RECAP

After falling behind 4-1, Cory Schneider came off the bench in relief of Keith Kinkaid and made 15 saves en route to an overtime victory. Although the season may be lost, seeing the joy the entire team had with Schneider getting his first win since 2017 was priceless. Here are some takeaways from last night’s game.

Kinkaid’s Struggles Continue

Schneider was only able to get the victory because he was forced to replace a sloppy Kinkaid. The team was quickly placed into a 2-0 deficit, and after scoring a goal to try and turn momentum, the Wild were able to get the two-goal lead right back. They would expand that lead to 4-1 after a seemingly harmless slap shot beat Keith glove side, forcing Hynes to immediately pull the plug on him. Kinkaid saved 13 of 17 shots, good enough for a .765 save percentage. He has given up 12 goals now in his last two starts.

Schneider in the Win Column

Schneider may have thought he was coming in to just limit the damage, but he skated off the ice with a huge comeback victory. He saved all 15 shots he faced, including some high-quality chances late in the third as well as in overtime. A giant weight has now been lifted not only off Schneider but the entire team. It’ll be interesting to see how he looks now that the win is out of the way.

Young Kids Continue to Shine

Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier led the team to this comeback victory and were noticeable every time they stepped on the ice. They both logged over 20 minutes, combined for four points, and a plus-five rating. Hischier capped off the comeback by scoring the overtime winner, something he has started to become very comfortable with in his young career. It’s great seeing the young players continue to develop, and with Hall missing time, Hischier has really stepped his game up. Here’s a replay of the game-winning goal, along with the great call from Steve Cangialosi and Ken Daneyko. It’s safe to say they were excited for Cory.

Final Stats

Shots: Devils – 28 Wild 32

Faceoff Percentage: Devils 55 Wild 45

Powerplay: Devils 1/4 Wild 1/2

Score: Devils 5 Wild 4