The magic number is seven. The New Jersey Devils continue to roll. They defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-1 Friday night, which gave them their seventh straight win. The Devils took advantage of the opportunities given to them on the power play and rode it to victory.
Game Recap
First Period
It didn’t take long for the first goal to be scored in the game and it belonged to the Sharks. Just 2:24 into the period, William Eklund scored his first goal of the season on the power play. As the Sharks entered the zone, Macklin Celebrini had trouble controlling the puck, but it bounced back to Eklund who fired the shot past Jake Allen.
The period was kept scoreless the rest of the way, but at the midway point of the period the Devils got a big power play opportunity. Nico Hischier was robbed right on the doorstep by Yaroslav Askarov on what was a sure goal. The Devils carried a power play into the second period with 1:06 remaining on it.
The Sharks took more to the attack in this period. They held the edge in shot attempts (10-8) and shots on goal were tied at four each.
Second Period
The Devils came out resurgent in the second period and they cashed in on the power play. With precise puck movement, a rebound given up by Askarov squeaked out and a pinching down Dougie Hamilton ripped it into the net to tie the game.
Just over a minute later, the Sharks answered and momentarily retook the lead. A stretch pass found the stick of Alex Wennberg and he stormed in on a breakaway. Allen made the initial save, but Jeff Skinner punched home the rebound. However, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe challenged the play for offsides and upon challenge review it was indeed offsides.
The Devils scored what ended up being the game-winning goal as Jack Hughes corralled the puck behind the net. He then found Hamilton right in the slot for a one-timed blast past Askarov to make it 2-1. The Devils relentless pressure continues throughout the period and they took a 2-1 lead into the third period.
This was as dominant of a period as you could ask for from a Devils team. For the first time since 2017, the Devils held a team without a shot on goal through an entire period. They outshot the Sharks 13-0 during the second frame. Furthermore, they out-attempted the Sharks 40-11 and in all situations and controlled the expected goals share 98.07% of the period.
Third Period
The Sharks increased the pressure and push back in this third period. Allen stopped all ten shots he faced and allowed the Devils to maintain their lead. Connor Brown would add the dagger with an empty net goal and the Devils skated off with their seventh win in a row.
Wrap Up
The Devils skated away with their seventh win in a row. Special teams was the name of the game, with every goal being scored on either the power play or with an empty net. Dougie Hamilton scored two goals and also added an assist on the final goal. Nico Hischier had himself a multi-point game and Jake Allen continues to be stellar between the pipes.
Game Notes
- Jake Allen continues to be stellar between the pipes for the Devils. Allen has won every game he’s started this season and despite the low volume of shots against, he finished with 1.44 goals saved above expected.
- Arseny Gritsyuk continues to make an impact on the top line with Nico Hischier and Timo Meier. No goals were scored, but the on-ice impacts were among the best. Gritsyuk had the third best expected goals for percentage (xGF%) with 78.19 and the shot attempt differential was 13-6.
What’s Next?
The Devils homestand continues with an afternoon tilt against the Colorado Avalanche Sunday at 1:00 pm ET.