Devils Take First Game of Home-and-Home vs. Rangers | GAME STORY

It's not how you start, it's how you finish. And thankfully so for the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.
After conceding the first goal of the game to the Rangers, a shorthanded marker by Chris Kreider, New Jersey stuck with their gameplan and put in the work to topple the Rangers 5-2 at Madison Square Garden and improve to 3-0 this preseason.
Down a man early in the game after Tyce Thompson left with an injury, the undermanned Devils received goals by Miles Wood, Dougie Hamilton , Nathan Bastian, Tomas Tatar and Erik Haula with the empty-netter to secure the win, while Vitek Vanecek, who was originally scheduled to have the night off, backstopped the team in the road victory.

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Wood
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WHAT'S NEXT
The Devils continue their preseason on Friday with a game against the Rangers at Prudential Center. The game can be seen on MSGSN and heard on the Devils Hockey Network, including right here at NewJerseyDevils.com. Puck drop is 7:08 p.m. ET.
Here are a few observations from the game:
- You have to feel great for Miles Wood. Although it was just preseason play, his goal against the Rangers was the first one he's scored since April 27, 2021, after missing all but three games last season. The goal was also a typical Miles Wood goal sprung into action off a long pass from Dougie Hamilton who caught Wood at the boards. Miles used his speed to get by the Rangers Andy Welinski, make space for himself and wristed it by Igor Shesterkin, short-side.

"You know, I haven't scored in a while," Wood said post-game with a smile. "I haven't played in a while, so I feel really good right now. My hip feels great and it was a great team win for us."

• Just 41 seconds later, Hamilton would turn the first period on it's head. There was an audible gasp from the Madison Square Garden fans when from a board battle Graeme Clarke found Hamilton all alone at the circle, Hamilton got off a quick shot, Shesterkin given no time to react and the Devils took a a 2-1 lead on the play.

Hamilton is returning to form from prior to his injury last season. After the Devils game against the Islanders earlier this week, Lindy Ruff expressed he was beginning to see the glimpses of the Dougie Hamilton that started the 2021-22 season, and it appears as though in this preseason he is returning to full form. Hamilton ends the night with three points (1g, 2a).

• Good for Graeme Clarke who is trying to make an impact. He has two points in his two preseason games (1g, 1a).

• Fabian Zetterlund is a player to keep your eyes on as he made an impact in his brief stint with the NHL club and is looking to make a push for an opening night roster spot. Tonight against the Rangers, he got looks on the top line with Tomas Tatar and Erik Haula. The 23-year-old got reps on both the power play and penalty kill as well, a moment to show his versatility. Versatility is a word that head coach Lindy Ruff has used when talking about players finding spots in the lineup, the more versatile a player is increases their chances to fill necessary holes in the lineup.

• Nathan Bastian finished with a two-point night (1g, 1a). Bastian said post-game that his scoring touch was something that he's been working on, trying to diversify his game.

"That's something that I've tried to get better at, holding onto the puck and taking it to the net," Bastian said post-game, "It worked out there, so it felt good."

• In Tyce Thompson's absence, Haula was called upon to absorb additional minutes at center. After two periods, Haula had already played 17:43, well above any other player in both lineups. Thompson left with an injury and did not return, an update has yet to be provided on his status. Haula's big night was topped off with the empty net goal, New Jersey's fifth of the game. Haula finished the game having played 24:15, had six shots on net and went 17-for-22 on faceoffs.

• Fantastic showing by Vitek Vanecek who originally wasn't supposed to play tonight. Vanecek was called into duty after the morning skate when Mackenzie Blackwood began feeling ill. Vanecek let up the first goal of the game, a shorthanded marker by Kreider, but didn't let that deter him. Vanecek is the first goaltender for the Devils this preseason to play a full 60 minutes.

Both goals conceded were shorthanded goals, which Lindy Ruff called 'an area of concern', while Wood was quick to jump to Vanecek's defense calling both shorthanded goals the fault of the forwards on the ice.

"All of the goals that they scored, were the forwards fault," Wood said when asked about Vanecek's night. "They were (penalty kill) goals for them. You can't blame V on those goals, its our fault. Overall I thought, he's a steady player and a great guy to have in the room. He's going ot be a big part of this team."

- It wasn't all positives against the Rangers, as noted with both goals given up were on the Devils power play. Lindy Ruff called it a concern.

"We mishandled the puck and we gave up an odd number rush," Ruff said, "It's an area we're going to clean up. There was a concern level last year, and there is a concern right now. You know, even the late one, it's an area that we need to improve. It's probably the one area of the game that tarnished feeling really good about the hockey game."