Last night the New Jersey Devils lost in a frustrating fashion to the Philadelphia Flyers, falling in their fourth game in a row. The team peppered Flyers goalie Carter Hart all night, but he shut the door and stole a win from New Jersey.
Recap
Period One
The Devils dominated in the first period, and were rewarded with an early power play goal. Dougie Hamilton knocked down a clearing attempt in the neutral zone and gave the puck to Jack Hughes who did his thing, skating past everyone to give the Devils a 1-0 lead.
Period Two
After killing off a four minute power play, the Devils went back to the kill and the Flyers capitalized on this one. Scott Laughton blasted a one-timer past Vitek Vanecek to tie the game. The Flyers later had a five-on-three that the Devils killed off beautifully. Minutes later, the Devils had a five-on-three of their own that they couldn’t capitalize on despite many opportunities. The game was tied at one, after two.
Period Three
The Devils dominated the third period, with chance after chance that Carter Hart denied. Eventually, a turnover by Damon Severson resulted in a breakaway for Konecny who sniped his 12th of the season, and 12th career goal vs the Devils. The Devils continued the pressure after they let up the tie-breaking goal, but they couldn’t score despite two minutes with the goalie pulled. A last second save by Hart on Bratt sealed the deal and the Devils dropped their fourth straight.
Game Notes
Coal for Christmas
December has not been the kindest for the Devils in recent years. In 2021-22 combined, the Devils have a 5-11-3 record with a minus-21 goal differential. It’s safe to say that it’s not their month, and with the tough schedule they have coming up it could get even uglier.
Finishing Issues
While Damon Severson’s giveaway led to Konecny’s game winning goal, blame has to be put on the rest of the team for not scoring more than a goal on 49 shots. If the team is going to start winning again they’re going to have to start getting more consistent contributions again from players not named Jack Hughes.
Next Up: Sunday, 7:30 P.M. ET versus the Florida Panthers.