NHL

Devils switch to Kinkaid too late in loss to Lightning

Keith Kinkaid played well in his NHL debut, allowing only one goal. Unfortunately, the spark the backup goaltender gave the Devils came halfway through the second period, with his team trailing 3-0 in last night’s 5-2 loss to the Lightning at Prudential Center.

“I can’t even explain it to you. It’s one of those things that leaves you speechless and in awe,” Kinkaid said after the game in which he relieved Johan Hedberg with 6:47 left in the second period. “I was a little nervous to get in there. I didn’t know where my equipment was when [coach Pete DeBoer] said to go in.”

Part of the home crowd chanted “Kin-kaid!” after Hedberg allowed the Lightning’s second goal to Martin St. Louis.

Hedberg, who has started six games in a row, including all five in Martin Brodeur’s absence due to a bad back, was pulled after Alexander Killorn made it 3-0.

The 23-year-old Kinkaid allowed a goal to Nate Thompson — his second of the game — while making 12 saves.

“I thought it had the desired effect. I thought if we stuck the kid in, the guys would maybe get a heightened sense of desperation and he made a couple of big saves there,” DeBoer said.

Hedberg was frustrated after the game but gave advice to Kinkaid when he came off the ice. “Just come in, do your best. Enjoy the moment, have fun, and I think he did,” Hedberg said.

Kinkaid wasn’t expecting his first NHL action to come in the middle of the second period, but said he was ready.

“You always got to be ready as a backup goalie,’’ he said. “You got to stay warm just in case the inevitable happens like an injury or like today. It wasn’t [Hedberg’s] fault at all.

“I kind of felt bad for [Hedberg]. … We got to help him out there. I just tried to play my game and give us the best opportunity to win.”

The Devils and Lightning each entered the game on five-game losing streaks. Tampa Bay struck first when Thompson beat Hedberg with just under three minutes to go in the first. It was the seventh straight game in which the Devils allowed the first goal.

DeBoer said Hedberg would be back in net against the Sabres tomorrow if Brodeur is still not ready to come off injured reserve.

Kinkaid’s best save was robbing Steven Stamkos — the league’s leading scorer — on a breakaway. The Devils waited until there was under 10 minutes remaining before they woke up. Adam Henrique scored a shorthanded goal with 6:16 left against Anders Lindback and Patrik Elias added a power-play goal less than two minutes later to make it 4-2.

B.J. Crombeen added an empty-net goal to seal it.

Two weeks ago, the Devils led the Eastern Conference. Now they are in seventh place, but Henrique was optimistic the slide would end soon.

“We just have to find a way to get that [spark] earlier in the game,” he said. “We just have to keep going, keep moving forward, keep our head up, keep playing and it’s going to come.”