BOSTON, MA - New Jersey weathered the Bruins storm in the opening 20 minutes on Monday afternoon but couldn't contain the Bruins the entire way.
Boston managed 17 shots in the first period and had 30-shot attempts to open the game. With the services of Nico Daws in net for a second straight game, the 23-year-old goaltender held strong surrendering only one goal, which would be called back for an off-side play.
Daws did all he could to give his team a chance to find their scoring touch but it unfortunately never arrived. The Devils were shut out 3-0 in Boston.
While the Bruins made life difficult on Daws, forcing him to make several saves, inundated with bodies around the net, Devils captain Nico Hischier said they didn't quite do enough of the same on their end.
"It was a good game but I think we need to get a little more dirtier in front of their net and try to take his eyes away and that’s the way you score goals," he mentioned post-game, "(Jeremy Swayman) played well, but we had some chances to put one in the back of the net, but in this league, it’s hard to score, so you’ve got to get there, you’ve got to take his eyes away. I think we can be a little harder there.”
Just 30 seconds into the second period Charlie Coyle sent a backhand through Daws’ five-hole, uncontested to open the game’s scoring and David Pastrnak added a third period goal to complete the Bruins' afternoon.
"I'm not mad about my game, I think I can save those two shots looking back on (them)," Daws evaluated, "but you're not going to get them every night. I just misplayed them a little bit and in this league when you make a little mistake, it's going to end up in the back of your net."
Trent Frederic scored into the empty net with 1:20 left to close out the game.
Daws was the Devils strongest performer, coming up with timely saves, often through a cluster of bodies in his crease, facing a total of 35 shots and making 33 saves.
“I thought he gave us a real strong effort,” coach Lindy Ruff said, “First period, when they were on top of us, he made several great saves. That’s what we need. We’re a little undermanned and we need saves at times and he gave it to us.”
The undermanned Devils, who lost defenseman Brendan Smith to injury early in the game, finish their road trip with a 1-1-1 record after their loss in Boston.
“I think with the number of peronnel we’ve had out, we played well enough to win the game in Tampa, played well enough to win in Florida and we gave ourselves a chance (in Boston)," Ruff said, evaluating the road trip. "The goalie gave us a chance early on, I thought our second period was strong, we just didn’t find a way to put the puck in the net.”
