Tuesday, the New Jersey Devils took down the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 in a shootout in a thrilling game. Connor Hellebuyck made 18 saves en route to his first home win with the Devils.
Recap
First Period
The Oilers’ high-flying offense came out hot to begin this contest. With the top three highest point scorers in the NHL, it wasn’t long before one of them found the back of the net. Defenseman Evan Bouchard took a feed from Mattias Ekholm and blasted a one-timer by Connor Hellebuyck. His NHL defenseman-leading ninth goal of the season made it 1-0 Edmonton.
The Devils found some rhythm to end the period but couldn’t beat Oilers goalie Tristan Jarry. He registered his seventh consecutive shutout period as the Oilers took their lead into the second period.
Second Period
The Devils came out firing again to begin the second period, but Jarry continued to hold strong. Finally, though, the Devils’ power play came through to get on the board. Jack Hughes threw a puck toward the goal, and former Oiler Connor Brown buried the rebound. His third of the season tied the game.
The Devils didn’t back off. Great puck movement from the Devils’ top line led to Dougie Hamilton setting up Jack Hughes for a one-timer. He blasted one into the top corner by Jarry and gave the Devils their first lead of the night.
Hughes wasn’t done yet, though. After an Oilers penalty, Hughes found inside positioning on Connor McDavid in front of the goal and deflected in a beautiful pass from Connor Brown. Hughes’ goals came 45 seconds apart and made it 3-1 Devils.
Everything seemed like it was going in the Devils’ favor, but the Oilers only needed one opportunity to get back in the game. After Anthony Mantha went to the box, the Oilers’ power play quickly scored. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins took a shot that deflected off the stick of Connor Brown and fluttered over Hellebuyck. All of a sudden, the momentum shifted. After two more Devils penalties in the final minute, they found themselves defending a five-on-three to begin the third.
Third Period
The Devils defended the five-on-three well, but seconds after it expired, Leon Draisaitl blasted a shot by Hellebuyck. All of a sudden, the game was tied at three.
The Devils limited McDavid and the Oilers to just six more shots for the rest of the frame, as they took their point and headed to overtime.
Overtime/Shootout
Jack Hughes and Connor McDavid were flying around the ice in overtime. Both teams had their opportunities, but neither could finish the game. After five minutes without a whistle, this thriller of a game headed to a shootout.
The Devils fell behind early in the shootout when Connor McDavid beat Hellebuyck in round one. Jesper Bratt soon answered, though, in round two to force an extra round. Then, the red-hot Arseny Gritsyuk made a beautiful move by Jarry to put the Devils ahead. Needing a save to win it, Connor Hellebuyck denied Kasperi Kapanen to pick up a huge two points for New Jersey.
Game Notes
Power Play Improves
Head coach Sheldon Keefe took a gamble on his power play, shifting Connor Brown up to the first unit. The decision immediately paid dividends for New Jersey. After just one power-play goal over their last six games, the Devils scored twice a man up against the Oilers on Tuesday.
Keefe’s change was a major factor in the improvement, with Connor Brown picking up a goal and an assist on the power play. It’s fair to say Keefe will keep this unit together for the near future.
Limited Oilers Offense
The Oilers came into Tuesday’s game with the best offense in the NHL, and for good reason. McDavid, Draisaitl, and Bouchard currently sit in the top three for points in the NHL. However, the Devils did a fantastic job shutting down the Oilers’ offense. New Jersey held Edmonton to 0.73 expected goals at five-on-five and held McDavid, who was averaging 2.6 points per game, to just one secondary assist.
The Devils’ defense continued to shine, even against the NHL’s best.
What’s Next
The Devils will look to make it three straight as they take on the Blues at home on Thursday.