Group C Wins Camp's Opening Scrimmage | RECAP

The Devils held their first scrimmage of training on Friday morning, featuring Group B v. Group C. The squads ran two 25-minute running clock periods (expect within the final five minutes), and a stopped clock overtime session.

Lineups:

Group B

Meier – Hischier – Holtz
Filmon – Dowling – Halonen
Parent – Schmelzer – Criscuolo
Squires – Friedmann

X* - Marino
Wotherspoon – Nemec
Misyul – Felix

Schmid
Poulter

*X = spot for Luke Hughes, but he missed scrimmage due to injury; Group B skated with five defensemen.

Group C

Palat – Haula – Mercer
Foote – Tierney – Clarke
Ibragimov – Bowers – Bastian
Brown

Siegenthaler – Hamilton
Hatakka – Vilen
MacKinnon – Russo

Vanecek
Kallgren

Recap

Group B tied the game late in the third period with a goal from Alex Holtz, but Group C triumphed, 4-3, during overtime on Ondrej Palat’s beautiful game-winner.

Dawson Mercer scored two goals for Group C while Cole Brown added a goal in the showing.

Aside from Holtz, Nico Hischier and Kyle Criscuolo tallied for Group B.

Snap Shots

* Mercer looks game ready. He scored two goals in the contest, including a sick tally in tight while flashing quick hands and great backhand elevation.

* Palat ended the scrimmage with a nasty top-shelf shot from close range in overtime. He looked strong on his skates and fluid. Palat had a full summer to rest and recover from groin surgery last November and you can see the difference. He looks fresh and motivated this camp.

* Brown was a sixth-round pick of the Devils (164^th overall) in this past summer’s draft. And he has really popped since then. He was one of the team’s better players during the annual Development Camp, scoring twice in the final scrimmage. He added a goal in last weekend’s Prospects Challenge in Buffalo. And now, he’s got himself a goal in the main camp scrimmage.

Brown finished off a nice tic-tac-toe play at the side of the net from Shane Bowers. He showed the smarts to read the play and find himself some open ice. Brown then finished the play from a nice pass by Bowers.

* Holtz is looking to make the jump to the NHL this season. And the Devils are giving him every opportunity to show that he belongs. He opened camp skating on a line with Hischier and Timo Meier. Holtz’s biggest asset is his shot, so goals are always welcomed. After a sluggish start, he found his way and converted a goal from the slot to tie the scrimmage at 3-3 with just 2:27 remaining in regulation.

Holtz will have to show that his pace and defensive play are NHL ready in order to make the big club, but he flashed his real strength at the scrimmage. And that will also go a long way in the decision-making process of the Devils brass.