Thursday, the New Jersey Devils beat the Anaheim Ducks, 4-1, at home. The Devils scored twice in the first period and didn’t look back from there.
Recap
Period One
The Devils got off to a blazing hot start in the first period. In the opening minutes of the period, the top line of Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Arseny Gritsyuk were buzzing.
Just under five minutes in, a great passing play from that trio led to a tap-in for Gritsyuk. The second-year forward has scored in four straight games and five of his last six.
The Devils continued to apply pressure as the period continued, and it led to a power play in the final minutes. After a one-timer from Bratt was stopped, Nico Hischier found the puck with a gaping net to make it 2-0. That was the score after one, as the Devils felt good.
Period Two
The second period was a back-and-forth, with the Ducks controlling much of the play to start. Nico Daws had arguably his best start of the season thus far, making a few quality saves to keep it a 2-0 game.
Eventually, the Devils pushed back, but they couldn’t beat Ville Husso on the other end. New Jersey held onto their 2-0 lead after two.
Period Three
After a strong first few minutes of the third for the Devils, the Ducks started their push. Following a string of strong shifts for Anaheim, they finally beat Daws. Tim Washe got a stick on a point shot by Jackson LaCombe to redirect the puck, and make it 2-1.
New Jersey didn’t let the goal rattle them however, and eventually got the all important insurance goal. Anthony Mantha took a whack at a rebound following a point shot by Pesce, and watched it trickle over the goal line to extend the Devils lead to 3-1.
Jack Hughes tapped in the empty-net goal for his third of the season in the final seconds, and the Devils held on to take their second straight win by a score of 4-1.
Game Notes
Gritsyuk’s Hot Streak
When players come over after spending years in the Russian KHL, it’s not a guarantee that their game will translate to North American ice. Given that, it’s fair to say that Arseny Gritsyuk impressed in his rookie season last year.
This year, the 25-year old Russian has taken his game to an even higher level. His goal Thursday puts him at five tallies and seven total points in just 10 games to start the season. Gritsyuk’s 63.09 Corsi-for percentage (CF%) ranks fourth on the team at five-on-five (5v5), and his 65.95 expected goals percentage (xG%) puts him eighth on the team, seventh if you don’t count Connor Brown who has only played 22:25 at 5v5.
It’s been an impressive first 10 games for the Russian winger who has been on another level since being moved up to play with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt.
Daws’ Improvement
There were plenty of question marks when it came to Nico Daws as the Devils backup going into the season, and even more question marks after a brutal first game. However, it’s been much better from the young netminder since then. In his last two games, Daws has stopped 34 of 36 shots with a solid 0.74 goals saved above expected (GSAx).
With how strong the Devils have played at 5v5 this season, they may only need Daws and Allen to be average to compete at the top of the metropolitan division. With multiple other options waiting in the wings, Nico Daws has given New Jersey no reason to think about them.
What’s Next
The Devils finish up a three game homestand with a Saturday matinee against the Los Angeles Kings. Puck drop is set for 3:30 pm ET.