After a two-game road trip, the New Jersey Devils were back on home ice, this time taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Devils held their own this game, defeating the Penguins in a 3-0 shutout victory. There were several great takeaways from this game, but here are three of them.
Quiet Games Aren’t Always a Bad Thing
After the first period, the only thing to note was that each team drew a two-minute minor. Both the Devils and the Penguins were not playing strong hockey in the first, and the game was a bit of a snooze fest. However, one cannot expect all the action in just the first period of the game. It appeared as though the Devils were lying in wait, waiting for a chance to strike.
Strike they did in the later part of the game. They were able to score one goal in the second and two in the third to solidify their win. Not every game is going to be the most exciting right off the bat. What matters is that the Devils were able to pull through with a solid win in the second half of the game.
Deny the Pens Any Chances
The Devils took 28 shots on net, while the Penguins only had twelve. By constantly denying them any chances to actually make a shot attempt, the Devils had a great defensive game. Even players who aren’t defensemen were getting in on the action.
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This is also a great chance to thank the goalie. Although Jacob Markstrom only stopped twelve shots, this is still twelve chances the Penguins had to score a goal. He was able to keep the Devils within a fighting chance of winning the game. He was also able to earn his second shutout of the season, which is a wonderful accomplishment.
2 Devils with Multiple Points
Both Nico Hischier and Timo Meier each earned themselves multiple points this game. Meier came away with two while the captain earned three.
Hischier earned his first assist off of the first goal of the night. Hischier had control of the puck, who in turn passed to Stefan Noesen. He was directly in front of the net and was able to bury the rubber into the back of the net to kick off the scoring for the Devils.
Hischier’s goal was a work of art as well. Brendan Dillon passed to Noesen, who was up by the front of the net once again. He missed and then got into a bit of a shoving match. With Noesen and the Penguins distracted, Hischier was able to gain possession of the puck. He shot through the commotion and scored the second goal of the night.
Meier joined him in the two-point club as well. His assist came off the first Noesen goal as well, after he passed to Hischier. Meier’s goal was earned once the Penguins pulled their goalie. Hischier was able to block a shot that Erik Karlsson took on the net. In doing this, it allowed Jesper Bratt to take hold of the puck, who passed it to an open Meier. He took a shot at the empty net and scored the third and final goal of the night.
With multiple players earning points on a shutout victory, this win must feel good for the two linemates.
One More Before the Holiday Break
The Devils look to keep on the winning streak, as they host the New York Rangers at 1 P.M. EST on Monday, Dec. 23 for some lunchtime hockey. This will be both teams’ last games before the holiday break, so the pressure is definitely on.
