NEWARK, N.J. - In front of a home crowd at Prudential Center, the Devils got into the win column for the first time this preseason with a 3-0 victory over their rivals, the New York Rangers. Brian Halonen, Nathan Légaré, and Kevin Labanc each scored a goal in the win.
"I thought (our team effort) was all there, but we had some pretty good goaltending on top of it to say the least," head coach Kevin Dineen said post game about the win. "I think there were some nerves before we got started. (The Rangers) came hard very early, but I thought we had those pushbacks. Their defense was pinching so hard and we scored two goals that looked very, very similar. I think that kind of backed them off a little bit. Then we just felt we just found our groove and we started rolling. It really felt good throughout the game."
Speaking of great goaltending, Jeremy Brodeur, son of Devils Hall of Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur, stopped 29 of of the 30 shots he faced.
"I feel like a lot of my hockey is based around having fun," Brodeur explained postgame. "I had fun since the moment I stepped on the ice for warmups. I feel like it just made it seamless throughout."
Dineen shared postgame the plan was for Brodeur to only play two periods, but after his play especially late in the second, they decided to keep him out for all three periods. Brodeur's strong play started early as he faced five shots in the opening five minutes of the game, including a breakaway by Adam Sykora* which he stopped (*no relation to Petr Sykora).
The Devils got on the board seven minutes in. Brian Halonen, on a breakaway, scored against Jonathan Quick. Credit due to Max Willman whose stretch pass from the Devils own zone helped set up Halonen in stride. Ten minutes later, the Devils second goal looked similar to the first. Nathan Légaré went in on a breakaway and beat Quick to score, increasing New Jersey’s lead to two. Like the first goal, a stretch pass helped set up the tally, this time Samuel Laberge finding his linemate.
"It was a good goalie on the other side," Légaré shared about beating Jonathan Quick on a breakaway. "I just saw the goalie, I just got to keep doing my work and good things are going to happen."
Something that linked the goals even more? The fact that the stretch pass happened from the same stick, even though the primary assists were earned by two different players.
"Willman had broken his stick that shift, grabbed one of Laberge's sticks, so he actually made that pass with Laberge's stick," Dineen explained. "So we're giving (Laberge) kind of a point and a half on that play."
Another strong chance for the Devils happened seven minutes into the middle frame. Filip Engaras intercepted the puck and kept it in the zone. Xavier Parent gained possession and saw Chase Stillman all alone net front. Parent quickly passed it over to Stillman who tried to redirect it, but Quick stopped the chance.
As the game continued on, tensions rose and the first scrum of the game broke out late in the middle frame. The Devils and Rangers played four a side after Parent and Casey Fitzgerald were sent off for roughing. As time expired in the second period, Halonen and Adam Erne dropped the gloves. The fight made Halonen an assist away from a Gordie Howe hat trick.
"Physicality is something that I feel I can bring," Halonen shared about his physicality tonight. "I think that's something that the Devils are looking for in me."
Two minutes into the third period, the Devils increased their lead with a power play goal from Kevin Labanc. Off the faceoff, Labanc passed to Hardman, who passed it back seconds later and Labanc's shot ripped past Quick. Labanc, one of the three Devils players tonight at training camp on a PTO, was a big part of New Jersey's top power play unit tonight.
"I put him out there in a lot of key situations," Dineen said about Labanc post game. "He had a lot of composure. He had a chance earlier in the game and then he ended up almost scoring almost the same play so we were excited about the way he played."
With 1:42 left in the third period, and with the extra attacker, the Rangers got on the board with a goal from Anton Blidh. New York kept their net empty until time ran out, but New Jersey held on to secure the win, their first of the preseason. The win was also the Rangers first loss this preseason as New York entered the night with a 3-0 record.
Although it was a preseason game, Devils players felt the rivalry atmosphere throughout the contest.
"You hear the fans get into it and in the national anthem and you certainly know it's a rivalry game," Halonen shared.
