The New Jersey Devils (11-10-1) were dealt a tough blow prior to puck drop on Friday as news broke that they’d be without star defenseman Dougie Hamilton for an extended period of time. Despite this, there was a game to be played. That said game added to the tumultuous times as New Jersey fell to the lowly San Jose Sharks.
Welcomed back to town was Mackenzie Blackwood and Fabian Zetterlund. Blackwood did not play but Zetterlund factored into one of the goals. It was the first matchup since the big trade and the Devils suffered a 6-3 defeat despite a dominant effort.
Game Recap
First Period
It was a slower period to start but the teams found a way to get on the scoreboard. San Jose found the back of the net first and off a great passing sequence. After winning the puck battle along the boards, Mario Ferraro skated down low and fed a cross seam pass to Jacob MacDonald for the goal.
New Jersey would respond and get the game tied at one. On the power play, a one timed blast by Simon Nemec would take a funky bounce and was batted out of mid air by Dawson Mercer. That would be the first point of Nemec to begin his NHL career. The horn would sound and both teams would head to the second period tied.
At five on five, New Jersey was the more effective team. They held the edge in shot attempts (21-15) and in shots on goal (10-8). New Jersey dominated the expected goals share 0.71-0.39 as well.
Second Period
The second period was all San Jose, at least when it came to the scoreboard. San Jose scored the two goals in the second frame to extend their lead.
Macdonald deflected a Matt Benning shot past Akira Schmid for his second of the game. The Sharks would smell blood in the water and continue to pour the goals on. After capitalizing off a turnover in the neutral zone, Anthony Duclair ripped a one timed shot past Schmid to make it 3-1. The Devils would continue to push the pace but the Sharks would hang onto this lead heading into the third period.
This was as dominant of a period as you’ll see from the Devils. Despite letting in two goals, they held the Sharks to three shots on goal in all situations. The Devils dominated at five on five and held the edge in shot attempts, shots on goal, and scoring chances. Furthermore, they had a wide edge in expected goals 0.98-0.46. Kahkonen was a brick wall in front of the Devils and it showed.
Third Period
The lamp would be lit plenty in this period and by both teams. Jack Hughes kicked off the third period in style, ripping a shot top shelf to cut the lead to one. San Jose went to work and extended the lead once again. Capitalizing on a two on one, Duclair slid the puck past Schmid for his second of the night.
The seesaw affair continued, as Ondrej Palat buried one from the slot and gave the Devils life. That life would be sucked out once again and Granlund made it 5-3. The final horn would sound and the Devils would suffer defeat to the Sharks, 6-3.
Game Notes
- After stopping 47 shots the night prior, Akira Schmid got the start for the second game in a row. However, the results were not there and the Devils’ goaltending woes continued. New Jersey did a great job limiting the Sharks to sustaining offense but could not get a save. Schmid finished the game with -3.76 goals saved above expected (GSAX) and a .706 save percentage (SV%). A dominant game plagued by goaltending seems to be a theme this season.
- Simon Nemec looked strong in his season debut. Aside from the hiccup on the opening goal, he played a strong game. He logged 22 minutes of time on ice and was highly impactful. Nemec finished with a 72.09 Corsi-for percentage (CF%) and when on the ice New Jersey outshot San Jose 13-8. Nemec recorded his first multi-point game as a Devil and made an immediate impact since being called up. With Hamilton out indefinitely, the future of the blueline is now the present.
- Don’t let the scoreboard fool you. The Devils dominated this game. In all situations the Devils had 103 shot attempts, 70 unblocked attempts, and 48 shots on goal. In addition, they generated 5.4 expected goals in all situations. The road block was Kaapo Kahkonen, who finished with 2.4 goals saved above expected and was dialed in from start to finish. San Jose exploited the Devils putrid goaltending and was ultimately the downfall of the team.
What’s Next?
The Devils take the ice Tuesday night against the Vancouver Canucks in Canada.