a goaltender back.The news on Antti Raanta was bad and it appears he may well be out for the season with a lower body injury. Darcy Kuemper, out since Nov. 21 with a lower body injury, could return as early as Tuesday.Rookie Adin Hill has played the last six games ¡ª four wins and then two losses ¡ª to the tune of a 1.62 goals-against average and .939 save percentage. Calvin Pickard was claimed off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec. 1.General manager John Chayka, tweeting on the Coyote¡¯s immediate goalie future, wrote, ¡°I think it will be a bit of goalie by committee at this stage. Whoever¡¯s playing well will get the net.¡±Sunday, on a conference call, the GM said his team was, ¡°at a stage where they need some opportunity and they¡¯re looking for a chance. Now we¡¯ve got a chance (for them) ¡­ That¡¯s the group we¡¯ve got and that¡¯s the group we¡¯re going to go with.¡±Jaroslav Halak made 32 saves in a 2-1 Bruins victory at Arizona Nov. 17 and should be next in the rotation after he beat Toronto and Tuukka Rask got the win at Ottawa.Halak, 9-4-2 on the season, is an impressive 9-3-2 with a 2.30 GA Buffalo Sabres Hats Womens , a .930 save percentage and two career shutouts against the Coyotes.Kuemper, 4-5-2 on the season, has made three career starts against the Bruins, losing all three, with a 2.71 GAA and an .884 save percentage. Pickard has won his only career start against Boston, yielding two goals.The Coyotes, who lead the NHL with 11 shorthanded goals, fell to 13-13-2 with Saturday¡¯s second straight home loss.¡°We played hard. We¡¯re right there,¡± Tocchet said. ¡°We¡¯re a little depleted but guys gave it their all.¡±The Bruins had scored 16 goals in 10 games before scoring six Saturday night against the Leafs. They scored just enough Sunday to improve to 16-10-4.¡°I thought we had a lot of really good looks tonight,¡± said Brad Marchand, who scored the first goal. ¡°We easily could have had four or five goals, but their goalie played really well, kept them in it.The Bruins have kept their heads above water despite a rash of injuries that still has them without Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara and Kevan Miller. The Coyotes lost Saturday without six players.Boston¡¯s Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson scored his first NHL goal in the Bruins¡¯ win in the desert.