Recap

The Devils returned to The Rock after a four game road trip and came out with a 5-4 shootout win against the Maple Leafs in what was a wild affair. The win ended the Devils losing streak at three and was their second victory since Taylor Hall went down with a torn meniscus.

Despite the win, it wasn’t all pretty for the Devils. New Jersey fell flat on their faces in the first period and trailed 3-0 after 20 minutes, thanks to Auston Matthews who had two goals and an assist in the opening frame.

However, it didn’t take long for the Devils to get things going again. Travis Zajac scored just 32 seconds into the second period to get the Devils on the board and it didn’t take long for the flood gates to open after that. Beau Bennett scored his first of the season and snapped an 0/29 stretch on the power play, while Mike Cammalleri scored his first after returning from a six game absence. All of this happened within the first five minutes of the second period and they weren’t finished yet.

Matt Martin scored a rare goal to give the Leafs a 4-3 lead heading into the second intermission. The Devils clawed back and eventually tied the game on a Yohann Auvitu goal almost midway through the third period. Both teams would settle for a point, but it was New Jersey that managed to grab the second one in a shootout thanks to Jacob Josefson, who scored the lone goal of the shootout, and Cory Schneider, who stopped all three Leafs attempts he faced.

Game Notes

• Mike Cammalleri was dominant in his return. He had a goal and three assists, nine shots on goal, and was at 61% possession for the night. The Devils needed his offense badly with Kyle Palmieri and Taylor Hall out of the lineup and they got it in a big way last night.

• Cammalleri’s linemate, Travis Zajac, was just as dominant on the night. Zajac had 1 goal and 2 assists and was at 62.5% possession. He also logged 22:00 minutes of ice time. Zajac has gotten off to a good start this year and will need to continue to be the catalyst on offense until Hall and Palmieri return from their injuries.

• After a brief absence, Yohann Auvitu made his return to the lineup and immediately made his impact felt. He’s one of the Devils best drivers of possession on the blue line and last night was no different. He was at 63% possession and he scored the game-tying goal for New Jersey. It was a welcomed return for a group of defensemen that was in need of a bit of stability.

• Nick Lappin continues to excel at the NHL level. He didn’t get on the scoresheet (Auvitu’s goal was originally credited to him), but he did find himself skating on the top line with Mike Cammalleri and Travis Zajac in the final third of the game. If he keeps it up, he could find himself there regularly until the Devils return to full-strength.