ALL YOUR POST-GAME INFO
GAME DAY
Box Score
Advanced Stats
In-Game Highlights
Photo Gallery
POST-GAME VIDEO
Full Highlights
Catherine Bogart wraps up the game with the Post-Game Report
Post-Game Player Interview with Graves
Devils Head Coach Lindy Ruff
WHAT'S NEXT
The Devils play the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night. The game can be seen on MSG+ and heard on the Devils Hockey Network. Puck drop is 8:08 p.m. ET.
Jonas Siegenthaler took the first penalty of the game several minutes in, for high-sticking. Devils were able to kill it off but shortly after, Kevin Fiala rang a backhand shot off the crossbar on a rush.
Several minutes later, Krill Kaprizov broke in, also on the rush blowing by Ryan Graves and quickly switched from his backhand to his forehand before roofing the puck in-close on Devils starting goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood.
"Everyone could look in the mirror tonight. Personally, I could do that," said Graves. "I can think of a few plays tonight that weren't good enough. We need to compete a little bit more."
Coach Lindy Ruff agreed.
"Getting flat-out beat one-on-one. That's your responsibility to make that play. You look at that first goal, the way they went by us. Another goal, same thing," he said, adding that the defense had a tough night. "Our defense is better than that. Our defense had as tough a night as I've seen them."
Minnesota doubled its lead two-and-a-half minutes after the opening goal. Rem Pitlick cut in front of the crease and waited out Blackwood before roofing it under the crossbar.
"Give them credit. They're a good team. They're quick, they're fast. We didn't handle their speed very well and the result looked like it did," said Ruff.
The first Devils power play of the game came with 3:48 to go in the first. Nico Sturm received two minutes for holding. The Devils generated some great chances but could not convert.
"Our first power play, I thought we had an empty net. That power play looked good. Unbelievable play by the goaltender," Ruff remarked.
After one, shots on goal were 13-10 for the Wild.
The Devils came out strong to start the second period, with three straight shots on Wild goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen but the Wild came back down the ice to score and make it a three-goal game. Kaprizov's shot ricocheted in past Blackwood for his second of the game.
The Devils bounced right back to draw back within a pair, however. Ryan Graves teed up a blast from the left point past Kahkonen for the goal only 24 seconds after Minnesota's goal.
New Jersey continued to push the play and it resulted in another goal. With 12:20 to go in the second, Tomas Tatar fired a long-range wrist shot in to make it a 3-2 game.
Past the period's midway point, the Wild struck to go back up by a pair. Dmitri Kulikov was perched at the side of the net and tipped in a rebound for the 4-2 goal.
"We had a little bit of life and then we gave up the next one," noted Graves. "We just need to do a better job of managing the game."
Shots in period two were an identical 13-10 for Minnesota; 26-20 in the game overall for the Wild.
Six minutes into the third, Andreas Johnsson and Ryan Hartman squared off to fight. Johnsson took off his helmet right before the bout which stopped it abruptly, that being a penalty in the NHL now. Because no punches were thrown, each combatant received two for roughing with the end result being a Wild power play.
With 3:52 to go in the third, Hartman whistled a shot past Blackwood to make it 5-2 for the home team.
Final shot tally was 38-31 for the Wild as the Devils look ahead to Friday in Winnipeg for the completion of back-to-back games on this road trip.
"It's always nice when you have a game really quickly after a poor game. You can wash it under the rug. Tomorrow's a new game and it's important for us."
"There's times in the year where wins are necessary," Graves said. "Once you get out of reach, it's hard to get back into it. These are big games for us and we need to make sure we get points."
