The Devils 2016-17 season is winding down in Jersey, but there has been no quit in a resilient roster who showed their grit, defeating the rival Rangers 3-2 in OT on Tuesday. New Jersey is building for the future by giving the young guys from Albany a chance to excel at the NHL-level. Last night, the kids delivered. Although Pavel Zacha extended his consecutive points-streak to five games, and Miles Wood and Blake Coleman dropped the gloves for two electric bouts, the night belonged to Joseph Blandisi and John Quenneville.
Tweet from @NJDevils: .@_themagicbullet on chemistry with @jaquinder88: "It's a dream to play with one of your best friends. We want to be a dynamic duo." pic.twitter.com/pzYnHNQJPU
The close friendship between Blandisi and Quenneville is no secret to the Devils locker room. The duos chemistry on-ice is a direct reflection of their relationship off, making Tuesday's victory a storybook ending for the young forwards. Appearing in his sixth game with the Devils, Quenneville lit the lamp for his first career NHL goal during the first period. Blandisi, who had the primary assist on the play, couldn't hide his excitement for his best friend after the game. "It was a long time coming for him. He sleeps and breathes hockey. Just to be called up and do it together, it was almost like fate. For me to give the pass to him for his first goal, it couldn't have been scripted any better."

The close friendship between Blandisi and Quenneville is no secret to the Devils locker room. The duos chemistry on-ice is a direct reflection of their relationship off, making Tuesday's victory a storybook ending for the young forwards. Appearing in his sixth game with the Devils, Quenneville lit the lamp for his first career NHL goal during the first period. Blandisi, who had the primary assist on the play, couldn't hide his excitement for his best friend after the game. "It was a long time coming for him. He sleeps and breathes hockey. Just to be called up and do it together, it was almost like fate. For me to give the pass to him for his first goal, it couldn't have been scripted any better."

blandisi-quennevillehug

The night wasn't over for the pair. Quenneville returned the favor for Blandisi in OT, providing the primary assist on the game-winning goal. "We we're talking about it all season in Albany and we want to be a duo out there. I think tonight we showed what we can do together and the chemistry we had." Look for Blandisi, Quenneville and the rest of the Devils to build on this strong performance as they prepare for Thursday's matchup with the Maple Leafs.
Tweet from @NJDevils: Quenneville on close friendship with @_themagicbullet: "We're best buddies. It was amazing to be out there together in overtime." #NYRvsNJD