Wednesday, the Devils won their sixth consecutive game, 4-1 over the Minnesota Wild. Arseny Gritsyuk scored his first NHL goal and the Devils continue to roll. The win propels New Jersey to 6-1-0 on the season.
Recap
Period One
The Devils started off on the front foot which got them an early power play. Both units had their share of chances including a tip by Nico Hischier, but it was ultimately unsuccessful. Minnesota had a short push, but the Devils scored first.
Connor Brown made an excellent pass to Paul Cotter who scored his first goal of the season on a puck that squeaked through FIlip Gustavsson. That lead would hold to the intermission, the Devils led 1-0.
Period Two
New Jersey pushed hard once again to start the second period and it resulted in a goal. Brendan Dillon, who hadn’t collected a tally since last December, scored for the second straight day.
The Wild had their share of chances in the middle of the period, including a power play where Nico Daws made an outstanding save on Ryan Hartman. The Devils were in control as the second period came to an end. They led 2-0 after two.
Period Three
The Devils didn’t stop in the third period, they controlled play through the first chunk of the frame which led to yet another power play. This time the Devils capitalized, and at long last it was Arseny Gritsyuk who tallied his first NHL goal seconds into the man advantage. New Jersey would allow a response a few minutes later on a bullet of a shot by Matthew Boldy.
With about six minutes left in the game, Marco Rossi high-sticked Timo Meier but nothing was called. Two minutes later Luke Hughes was called for interference after Danila Yurov ran into his back. Head coach Sheldon Keefe had a few words for the ref, but the Devils excellent kill held strong.
With the net empty Jesper Bratt sealed the deal with a shot from his own end. The Devils won 4-1 and their sixth straight game.
Game Notes
On Top of it All
The Devils are first in the Metropolitan Division. The Devils are first in the Eastern Conference. The Devils are first in the National Hockey League. While the Colorado Avalanche (who the Devils will play Sunday) and the Vegas Golden Knights also have 12 points, no other team in the NHL has six wins. It’s been an incredibly impressive start to the season for New Jersey who are trying to establish themselves as Stanley Cup contenders in the NHL.
Gritsyuk In The Goal
Arseny Gritsyuk has been a great addition through seven games, scoring his first NHL goal Wednesday night . It’s not just the points though. Gritsyuk has been great defensively through nearly 81 five-on-five minutes, leading all forwards with at least 10 minutes of ice time in Corsi-against per 60 minutes (CA/60).
Everyone knew that the Russian forward had skill and offensive ability, but almost no one expected him to be able to jump into the lineup right away and contribute the way he has.
What’s Next
The Devils next game is at home Friday against the San Jose Sharks at 7:00 pm ET.