On Nov. 25, the New Jersey Devils hosted the Nashville Predators. The home team did not show any hospitality though. The Devils came out on top with a 5-2 win.
Captain Earns His First Career Hat Trick
In his 476th game, Nico Hischier earned the first hat trick of his NHL career. He has been a part of the Devils team since the 2017-18 season when they selected him first overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. He earned the honor of captaincy in 2021.
Hischier was able to score all three goals in the second period. The first goal was a result of him being able to outpace the Predators. Timo Meier passed the puck to Hischier, who was able to skate ahead of the two Predators who were trying to block his shot. With just Juuse Saros standing in his way, he shot the puck and scored his first goal of the night.
His second of the night was on the power play. While Meier was in the middle of a scrum with three other Predators players for possession of the puck, Hischier was in the right place at the right time. The puck managed to sneak away from all four players, right in front of him. He rocketed it past all three Predators and Saros to score his second of the night.
Stefan Noesen had the puck on a breakaway but had two Predators marking him. Seeing Hischier alone on the ice, Noesen was able to pass the puck to him. With the puck in possession and no opposing players in sight, he was able to get to the goal line and score his third of the night.
While his second goal was due to being in the right place at the right time, Hischier’s other two showcased his strength as a player. In both cases, he was able to outpace the opposing team. Being able to skate ahead of the opposing team and score goals is a mark of true strength in this case and it truly paid off for Hischier in the form of a milestone moment.
Congratulations to Hischier on his first career hat trick.
Devils Had Clear Puck Control
Despite having 23 penalty minutes, the Devils had clear control of the ice. They won 33 out of 54 faceoffs, for a percentage of 61.1%. They also had a total of 46 shots on goal, compared to the Predators’ 21. On top of those 46, the Devils had another 18 blocked shots. The Predators only had 11.
Related: Devils’ Physicality Continues to Lead the Way
Even though the Devils were down a man for 23 of the 60 minutes, they had strong puck possession throughout the entire game. They showed clear drive to get the puck to the net, and made the shots to make this work in their favor. In the end, the final score reflected their hard work and drive throughout the game.
There was no point during those 23 minutes when the Devils were on the penalty kill where they allowed the Predators to score. Both goals from the opposing team were scored during even strength. This also shows that the Devils’ penalty kill is exceptionally strong. Even during the five-minute major to Meier, they held their own and did not allow the Predators to score.
Standing Strong
This win put the Devils on top of the standings in the Metropolitan Division. They currently stand at 15-7-2 and have a total of 32 points. As this week is typically a benchmark for what teams will be heading into the playoffs, the Devils are in top position within their division to contend for the Stanley Cup. The Carolina Hurricanes are hot on their heels though, with 31 points from 21 games played, with a record of 15-5-1. Even though a single point separates the two teams, it is clear that the two are both in a good position when playoff contention comes around. Let’s hope the Devils are able to keep up that number-one spot throughout the rest of the season.
Next Game
Before American Thanksgiving on Nov. 28, the Devils look to keep up the momentum and earn two points when they host the St. Louis Blues at the Prudential Center the day prior, Nov. 27.
