Wednesday night, the New Jersey Devils (7-4-2) demolished the Vancouver Canucks (4-2-3) 6-0 in a show of strength on enemy ice. The Devils may have not exclusively control the game outright but capitalized on every chance they had to bury Vancouver early.
First Period
Nico Hischier wasted no time in getting the Devils on the board, executing a textbook two-on-one rush wrist shot on a pass from Dawson Mercer. The goal came just under a minute in, and would set the tone for the offensive pressure for the rest of the period.
Jesper Bratt took a high-sticking call on Quinn Hughes early in the period, which turned into a four-minute double minor because he drew blood. The Devils limited Vancouver to just one shot, another stellar kill in a series of them this season.
The period ended without another score but not before Jonas Siegenthaler got called for tripping, leading to a power play to start the second period.
The Devils dominated five-on-five play in the first period, notching a 61.11 Corsi-for percentage (CF%) and a 77.63 expected goal percentage (xG%) while adding solid special teams play.
Second Period
If Vancouver thought they would get any sort of momentum from their second power play, they were dead wrong. New Jersey bullied them out of the offensive zone and got some pressure of their own. The Devils added insult to injury with a short-handed goal. Nico Hischier stole the puck at his own blue line, skated it to the offensive zone, and shot it off Arturs Silvos’ pad right to a waiting Dawson Mercer, who sniped the shorty home.
Timo Meier kept things rolling with a goal at the 3:07 mark, gliding into the slot and sniping a perfect shot through an ill-timed screen by Vancouver’s defensemen. The Devils continued to buzz over the next few minutes, putting on consistent offensive pressure.
Ondrej Palat broke the game open at the 14:04 mark with his first goal of the season. His initial shot rebounded back to him, and he shot his second chance off the post, off the back of Lankinen’s pad, and into the net. A Canuck defenseman quickly swept the puck out of the net before it was clear that a goal had been scored, so play continued for a moment. After a swift review, however, the goal was confirmed.
The Canucks stopped the bleeding to end the period, going back and forth with New Jersey. They played an even five-on-five period despite the Devils’ success on special teams. The Devils managed a 48.57 CF% and a 46.96 xG%, signifying they did well with the chances they were able to muster. Though they were up 4-0, the shots were even at 14-14.
Third Period
Not much excitement happened in the third period, the Canucks didn’t put up much of a fight and went down with a whimper. Jack Hughes got himself on the scoresheet with a power play goal at the 9:22 mark, tapping in a rebound from Stefan Noesen right in front of the net.
Later in the period, Tomas Tatar scored the Devils’ sixth goal of the game at the 14:06 mark, scoring in a similar fashion to Hughes from in tight.
New Jersey controlled the play once again in the third period, notching a CF% of 60.00 and a 54.53 xG%.
Results
The Devils have had an excellent last two games, thrashing their second Pacific Division team in a week. Despite what the final score says, Vancouver didn’t play that bad, limiting the Devils to just 23 shots. Every one of the shots that scored, however, was perfectly placed with little Silovs could do about it. Another nice win to take out some recent frustrations and build momentum for the rest of the road trip.
The Devils now own a 7-4-2 record and sit first in the Metropolitan Division. The Canucks are 4-2-3, good for third place in the Pacific Division.
Game Notes
Devils WIn the Hughes Bowl
Every game that the Devils and Canucks play is must-see television because all three Hughes brothers get to play with (and against) each other. Suffice it to say that the Devils won this battle handily. Jack Hughes scored a goal and an assist while Luke Hughes matched up nicely with Brett Pesce in his third game back from injury. Quinn Hughes, along with the rest of his team, did not find the scoresheet
Markstrom Earns First Devils Shutout
Though he has struggled this year, Jacob Markstrom was a bright spot in the win last night, earning his first career shutout as a Devil. He earned 2.14 goals saved above expected, albeit on just 20 Vancouver shots.
Hischier Stays Hot
There’s no better player on this Devils’ team right now than Nico Hischier. Coming into last night with a league-leading nine goals, Hischier broke the ice in the first minute of play with his tenth. He went on to add assists on Dawson Mercer’s goal and Timo Meier’s. That top line is buzzing and seems to have great chemistry, especially on odd-man rushes.
Up Next
The Devils will continue their Western Canada swing against the Calgary Flames Saturday at 9:00 pm ET.