All good things must come to an end and that includes a winning streak. The New Jersey Devils eight game winning streak came to a screeching halt against the Colorado Avalanche late Tuesday night. The Devils made it a game, but the damage was already done culminating in the 8-4 decision.
Game Recap
First Period
The first period was all Avalanche. The Devils didn’t play a bad period, but falling down 2-0 and early wasn’t the ideal start to the game. Martin Necas got the game started with the first goal and coming on the power play. With pristine puck movement inside the zone, they got Jacob Markström moving left to right. In doing so, Cale Makar fed Necas a pass and he one timed it past Markström for the first goal.
Just over two minutes later, Zakhar Bardakov skated in on a mini breakaway and ripped a shot past Markström to make it 2-0. For those that do not recall, Bardakov was moved from the Devils’ organization in the deal that saw them acquire Kurtis MacDermid. The period stayed at 2-0 the rest of the way, but New Jersey did put forth a strong effort despite the score.
At five-on-five play, the Devils controlled the period. They managed to out-attempt the Avalanche 24-13, and out-shoot Colorado 11-8. Scott Wedgewood became their demise, as he slammed the door shut on the Devils. The team generated 1.35 expected goals for at five-on-five despite being shutout.
Second Period
Much like the first period, the Avalanche kept rolling and they took over this game. 2:31 into the period, Victor Olofsson extended the lead to 3-0. The Devils found themselves into penalty trouble and had to kill a five-on-three. Needless to say, the Avalanche cashed in and this time it was Nathan MacKinnon. With stellar puck movement, Makar set up MacKinnon for a one timer that slid through the five hole of Markström. Just over a minute later, Parker Kelly took a pass from Ross Colton that led to a breakaway. With swift patience and display of a nifty move to make it 5-0 just like that.
It was the Devils’ turn to respond and light the lamp. They responded and scored two goals in a 1:40. Off a turnover, Stefan Noesen fired a shot that found its way past Scott Wedgewood. The second Devils’ goal came off a fluke bounce. A Dougie Hamilton shot created a rebound that he batted down with his hand then out of the air with his stick and into the net.
The comeback effort didn’t stop there, as the line of Nico Hischier, Dawson Mercer, and Timo Meier went to work. After seeing Simon Nemec win the battle along the boards, Meier tapped a pass to Mercer, who slid it over to Hischier and he sent it back to Mercer for the easy tap in goal. It was a perfect display of chemistry. Then, just 30 seconds later, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt went to work. Entering the zone with great speed, Hughes slid a pass through his legs to Bratt. Bratt then fed him back a pass and Hughes snapped it home to cut the deficit to one.
Unfortunately, all the momentum the Devils built got torn down thanks to a Timo Meier penalty. For the third time this game on the power play, the Avalanche cashed in thanks to a MacKinnon slap shot to make it 6-4.
Third Period
The Avalanche scored the touchdown and instead of a field goal they went for the two extra points. Olofsson scored once again on the power play in the opening minutes of the third period. Despite a Devils push, he tacked on another to cap off a five point night for himself. When the horn sounded, the Devils lost 8-4.
Wrap Up
The Devils win streak comes to an end at the hands of the Avalanche. The Avalanche jumped out to a dominant lead, only to see the Devils claw back and make it a game. Nine different Devils had a point, and Jack Hughes had himself yet another multi-point game this season. But special teams became a factor and the Avalanche pounced all over it.
Game Notes
- Not the sharpest game from Jacob Markströmin his return from injury. He finished the game with a .810 save percentage and a -4.05 goals saved above expected.
- Penalties doomed the Devils from the start. A Devils penalty kill that’s ranked first in the league with a 93.5% success rate coming into the game got dominated. The Avalanche went 4-for-6 with the man advantage and played a massive role in the victory.
What’s Next?
The Devils road trip heads to California as they take on the San Jose Sharks Thursday night at 10:00 pm ET.