The New Jersey Devils (39-15-5) defeated the Philadelphia Flyers (23-28-10) 7-0 at the Prudential Center last night. It was complete domination for New Jersey, who celebrated the 20th anniversary of the 2003 Stanley Cup with a touching ceremony before the game.
After a shaky first period, the Flyers never stood a chance against the machine that is the New Jersey Devils.
First Period
The Devils got off to a hot start, putting great pressure in the offensive zone. They notched the first three shots of the game and were buzzing for a goal.
Philadelphia survived the early onslaught, however, and quickly turned the tide. They put on some offensive pressure of their own, but couldn’t put anything past Akira Schmid. The period ended as it started, tied at zero.
Despite the Flyers’ pressure in the second half of the period, the teams played a relatively even frame with a Corsi-for percentage (CF%) of 50.00 and a 55.58 expected goal-for percentage (xG%) in favor of the Flyers.
Second Period
Jonas Siegenthaler finally drew first blood with a rare goal early in the second period. He shot it all the way from the blue line with no deflections, it was his third goal of the season.
Jack Hughes got involved a few minutes later with his 36th goal of the season. A breakaway off a stretch pass from none other than Jonas Siegenthaler, his second point of the night. Later, Michael McLeod and Nick Seeler broke out into a sudden and spirited fight that ended in a tie.
Up 2-0, the Devils were more than happy with the period they had, but Dawson Mercer wasn’t. With a minute to play, he scorched a beautiful net-front feed from Nico Hischier past Samuel Ersson to make it 3-0. It was Mercer’s eighth goal in the past six games.
Third Period
In the second period, the Devils dominated the Flyers. In the third, they humiliated them. A few minutes in, Nico Hischier motored into the right circle and sniped one past a fooled Ersson to make it 4-0.
A minute later, Dougie Hamilton contributed a goal off a wrist shot from the blue line.
A few minutes after that, Jack Hughes made a great move in the offensive zone, spinning the puck around and converted a no-look pass it to Jesper Bratt as he fell. Bratt didn’t miss the chance to capitalize and make it 6-0.
Finally, Nathan Bastian scored by deflecting a shot from Kevin Bahl to make it 7-0. It was Bastian’s first night back after a four-game absence.
Dejected and embarrassed, the Flyers didn’t score a goal, securing goaltender Akira Schmid’s first career shutout.
Results
It was a perfect night all around. From the ceremony, to the goals, to the shutout, it was a complete 60-minute effort. The Devils can rest easy knowing they put up a statement win, even if it was against the bottom-feeding Flyers.
The Devils now hold a 39-15-5 record and sit in second in the Metropolitan Division, three points behind Carolina. The Flyers, on the other hand, are 23-28-10 and sit in seventh place in the Metro.
Game Notes
Mercer Keeps On Chuggin’
With his goal late in the second period, Dawson Mercer now has eight goals in his last six games. The young forward has been electric over the past couple of weeks, driving the team’s offense at crucial moments. He now has 19 goals on the season and it doesn’t seem like he’s stopping any time soon.
Schmid Gets the Shutout
With all the goals the Devils scored, we can’t forget about Akira Schmid, who put up his first career shutout last night. A special feat for a young goalie. He faced 23 shots, stopping every one of them.
He filled the hole left by Mackenzie Blackwood, who is still injured after sustaining a lower-body injury in last Tuesday’s practice. Schmid had previously served as Vitek Vanecek’s backup when Blackwood was injured in November. Last night was his first start since January 5.
Other Notes
- Jonas Siegenthaler notched three points on the night, an unheard-of feat for the stout defensive-defenseman.
- Nico Hischier had a great night, securing a star of the game with a goal and an assist. He now has 25 goals and 55 points in 58 games played on the season.
Up Next
The Devils will head out West to play the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday at 9:00 PM ET.