“I know late in the game things happen and people start drifting away sometimes. I was trying to get lost," said Bratt. "Vancouver had two of those where someone sifts pucks to the net and someone on the backside is ready to tap it in. I’m just happy to contribute to the team tonight.”
Overall, Bratt was happy with how his line played with the exception of one goal against.
“Our line played the right way," he said. "We didn’t give up too many chances, we stuck to the structure and it showed up on the scoresheet.”
Devils head coach Lindy Ruff agreed with Bratt's assessment.
“I thought that line was good. His speed getting through the neutral zone was real evident. Took advantage of some of those situations.”
Ruff added that he thought the team did play well aside from the odd breakdown.
“We did a lot of things well. We made a couple of mistakes that hurt us but we stayed with it. We got a puck to the goaltender late and got the bounce. You look at some of their goals and they got the same bounce,” he noted. “I’m pretty sure that both coaches aren’t really excited about giving up leads or fighting back but the two points is big for us.”
Jesper was proud of his team's adversity in this one.
“It shows how strong we are as a group. We still believe in ourselves. We went through some adversity with them getting some goals and energy but we dug down deep in our group and knew it was possible to make a difference and come away with two points.”
Bratt also had the first solid scoring chance of the game, swooping in behind the Canucks defense and firing a wrist shot that was stopped by Thatcher Demko. Play continued and Bratt found the puck on his stick again moments later on the rush and this time he made no mistake, wristing it by the Canucks netminder four minutes into the contest.
The game’s first penalty went to Colin Miller, for upending Dakota Joshua at the Devils blueline. Vancouver wasted no time scoring. J.T. Miller netted his 14th of the season at the doorstep for the power play marker.
Just over a minute later, the Devils got that goal back. It started with a stretch pass by Miller to Jack Hughes who took the puck into the corner. he then spotted Erik Haula in front all alone. Haula took a beat with the puck at the top of the crease before scoring.
With eight minutes left in the first, Zadorov got clipped by a high stick by Haula to put the Canucks back on the power play. Vancouver had a number of five-star chances on the man advantage but the Devils were able to get enough bodies and skates in front of the puck to maintain the lead.
Right off the face-off with under three minutes to play in the opening frame, Jack Hughes struck with a neat backhand in front, picking up a Kevin Bahl pass in his skates and quickly transferring to his stick.
The Devils weren’t done yet as Mike McLeod picked up a shot that went through a bunch of skates and tapped it in past Demko on the doorstep of the crease.
Vancouver got a lifeline with 19.3 seconds to go in the first. Dakota Joshua picked up a rebound in front and put it past the outstretched pad of Vitek Vanecek to make it a 4-2 game.
After one, shots on goal were 13-9 for the Canucks.
Canucks took a penalty for too many men with just over seven minutes to go in the middle frame to give the Devils their first power play of the game. Devils had some chances on the man advantage but could not convert. Then with four minutes to play, John Marino was whistled down for interference.
Devils killed off the penalty and coming out of the box, Marino was sprung for a breakaway but he was denied by Demko.
With a minute to play in the second, Luke Hughes was tripped up at the Canucks blueline by Joshua to put the Devils back on the power play. This time, they made Vancouver pay. It was Luke himself who ripped a quick wrister from the top of the left circle glove side for the 5-2 lead.
Shots after two were even at 19-19.
Seven minutes into the third, Brock Boeser took a feed in the slot and roofed it past Vanecek to draw the Canucks within a pair and Vancouver made it 5-4 when Quinn Hughes wristed a shot from the point that was tipped on its way to the net by Sam Lafferty.
Vancouver tied it with 3:26 to go. A rebound kicked out to Nils Hoglander and he put the puck into the open side.
