The New Jersey Devils hit the road to face the Montreal Canadiens for their second preseason game. The Devils trotted out a lineup that featured more depth than anything, as most regulars did not play in the contest. They faired out well considering they were facing many Canadiens regulars. Jake Allen got to face his former club, but the Devils lost the game 3-0.
Game Recap
First Period
The first period of the game was scoreless. It was a period filled with penalties, as the first period saw just 11:55 of five-on-five play. The Devils held the slight edge in possession at even strength as they managed to out-attempt the Canadiens 7-6. the Canadiens made better on their scoring chances, as they controlled the expected goals share.
Second Period
The second period was all Canadiens to start. Off a great passing play, Michael Pezzetta fired home a shot from the top of the faceoff circle to make it 1-0. They almost scored another goal, but it was waived off due to incidental contact with Jake Allen. As always, with preseason, there was a goalie change, as Nico Daws replaced Allen. The period finished and the Devils remained down 1-0.
In all, Allen stopped 12-of-13, playing solid in his preseason debut.
Third Period
Much like the second period, the Canadiens found the back of the net once again. Captain Nick Suzuki redirected a shot from the blue line that made its way past Daws. The teams would generate their chances, but the Devils lost the game 3-0 when the horn sounded, as Pezzetta scored his second of the game on an empty net goal.
This was a purely dominant period by the Canadiens. They controlled the expected goal share at a 65.63% rate and heavily weighted the scoring chances in their favor; 12-3. Not the sharpest period, as was expected given how many regulars the Canadiens played. However, they hung in there and the Devils preseason remains winless.
Game Notes
- Jake Allen looked as good as he could while facing the regulars in the Canadiens lineup. He stopped 12 of 13 shots he faced, good for a .923 save percentage. He was also perfect on high-danger shots he faced. Good to see he picked up where he left off from last season.
- The Devils did a good job of keeping things away from the high-danger areas of the ice. Of the 29 shots they faced, only six came from that area. Considering the forward group for Montreal, this is noteworthy.
- Nico Daws also played. His performance this season is important, with Allen due to be a free agent at season’s end. He stopped 14-of-15 over the second half of the game.
What’s Next?
The Devils preseason action continues Wednesday night. The New Jersey Devils return home to take on the Capitals. One would expect the Devils to roll a lot of regulars in the game, as the team readies for the opener in Prague.
Puck drop for the game is 7:00 pm ET and can be found on NHLN.