On a bitterly cold night at MetLife Stadium, the New Jersey Devils (28-22-4) took down the Philadelphia Flyers (29-20-7) 6-3 in an at-times shaky contest. The Flyers did everything they could to stop New Jersey, but the Devils finished all their chances to secure a crucial win in the Metropolitan Division.
First Period
The fans at MetLife didn’t have to wait long for the action to heat up. Nico Hischier drew first blood for the Devils just 30 seconds into the game, capitalizing on a clean breakaway with a slick five-hole goal on Samuel Ersson. Both teams seemed disjointed after the goal, a product of the unique Stadium Series atmosphere and, of course, the frigid temperature. Philadelphia spent a lot of time with the puck but couldn’t open up the Devils’ defensive structure.
Colin Miller and Jamie Drysdale took successive penalties, setting up a four-on-four for just over a minute. After going scoreless in that stretch, the Devils got an abbreviated power play but couldn’t score.
Tyler Toffoli extended the lead at the 13:30 mark, poking in a juicy rebound off a Jack Hughes shot. With under a minute to play in the period, Scott Laughton took a delay of game penalty for sending the puck over the glass, setting up a power play that would extend into the second period.
The Flyers had better possession than the Devils in the first period, notching a 65.22 Corsi-for percentage (CF%) and a 75.33 expected goal percentage (xG%); but the Devils were more opportunistic, scoring twice on a pair of mistakes from Philly. That combined with strong play from Nico Daws helped New Jersey maintain a 2-0 lead going into the first intermission.
Second Period
The second period was absolute chaos. The Flyers killed off the remaining penalty time from the Laughton call and went on the attack. They pushed the Devils’ defense to the limit with huge pressure in the offensive zone, but Nico Daws stood tall in the net. Owen Tippett finally got Philly on the board at the 7:43 mark, snatching a turnover and lasering the puck past Daws top-shelf. A turnover from Nico Hischier in the offensive zone earlier in the play created the chance for Philadelphia, contributing to the goal.
A series of penalties derailed the middle of the period. Nicolas Deslauriers and Colin Miller scuffled after a play eight minutes in. Both drew roughing calls, creating a two-minute four-on-four stretch. The referees interrupted that with a holding call on Simon Nemec, giving the Flyers an abbreviated four-on-three. Miller and Deslauriers came out of the box seconds later but Travis Konecny drew a misconduct call seconds after that, creating another four-on-four.
After that stretch, Simon Nemec came out of the box, giving the Devils a short power play. Shockingly, neither team scored in all this mayhem, although the Flyers dominated in the Devils’ zone.
The ice opened up late in the period with a flurry of goals. Brendan Smith scored at the 16:36 mark, potting a rebound from in tight and extending the lead back to two goals.
Nathan Bastian notched another goal for New Jersey just a minute later, sniping a shot past Ersson on an odd-man rush and finishing it with a Tommy Cutlets-style celebration. Ondrej Palat got called for holding with two minutes to play, giving the Flyers yet another power play. Owen Tippett finally capitalized on the man advantage, throwing it on the net through traffic and past Daws.
The Flyers dominated possession time with a 62.16 CF%, but the Devils got the higher quality chances with a 73.60 xG%.
Third Period
Nico Hischier scored his second goal of the night at the 2:48 mark, snapping a slot shot past Ersson off a smooth pass from John Marino. Down 5-2, the Flyers desperately needed to make something happen to stay in the game. Nick Seeler did just that midway into the frame, scoring his first goal of the year off a drop pass from Laughton.
After that, the Devils held the Flyers at bay, playing clean hockey while keeping the game at five-on-five. Flyers’ head coach John Tortorella pulled Ersson with under three minutes to play but Nathan Bastian iced it for New Jersey with his second goal of the night on the empty net.
After the madness of the second period, the Devils and Flyers played a relatively even period, with New Jersey earning a 53.66 CF% and a 45.19 xG%.
Results
Although the Flyers outplayed the Devils for much of the game, New Jersey cashed in on Philly’s mistakes, which proved the difference-maker in the Meadowlands. It was certainly a Stadium Series to remember with performances from the Jonas Brothers and the Gaslight Anthem. A fun night all around to be sure.
The Devils now own a 28-22-4 record, good for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with 60 points. The Flyers are still in third place with a 29-20-7 record. The Devils remain two points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference
Game Notes
Nico Hischier Steals the Show
Nico Hischier scored twice last night, once on the opening shift of the first period and once to open the third period. He also added an assist on Brendan Smith’s second-period goal. He had a fantastic 82.13 xG% and a Game Score of 5.33. His effort earned him the first star of the night. Hischier has five goals and 12 points over his last eight games.
Depth Scoring Plays Big Role
Who had Nathan Bastian and Brendan Smith scoring on their bingo card? Clinging to a one-goal lead late in the second period, Smith and Bastian scored back-to-back goals to give the Devils a comfortable lead. It was their second and fourth goals of the season respectively. Bastian also added the empty-netter to seal the deal.
Daws With Another Strong Effort
Despite a relentless attack from the Flyers, Nico Daws held his own in goal. He stopped 45 of 48 shots for a .938 SV%. He also posted 0.19 goals saved above expected (GSAx).
Daws has started the Devils’ last four games, accruing 4.58 GSAx in that time. In a season plagued by inconsistent goaltending, head coach Lindy Ruff can finally rely on someone to make timely saves. Will this factor into general manager Tom Fitzgerald’s decision to trade for a goaltender at the trade deadline?
Up Next
The Devils will head to D.C. to play the Washington Capitals on Tuesday at 7:00 pm ET.