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WHAT'S NEXT
The Devils begin a three-game homestand when they host the Dallas Stars tomorrow night.
Here's a breakdown of the game:
- Last time out at Madison Square Garden it was the Rangers who put the Devils on their heels early in the game when they took a 2-0 lead in the first 3:01 of the game. Tonight the Devils flipped the script with two early goals of their own, taking a 2-0 lead in the first 4:46 of the game. Jonas Siegenthaler originally was thought to have had the opening goal at 3:05 of the first, which was later changed to Hischier's, having gone in off his jersey. That goal was followed by Dawson Mercer's at 4:46.
The goals are the two fastest to open a game for New Jersey since New Year's Eve, last year when Hughes and Hischier had two goals in the opening 3:05 against Edmonton. (Per: Nick Cahill, MSG Statistician)
- Vanecek didn't face his first shot of the game until more than halfway through the first period. By that time, the Devils had already built their 2-0 lead with six shots on Igor Shesterkin.
- It's usually the Devils who have the second-period push but tonight the Rangers had the majority of the momentum in the first half of the second. The Rangers kept building their momentum, off of a disarrayed Devils power play and their own power play opportunity, but the score remained 2-1 for New Jersey.
It was Jack Hughes who finally broke through in the second period to give the Devils a 3-1 lead. It was a lead the Devils needed because the Rangers came back before the second was over it was a tie game.
Hughes continues to add to his season total which now sits at 34 points in 29 games (15 goals, 19 assists). To put into context how he has taken his game to the next level, dating back to the start of last season he has played in 77 games scoring 41 goals and 49 assists to total 90 points over a 77-game span.
- Hughes' goal extended his point streak to eight straight games. The 21-year-old has really hit his stride in the last 15 games for New Jersey, exploding with 22 points over the stretch.
His previous career-high point streak was six games.
- Braden Schneider hauled down Hughes after the midway point of the second period, trying to stop Hughes on a breakaway, he threw his stick in an attempt to stop Hughes, which qualifies for an automatic penalty shot.
Perhaps one too many moves for Hughes on the penalty shot, who lost the puck on his final move, not able to get a clear shot off Shesterkin. Hughes was going for his second goal of the night, after giving the Devils a 3-1 lead at 11:05, clamoring down on the Rangers momentum early in the second.
The Devils last penalty shot was on Oct. 30, 2021, at Pittsburgh, when Jesper Bratt converted, scoring against Tristan Jarry.
- But it's a rivalry for a reason and tensions run high, and so does the desire to beat the other. The Rangers, took back all their momentum at the end of the second period, scoring two goals in seven seconds to tie the game at three, setting up a third period showdown.
- It was a difficult night for the Devils fourth line made up of Yegor Sharangovich, Jesper Boqvist and Alexander Holtz. They were on the ice for the first Rangers goal, while just this morning Lindy Ruff talked about the necessity for that line, in particular, to pay attention to their puck management and defensive game. What followed was a second period where all three players were held off the ice at 5-on-5, while Sharangovich saw penalty kill time and Holtz took one shift on the second wave of the power play.
"Don't get scored on," Lindy Ruff said after the game of what he needs from the trio. "We went through that, exactly. One of our forwards didn't get above, our defense kind of half gambled but didn't really gamble, it probably was the only play we gave up an opportunity in the first period."
Boqvist played just 3:31 including single shifts in the second and third, Sharangovich totaled 5:44 while Holtz played 4:14.
- Major props to Fabian Zetterlund who had a massive shot block on Jacob Trouba in the first period. That can't be an easy moment to digest, laying down in front of a shot that booming.
