Overview

After struggling for most of the last two months, Cory Schneider stopped 55 of 56 shots he faced against Boston and Carolina to the lead the Devils to back-to-back wins for the first time since December 3rd and 6th. The Devils have also held their opponents to 30 shots on goal or less in four of their last five games, so progress is being made.

Despite the win, Andy Greene had to leave last night’s game after a puck was redirected and hit him under his right eye. John Hynes said after the game it isn’t an eye injury, but didn’t elaborate on specifics. It’s undetermined how much time, if any, Greene will miss.

Notes 

• After being given almost a week off between starts, Cory Schneider seemed to have returned to form over the last two games. He recorded a shutout against the Bruins and stopped 29/30 against the Hurricanes, where he was the clear first-star of the game. It may not mean a lot to the Devils playoff hopes, but if Schneider is playing at this level the rest of the way, he should be able to keep the Devils in games like he has in the past.

• For a second straight game, Pavel Zacha found himself with Taylor Hall and P.A. Parenteau and for a second straight game, that line led Devils forwards in possession. They didn’t create as many chances last night as they did against Boston, but they were still effective and drove play the best from any of the other Devils forward lines. If they keep it up, look for this trio to stay together for the foreseeable future.

• With Travis Zajac returning to the lineup and with Pavel Zacha on the first line, Zajac found himself with Sergey Kalinin and Nick Lappin against Carolina and the results weren’t pretty. The three forwards were a combined +8/-30 in shot attempts at even-strength. The Devils have some pieces they can use in the bottom six, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Hynes gives Zajac some different wingers on Friday, namely Beau Bennett and Miles Wood.

• It was another solid night for Steven Santini. He was +12/-10 in shot attempts at even-strength and logged just under 15 minutes of total ice time. He even made a brief appearance on the penalty kill after Andy Greene left with an injury. The Devils have gotten exactly what they’ve asked for from Santini these last two games. If he keeps providing them with a solid defensive presence, he’ll have no trouble sticking around.