The New Jersey Devils welcomed the Florida Panthers to the Rock in a rude way. After suffering their first regulation loss just one night ago, the Panthers let the Devils hang a seven spot last night. With the victory, the Devils move to 6-3-2 on the season.
Game Summary
First Period
Florida would get the scoring started just under four minutes into the period. Sam Bennett took the puck from behind the net and attempted a wrap around which initially was saved by Mackenzie Blackwood. However, Bennett picked up his rebound and shoveled it home on the backhand.
One of the Devils’ hottest players, Andreas Johnsson, tied the game. In doing so, he finally got the powerplay unit on the board. After entering the zone, the puck got moved to a wide open Jesper Bratt who puts a low shot on net. This allowed a rebound to kick out to Johnsson who slide the puck into the empty net. The captain, Nico Hischier, would strike with just over two minutes left in the period to give the Devils a 2-1 lead heading into the second. Hischier was set up in front of the net and was able to get a nifty tip on the shot from Ty Smith.
Second period
Oh boy, was the second period hectic. Alexander Barkov would score just 24-seconds in on the first shot of the period to tie the game 2-2. The second shot of the period also was a goal, this time by Owen Tippett just 1:29 into the second. Just like that Florida grabbed a 3-2 lead.
Johnsson would bury his second goal of the game just thirty seconds after the Tippett goal. So, in just two minutes the game featured three shots, three goals, and found itself with a 3-3 score. That is what the game would stay until 1:45 left in the period when the classic P.K. Subban slap shot from the top of the point found its way through bodies and by goalie Spencer Knight. This gave New Jersey the 4-3 lead through two periods.
Third Period
The third period just became a bit of a floodgate situation. Pavel Zacha got the scoring started on the powerplay 4:44 into the period. Hischier and Alexander Holtz played catch entering the zone creating a three-on-two situation. Hischier found Zacha down low and he finished short-side on the forehand. It was good to see Holtz get his first career point on home ice after a much better looking performance.
Ty Smith joined in the fun just 30-seconds later via a wrist shot from the point right off a faceoff win. The shot snuck through some traffic and just seemed to catch Knight completely off guard, giving the Devils a 6-3 lead. Jimmy Vesey would ultimately end it with an empty netter, giving the Devils a 7-3 victory over one of the best teams in the NHL.
Game Notes
- The special teams unit finally came alive, going two for four on the powerplay. The Devils also killed off both penalties. All five of New Jersey’s powerplay goals this season have come on home ice. Hopefully, they are able to figure out how to translate that as the season progresses.
- Andreas Johnsson remains one of the Devils’ best forwards, netting two goals and bumping his season point total to nine in 11 games. Being able to get the consistent offense expected from Johnsson is going to play a huge role in depth scoring on the roster moving forward.
- Alexander Holtz recorded his first career point via an assist. Holtz also logged three shots and played just over 15-minutes. Putting him on a line with Hischier really seemed to give him a boost. It would be wise to keep him with the more skilled forwards moving forward to truly take advantage of his shot.
The Devils are back at it Thursday night at the Prudential Center when the New York Islanders come to town. The puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET. Make sure to stay tuned to all of our social media pages for the latest news and updates.