Hamilton is OT Hero, Devils Win Game 3 | GAME STORY

When sixty minutes wasn't enough to settle the score, the Devils and Rangers required good, old fashioned playoff overtime.
It's also an opportunity for someone to be a hero.
For the Devils, in Game 3 against the Rangers, that hero was Dougie Hamilton, scoring at 11:36 of the first overtime period.
"A big relief," captain Nico Hischier said post-game, "we played the right way, we were patient enough. We're in it now. The first win is huge, we've got it now and we know what we've got to do now."
Before the game head coach Lindy Ruff made a major change, discussing along with his coaching staff, Martin Brodeur and Tom Fitzgerald last night, the decision was made to go with 22-year-old Akira Schmid in net: his first playoff game.
Schmid looked calm and collected the entire game, his rebound control impeccable. But don't let his demeanour fool you. When asked if he was even nervous: "Yeah, very," he said with a laugh, "I just try not to show it."
What he did show was the ability to play in a tight playoff game and help guide his team to victory turning away 35 of the Rangers 36 shots on net.
"It's increidble, first playoff start at MSG, everyone is yelling," Curtis Lazar said post-game glancing over to Schmid's stall, "for him, look at him, it's just another game for him."
Jack Hughes had the regulation goal and Hamilton finished off the game, while Chris Kreider had the lone Rangers goal.
The Devils have cut the Rangers series lead to 2-1.
Game 4 is Monday at Madison Square Garden.

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Game 4 is Monday night at Madison Square Garden on MSGSN.
Here are some observations from the game...
- The start from Game 2 to Game 3 wasn't even comparable. Whereas in Game 2 there were 16 icings in the opening 10 minutes, the first 9:32 of the game in Game 3, there were only three stoppages in play, and a stretch of 4:30 of continuous play.

It set the ton for the game in ways the previous two did not, these two teams playing with furious pace and intensity.

"I thought we were much better," Hamilton said of their overall game, "More our style, I don't know what we were doing the first two games, it's hard to look back on it, but we definitely played more our style." - Without being able to get the favorable matchups, without home ice advantage, it wasn't as easy to keep Jack Hughes away from some of the heavier Rangers players. Hughes took a couple of big hits from K'Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba in the first period, but in typical Jack fashion it did not seem to bother him, simply popping up off of the hit and continuing on with his game

On Friday, Hughes talked about doing whatever it takes to help the team win, even if it looks a bit different than a players regular season game. If that means taking the hit, or giving the hit, we've seen Hughes involved in a way we don't normally during the regular season. - After 20 minutes the Devils had 11 shots on goal, nearly halfway to their 60-minute total in Game 2 (24). After regulation, the Devils had registered 23 shots on goal, with six each in the second and third period. - Curtis Lazar made his post-season debut for the Devils tonight, inserted into the lineup along with Jesper Boqvist leaving Miles Wood and Yegor Sharangovich out of the lineup.

Lazar, who is a ball of energy, cnetered a line with Boqvist and Nathan Bastian on his wings. He also jumped right into the penalty kill role, a job the the Devils excelled with in Game 3. - Lindy Ruff talked prior to the game about needing to drastically limit the penalties his team was taking... but it seems that that will continue to be an area that needs to be cleaned up and looked at. After 40 minutes the Devils had taken four penalties, including two in the offensive zone, but they did do a much better job on their penalty kill going 4-for-4 after 40 minutes and 0-for-5 in regulation.

"The details," Lindy Ruff said of why the penalty kill was improved, "the coverage was better. A couple of mistakes and they had a couple of good looks. We changed a few things, really made it tough for them on entries and got them a little frustrated."

That's a much improved number after conceding four power play goals (all to Chris Kreider) in the opening two games. - Akira Schmid at22 years and 345 days old, became the third goaltender 22 or younger to play in a playoff game for the Devils. He joins Martin Brodeur (22 years, 21 days in Game 7 of 1994 Conference Finals) and Sean Burke(21 years, 106 days in Game 7 of 1988 Conference Finals). (Stat: NHL PR) - Jack Hughes' second-period power play goal was an absolute snipe past Igor Shesterkin. The power play had a bit of a different look on the play, with Timo Meier in the locker room being looked at, at that time, Ondrej Palat took his place on the power play. - Speaking on Meier - and needing to be in the locker room - he had a night where he was being crashed and banged into all night long, doing the heavy lifting of taking the body and the beating that playoff hockey is particularly known for. - Everything I've been told about Akira Schmid is that the idea of starting Game 3 would never have even phased him, even a bit. He's just at even keel or even remotely nervous with the opportunity.

And he showed every bit of that with his composure, with his rebound control, with bouncing back immediately after giving up the Chris Kreider goal. There was a calm emenating from him all night long.