Anderson boosts Devils past Flyers with first NHL goal

PHILADELPHIA -- Joey Anderson scored his first NHL goal to help the New Jersey Devils to a 3-0 win against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center on Thursday.

Keith Kinkaid made 29 saves for his third shutout of the season for New Jersey (8-8-1). Blake Coleman had a goal and two assists, and Kyle Palmieri had a goal and an assist.
The Devils, who defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 on Tuesday, have won consecutive games for the first time since starting the season 4-0-0.
WATCH: [All Devils vs. Flyers highlights\]
Brian Elliott made 23 saves for Philadelphia (9-9-1) before leaving the game with an apparent injury after Palmieri scored on a wraparound to make it 2-0 with 6:08 remaining. He was replaced by Calvin Pickard, who made one save.
Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said Elliott would be evaluated Friday.
Anderson, who made his NHL debut Oct. 27, scored at 3:45 of the first period. Sami Vatanen checked Flyers forward Nolan Patrick off the puck at the Philadelphia blue line, and Coleman got to it, skated into the offensive zone, and passed to Brett Seney. He found Anderson trailing the play, and his low shot got under Elliott's left pad.

The 20-year-old forward, who has played eight games with the Devils, said he's getting more comfortable by the day.
"The pace of play, things like that, it's been really good, and older guys here have been great, helping me adjust to this lifestyle and style of play, which has been great," he said.
New Jersey coach John Hynes has been impressed by how quickly Anderson has adapted to the level of play in the NHL.
"His attention to detail in the game and hockey sense is high, high end," he said. "He's extremely competitive on the puck. ... I think now he's getting more and more comfortable offensively, and I think that's the thing, his understanding, his time and space, using his talent. He's got a good shot. Those are the things, I think as a player gets more experience and they feel comfortable with their game, sometimes you see that part of their game start to go in the right direction, and his is."
The Flyers thought they tied the game at 8:46 of the first period, but referee TJ Luxmore waved off Shayne Gostisbehere's apparent power-play goal because James van Riemsdyk interfered with Kinkaid. Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol challenged the call on the ice, which was confirmed by video review.

The Flyers, who went 0-for-4 on the power play, hit the post four times in the first period.
"It was frustrating," captain Claude Giroux said. "I really think we did a lot of good things tonight. We pressured them pretty well. Their goalie made some big saves, but it's definitely frustrating."
Van Riemsdyk, playing for the first time since sustaining a lower-body injury against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 6, had two shots on goal in 16:59 of ice time.
"You're out for six weeks, especially at the start of the season, when you've been off already for three, four months, whatever it is, you're definitely not as sharp as you'd like to be," he said. "I think just some of the little things, the bang-bang sort of plays, the instinctual sort of things and that stuff, I'm sure I will be fine. It's just one of those things that's a work in progress."
Coleman scored an empty-net goal with 3:02 left in the third to make it 3-0.

They said it

"I guess all the [Martin Brodeur] inspiration this past week crept into me. Safe to say I won't do that again." -- Devils goalie Keith Kinkaid on his turnover late in the third period that nearly led to a Flyers goal
"We're getting chances, we're not scoring right now. You go on some streaks like that where it's tougher, that bad, I don't know. Tonight, we got a goal disallowed, first power play, then we get a few chances, few pokes. I guess it's just tough luck right now as well." -- Flyers forward Sean Couturier

Need to know

Vatanen left the game 4:38 into the second period because of an undisclosed injury. Hynes did not have an update after the game. ... Kinkaid's third shutout ties him with Marc-Andre Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights for the NHL lead. ... Coleman's three points were an NHL career high. ... Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas missed the game because of illness. Andrew MacDonald, who had been scratched the past eight games, replaced him in the lineup. ... Philadelphia is 1-for-19 on the power play in the past seven games.

What's next

Devils: Host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday (1 p.m. ET; MSG+, FS-D, NHL.TV)
Flyers: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday (1 p.m. ET; NHLN, SN, NBCSP, SUN, NHL.TV)