No, you’re not dreaming, with their 5-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens yesterday, the New Jersey Devils have won their tenth-straight game. This is the first time that has happened since 2006.
Despite what the score says, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for New Jersey, but strong goaltending and defensive play kept them in the game until the forwards scored a flurry of goals.
First Period
The Devils didn’t exactly have their legs underneath them out of the gate. Montreal entered the offensive zone with ease, creating chance after chance. Fortunately for Jersey, Vitek Vanecek followed every shot perfectly, making more than a few highlight reel stops. Overall, New Jersey didn’t control the action during the first period, posting a 41.67 Corsi-for percentage (CF%) and a 34.26 expected goals-for percentage (xGF%).
Second Period
The action picked up for the Devils in the second with an early powerplay. Jack Hughes was seemingly hungry for a goal, perching himself firmly at the point and sniping the puck over Jake Allen’s shoulder to make it 1-0. Soon after, Dougie Hamilton scored a goal of his own, going in on a two-on-one with Nico Hischier and using him as a decoy so he could clip the top of the net all by himself.
Montreal made it interesting, however, when Evgenii Dadonov snuck into the crease to bury a one-timer past Vanecek. Hughes, undeterred, scored his second of the night on a beautiful shot from right in front of the net to make it 3-1, which was how the period would end. New Jersey controlled the play this time around with a 67.39 CF% in the period.
Third Period
The Devils started the third frame with a goal seconds in, or so they thought. Tomas Tatar thought he had scored a beauty, but it ended up being called offside after an official review. No change in the score, still 3-1. That wouldn’t last long, however, as Jesper Bratt tucked a pinballing puck into the back of the net midway through the period.
The Canadiens tried desperately to get back in the game, but the Devils’ defenders came up with some big plays, including one in particular by John Marino. Montreal pulled Allen with under three minutes, but no Canadien could get past the wall of white shirts blocking their shots. With an empty-netter from John Marino, the Devils walked away with a 5-1 win.
Results
The Devils are the hottest they’ve been in years, and they looked like a real playoff team against Montreal. They didn’t dominate the whole way through, but they showed up when it counted and won the game.
The Devils now own a 13-3-0 record and are in first place in the Metropolitan Division. On the other hand, the Canadiens are 8-7-1 and sit sixth in the Atlantic Division.
Game Notes
John Marino Makes An Impact
Surprisingly, John Marino may not have been the best defenseman of the night (Dougie Hamilton definitely has a claim to that honor), but he was the most visible. He made key play after key play, getting his stick in passing lanes and blocking dangerous shots. He finished the night with a 54.05 CF% and a 52.32 xGF%, below some of the other defensemen but still admirable.
Vanecek Returns in Style
Vitek Vanecek had a great night in net, posting a .962 save percentage while allowing just one goal. He made some tremendous sprawling stops to stymie a threatening Canadien attack and shifted the momentum back to the Devils. This was his first game back since being bumped up last Thursday, so it’s good to see him on point.
Up Next
The Devils will travel to Toronto for a 7:00 PM game tomorrow.