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New Jersey hits the road for Bridgeport, CT for a road preseason contest against the NY Islanders. The game will be streamed right here at NewJerseyDevils.com. Puck drop is 2:08 p.m. ET.
Tickets are available for the last two home preseason games for the Devils
The game wasn't meaningless to Kuokkanen, who has to see the strong play by rookie forwards Alex Holtz and Mercer and the. veteran Tatar. Kuokkanen scored eight goals and 25 points in 50 games during his rookie campaign in 2020-21. But he will certainly need to up his own game to earn the same ice time of a year ago.
Kuokkanen scored a power-play goal in the first period when Holtz's shot was blocked but the rebound caromed right to Kuokkanen, who beat Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin beween the legs.
The game wasn't meaningless to Thompson, who also sees a lot of competition at the forward position, as well as the presence of player tryouts such as Vesey, Mark Jankowski and Freddie Gauthier. Thompson would likely fill a fourth-line role in the NHL, if one of the aforementioned PTOs doesn't take that role from him.
"If you look at our pieces, that's where he has to fit," Ruff said of Thompson on the fourth line. "That doesn't mean he can't go up the lineup. But that is the area he would have to fit, be physical, get to the net, create energy."
Thompson, as one Devils development coach told me, is fearless. He will drive to the net and will take a beating to stake out his presence there. That's exactly what he did halfway through the first period. Thompson was positioned atop the blue paint, where he found a Dougie Hamilton rebound and tapped it into the night. Thompson also engaged in some extra-curricular antics with New York's Mason Geertsen before a faceoff. He won't back down.
"I thought I played well, but every day I'm fighting for a spot," Thompson said. "Every day is a tryout and I have to play my best."
The game wasn't meaningless to Bernier, who knows he'll be in a healthy competition for playing time with goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood. The 33-year-old veteran Bernier stopped just 13 of 17 shots against Washington Wednesday night in two periods of play. Bernier bounced back Friday with many high-quality saves, including a shorthanded breakaway for Barclay Goodrow and a diving goal line glove save on Lauri Pajuniemi.
"(Bernier) made the big save for us, the breakaway save. It was a big save for us at that time of the game," Ruff said. "Then he made an unbelievable save. When you're having a good night, you're able to make those saves. I was really happy for him. He really gave us a solid game in all aspects."
The game wasn't meaningless to Holtz and Mercer, who are fighting to show that even at 19 years old, they are ready for The Show. Holtz added another point (assist) to his preseason totals. Mercer meanwhile scored on a beautiful breakaway after fooling goaltender Adam Huska into opening the five-hole.
"(Mercer has) been a real good surprise for me and everybody that has watched him play," Ruff said. "He has a lot of fun playing the game. He has good energy. He understands where to be defensively. He competes hard."
The game wasn't meaningless to Vesey, who is "fighting for his life" and possibly his NHL career. He scored a nice goal from the low circle late in the third period.
It wasn't meaningless to Tomas Tatar, who had a goal and assist while trying to make a good first impression. It wasn't meaningless for Hamiton, who recorded two helpers while wearing an 'A' as alternate captain for the first time in his NHL career. The game wasn't meaningless to Devils veterans Subban and Zacha, each notching two points on a goal and assist.
You can say that the score doesn't matter. You can say the outcome doesn't matter. But these Devils, this game mattered.
