Devils Weather Avalanche in 7-5 Win | GAME STORY

DENVER, CO -- A wild game that saw the Devils skate out to a 5-1 lead only for the Avalanche to make it 5-4 ended with the visiting club from New Jersey coming away victorious by a score of 7-5. Seven different Devils found the scoresheet but Dawson Mercer led the way with a goal and three assists for four points and Tomas Tatar had a goal and two helpers for three points.

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The Devils continue their road trip on Friday against the Vegas Golden Knights. The game can be seen on MSGSN and heard on the Devils Hockey Network, including right here at NewJerseyDevils.com. Puck drop is 10:08 p.m. ET.
"I thought it was a heck of an effort and a heck of a game. I know we made some mistakes but there was way too much to like about the game," said Devils head coach Lindy Ruff. "You hate to let a team get back in it but when you have a MacKinnon and a Rantunen you know they're going to get opportunities."
The Devils got on the board early. 1:07 in, Ondrej Palat scooped up a nice pass off the end boards by Jesper Bratt and fired it by Avalanche goaltender Justus Annunen.
Annunen made a nice stop eight minutes into the game, kicking out his left leg to stop Michael McLeod on a quick redirect. Moments later, it looked like the Devils may have put the puck over the line. Nate Bastian took two jabs at the puck and it barely crossed the line. After a quick conference, the officials determined that the puck did go over the line. However, it was then challenged by Colorado for goaltender interference.
The goal was determined to be a good one. Colorado was assessed a two-minute penalty for unsuccessful challenge, giving the Devils the game's first power play.
Devils made it 3-0 with 8:33 to go in the opening frame. Dawson Mercer fed Nico Hischier who dished to Tomas Tatar for a wide-open one-timer. It was a fantastic start for the club against a team known for its own great starts.
"They're great offensively, we have to give them credit. We talked about having a good start," said Tatar. "We were talking about how in previous games they were scoring in the first three minutes."
Ruff said the team came into the game motivated.
"The team welcomed the opportunity to play the Stanley Cup Champions. We had a big night at home with the Flyers and the '03 team there which was a great opportunity for the guys to have a feel. And now you walk right into a game with the guys who won the Cup the year before."
With 13.7 seconds to go in the opening frame, Nathan MacKinnon teed up a shot from the left circle that beat Vitek Vanecek blocker side, making it a two-goal game.
Shots on goal after one were 11-10 for the Devils.

Just over three minutes into the second, New Jersey struck again to take a 4-1 lead. Dougie Hamilton swooped down to the hashmarks and wristed it past Annunen.
With the Devils on the power play, Miles Wood showed some great hustle to beat out an icing call. It paid off moments later as Wood scored with one second remaining in the man advantage to put the visitors in front 5-1.
The Avs got that goal back with 12:28 to go in the middle frame. Mikko Rantunen redirected a feed at the top of the crease. Less than two minutes later, Avs made it a two-goal differential as MacKinnon netted one on the rush through the five-hole of Vanecek. J.T. Compher then wired a shot by the shoulder of Vanecek just over 30 seconds after that. Three goals in 2:04 and suddenly it was a 5-4 game.
The Devils composed themselves after weathering the Avs' attack for several minutes. With three minutes to go in the second, Mercer continued his hot hand, tapping in a feed from Graves to put New Jersey in front by a pair.
"It was a great rush play, we had the chance and Tuna (Tatar) made a great play to Gravy (Graves) and he found me back door," stated Mercer. "I wasn't sure if it as coming earlier or later. I think it might have tipped off the goalie's stick a little bit to give me more time to get it."
As for the team almost letting their four-goal lead slip away, Mercer said that's something they'll learn from.
"I think it's a learning experience. We had a big lead and they got some quick ones but the main thing is that we stuck with it. We did a good job to close that one out."
After 40 minutes, shots on goal were 22-18 for the Devils.
Only 1:26 into the third, the Avalanche made it a one-goal game once again. The puck ricocheted off the skate of Artturi Lehkonen in front right to Valeri Nichushkin whose quick shot beat Vanecek five hole. After the goal, the Devils replaced Vanecek in goal with Akira Schmid. It was also challenged for offside but that challenge was unsuccessful, sending Colorado to the power play.
With 1:14 to play in the third, Tatar lofted the puck through the neutral zone sending Hischier on a breakaway. The Devils captain made no mistake, putting the puck into the open net.
"We knew it was going to be a challenge. We knew we were going to have to play well. We knew if we made mistakes, they were going to take advantage of it but I think we answered the call," Ruff exclaimed.
"Even when they scored the three I felt good about the way we were playing, I just didn't like a couple of the mistakes. Our attention to detail with the way we came out in the game and the way we were playing I thought we were still going to have a great chance to win."
Here are some observations from the game:
- Jack Hughes blocked a shot from MacKinnon midway through the third. He skated over to the bench in pain but did not miss a shift. - The Bastian goal was the correct call because the puck flipped up over the pad of Annunen. If Bastian had used his stick to push the puck and Annunen's pad over the goal line then it would have been ruled no goal. - Mercer's assist made it seven straight games that he's registered a point and his goal made it seven straight with a goal as well for the New Jersey Devils all-time record. He's now one short of the franchise record for goal streak which was Paul Gardner who scored in eight straight games in 1977-78.

"They just told me out there, actually," Mercer said about breaking the streak record. "It's a good feeling. Every game I want to contribute offensively but also be a responsible two-way player. We're having fun contributing and want to keep it going."

- Wood's goal in the second period was his first power play goal of the season and 10th goal overall. - Hamilton's goal was his 18th of the season which tied him with Scott Stevens for most in one season by a Devils defenseman. Stevens had 18 goals in 1993-94.