There was always going to be a changing of the guard for hockey in the Tri-State Area. It was only a matter of time before this Devils’ core developed and overtook the Rangers as the best team around. The Devils’ 5-0 victory over the Rangers at Prudential Center on Monday afternoon felt a lot like the tipping point.
It was a dominant effort on both ends of the ice for New Jersey (23-11-3), which picked up its second win over the rival Rangers this season. The Devils have won five of their past six games.
Overview
Jack Hughes had two goals and an assist to continue his dominance over New York. Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, Luke Hughes, and Dawson Mercer each had two points. Jacob Markstrom made 12 saves for his third shutout of the season. It was the first time the Devils shutout the Rangers since 2013.
The Devils held the Rangers to just 12 shots on goal in the game. New Jersey set a league record with seven consecutive games of holding opponents to 20 or fewer shots on goal. New Jersey was almost perfect on special teams for the game, going four-for-four on the penalty kill and three-for-four on the power play.
First Period
It was an eventful first period to say the least. Four minutes into the contest, there was a fight between Paul Cotter and Vincent Trocheck. The two hulking forwards exchanged blows before Cotter pulled Trocheck to the ice.
Shortly after the fight, the Devils would get on the board with a goal from, who else, but Jack Hughes. After a turnover at the far blue line by the Rangers, Dougie Hamilton made a nice outlet pass to Jesper Bratt. The forward fed Hughes into the zone down the left wing and Hughes fired a shot past Jonathan Quick at 15:31 of the period to give the Devils a 1-0 lead.
It was Hughes’ 14th goal of the season and 14th career goal against the Rangers in 22 games.
In a second fight of the period with just under a minute remaining, defensemen Brenden Dillon took on Ranger Sam Carrick. The two heavyweights traded hits before Dillon’s helmet fell off. The referee would break things up soon after.
Shots were 9-5 in favor of the Devils after the period. The Rangers were able to gain the edge in terms of Corsi-for percentage (CF%) at 54.17.
Second Period
After an early unsuccessful Rangers power play in period two, New York was called for a too many men on the ice. So, the Devils’ second-ranked power play would get its first opportunity of the afternoon.
The first unit had a few great chances to score during about 1:30 of the man advantage but were unsuccessful. Toward the end of the power play, the Devils were able to break through. Mercer made an incredible backhand pass through traffic to find Meier in the right circle. Meier’s one-timer beat Jonathan Quick to make it 2-0 at 15:19 of the second.
After offsetting minors on Johnathan Kovacevic and Alexis Lafreniere, Jonas Siegenthaler was called for cross-checking, leading to another Rangers power play. New York was only able to muster one shot on goal and the Devils were able to make it a clean 3-for-3 on the penalty kill for the game.
The Rangers would take another too many men on the ice penalty at 9:37 of the second period. It didn’t take too long for the Devils to extend the lead. On a four-on-three power play to start, Jack Hughes scored his second goal of the game 50 seconds into the man-advantage off a feed from his brother, Luke, to make it 3-0. It was Hughes’ 15th goal of the season and 15th against the Rangers in his career.
The Devils took a too many men on the ice penalty of their own at 3:32 of the period. However, New Jersey made it four-for-four on the kill for the game.
The Devils outshot the Rangers again in the period 9-4 with an 18-9 advantage overall. It was a much better period in terms of CF% and chances for the Devils. They had a very strong CF% of 64.71.
Third Period
It was looking like a pretty uneventful third period until the Devils made it 4-0 at 12:00 of the period. It was a great little 1-2-3 play for the Hischier line. Meier skated the puck into the Rangers’ zone before dishing it to Hischier, who made a great pass to Noesen at the left side of the net for an easy goal past Quick. It was Noesen’s 16th goal of the season.
The Devils would make it a perfect 3-for-3 on the man-advantage and made it 5-0 after Alexis Lafreniere was called for slashing on Siegenthaler. Mercer would finally break through after plenty of great chances in the game, scoring his eighth goal of the season from Jack and Luke Hughes.
The Devils would finish the game with a 29-12 advantage in shots on goal and a 5-0 advantage on the scoreboard.
Game Notes
Changing of the Guard
The Devils absolutely dismantled the Rangers. This feels like a turning point for this New Jersey team, which is really hitting its stride in December. In doing so, they once again kept their opponent below 20 shots, setting a NHL record.
They’re so quick and relentless while also not backing down from competition. Even when the game got a little chippy early on, the Devils were unfazed. That’s thanks to those offseason additions of Cotter, Dillon, Kovacevic, Noesen and Markstrom. And let’s not forget about Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, who have been one of the top forward duos in the NHL this season.
If you were to point to a peak of Devils hockey in the regular season, other than that long winning streak in 2022-23, this is it.
Special Teams
You don’t often see a team go perfect on both ends of special teams in a game. The Devils were awfully close had it not been for that unimportant power play late in the third period. Take that pointless man-advantage away and the Devils are perfect for the game.
This is the sign of a Stanley Cup contending team, a team that can get the job done on the kill and the power play. When you look at teams who have won the Cup historically they perform well in both categories. And in some of those situations this afternoon, the Devils were down a key player on the kill. It’s a testament to the depth throughout the roster.
What’s Next?
The Devils are back in action after the Christmas break with a key home-and-home against the Carolina Hurricanes. New Jersey takes on Carolina at Prudential Center on Friday at 7:00 pm ET.