The New Jersey Devils managed to right the ship and find themselves back in the win column. Jacob Markstrom picked up the victory and the Devils defeated the Anaheim Ducks 6-2. It was a huge win for the Devils and a great way to build momentum going forward.
Game Recap
First Period
The tone was set right from puck drop. Kurtis MacDermid dropped the gloves with Ross Johnston to produce a spark, but it didn’t translate. It sparked the Ducks, who scored the first goal of the game. After a Stefan Noesen shot attempt went wide, the Ducks took to the attack. Upon zone entry, Brock McGinn fired a harmless shot that found its way past Jacob Markstrom. After the goal, the Devils generated good looks and good offensive zone, but the period ended with the Devils down 1-0.
Despite being down a goal, the Devils were the better team in the opening period. They finished with a Corsi-for percentage (CF%) of 69.77 and outshot the Ducks 16-7. The Devils not only generated more scoring chances, but got good quality looks as well. They finished with more high-danger attempts (5-2) and controlled the expected goals share 1.6-0.58. A sign of things to come.
Second Period
The Devils responded and started the second period strong. They scored two goals within the first five minutes of the period. The first goal came from Jack Hughes, who received a drop pass from Timo Meier and slid the puck past James Reimer to tie the game.
Then, the third line went to work. Off a good passing sequence, Johnathan Kovacevic found Stefan Noesen in the slot who ripped a shot past Reimer to make it 2-1. The Devils continued to pour it on and grew their lead.
Towards the end of the period, the Devils scored on the power play. A Jesper Bratt pass found Noesen in the front of the net and he scored to make it 3-1. Over a minute later, it was Paul Cotter’s turn. After a great move by Dawson Mercer, he fed a cross ice pass to Cotter who punched home the puck. With a strong effort, the Devils took a 4-1 lead into the third period.
This was pure domination by the Devils in this period. The Devils put the pressure on the Ducks, out-attempting them 23-11 in all situations. Also, the Devils held the Ducks to just three shots on goal in the second frame. The Devils dominated scoring chances 15-1 and controlled the expected goals share 1.24-0.11. The Devils needed a strong period and got it.
Third Period
The momentum never stopped and the Devils continued to pour it on. In the first two minutes of the third period, Nico Hischier continued his scoring. With the game played at four-on-four, Hischier used a strong power move and fired a shot top shelf over Reimer to extend the lead.
The Ducks responded, as Ryan Strome pounced on the puck in front of the net to make it 5-2. The Devils prevailed and added the insurance market. A one-touch pass by Ondrej Palat found Erik Haula who sniped home a shot on a breakaway. The horn sounded and the Devils won the game 6-2.
The Devils played much more passive in the third period. The Ducks took to the attack, trying to claw back into the game. They held the edge in shot attempts, shots on goal, and expected goals. The Devils capitalized when they needed to and Markstrom shut the door when he needed to.
Game Notes
- Brett Pesce and Luke Hughes both had their best games as Devils. They both finished with a CF% above 80.00. With them on the ice, the Devils outshot the Ducks 17-1, and controlled the expected goals share 1.3-0.16. A dominant effort and the Devils reaped the benefits of that.
- Stefan Noesen and Nico Hischier hit milestones. Hischier now leads the league in goals with nine and Noesen had his fourth multi-goal game in his career.
What’s Next?
The Devils hit the road to begin their Western Canada road trip. First up, they’ll take on the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday night at 10:30 pm ET.