Coming off of two brutal losses, the New Jersey Devils put together a solid performance and beat the Bruins 1-0. It may not have been the most entertaining game, but was a much-needed win with some improved team structure shown on the ice. The game seemed to be destined for overtime, but with just under five minutes left in the third, PK Subban tossed a puck into the crease from just below the goal line that bounced out into the slot where Zacha was ready to chop it home. The goal ended up being credited to Kyle Palmieri, who was down in front, assuming the puck may have redirected off of him before hitting the back of the net. There’s still work to be done, but it was a good step in the right direction against a tough Boston team. In what has been a wild season, New Jersey is 3-0-1 against Boston yet 5-11-1 against all other teams.
McLeod had another nice game in his return to the lineup and really should become a consistent starter moving forward. He has quickly become one of the teams best when it comes to faceoffs, an area where the team really has struggled mightily.
Miles Wood also played really well and was probably one of the most noticeable players on the ice. He led the team in Corsi and was tied with Subban at four shots for the game.
The brightest story of the game was Scott Wedgewood. In what turned out to be a 40-save shutout, Wedgewood looked dialed in right from the start. He was very relaxed in his crease and bailed the team out when needed. Boston clearly was more and more frustrated as the game progressed, and there were numerous occasions where a Bruin would throw their head back in anger at not burying a goal.
The Devils will look to build on this performance when they take on Washington Tuesday night.