The New Jersey Devils are back on the East Coast after taking on several West Coast teams on this six-game road trip. They closed out the trip close to home, traveling to the other side of the Hudson River to face off against the New York Rangers. Both teams were evenly matched, but it was the Rangers who managed to take it 3-2 in overtime.
The Second Line Dominated the Game
With Jack Hughes at center and Jesper Bratt on his right wing on the second line, the pair was almost unstoppable. The two put up the two goals the Devils scored, with Jack earning a multi-point night.
Four minutes into the first, Jack kicked off the scoring for the Devils. Ondrej Palat, the left winger on this line, had the puck near the goal but close to the boards. He passed to an available Brett Pesce who was down by the blue line. He let a rocket of a shot fly, where it found Jack in front of the net. He used his stick to tip the puck into the net to put the Devils on the board.
Jack was not done for the night. Palat had a chance at a goal, but the Rangers were able to get the rebound and start skating toward their goal zone. Dougie Hamilton laid out Will Cuylle, stealing the puck away from him. He passed to Jack, who then found Bratt alone on the other side of the ice. Once Bratt had control of the puck, he skated fast up to the net, dodging Rangers players who tried to block him. From the boards, he slowed down and took his shot, finding his mark in the back of the net.
The second line of Palat, Jack, and Bratt was exceptional during this game. The trio earned a total of four points, one point each and Jack got the extra. They usually play on the first line, but head coach Sheldon Keefe seemed to have switched this line and Timo Meier’s for the night. It’s time to bring this second line grouping back up to the top.
Close Game Overall
If it weren’t for Luke Hughes‘ goal being taken off the scoreboard, it would have been the Devils who came away with the win. Luke had a great chance, skating around the goal and taking a shot from the faceoff dot. It appeared to have gone in, but even the announcers seemed confused by this shot. The Rangers immediately called the play under review. After seeing the replay, it was made clear that the puck hit the crossbar and did not actually touch the back of the net.
LUKE HUGHES BEAUTIFUL PLAY (full)
— Devils Joint (@DevilsJointX) January 10, 2025
but no goal…#NJDevils | #NHL | #NYR pic.twitter.com/zvISEJTKtT
In the end, it was the Rangers who came out on top and had the better chances. The home team had clear puck control, taking 32 shots compared to the Devils’ 23. It’s impressive that the Devils were able to make two goals come of these shots, but it was Igor Shesterkin who had the last laugh, blocking 21. Out of the three penalties the Devils took, the Rangers scored on two of their power plays. The extra man advantage was what put them on top to score their two regulation goals.
The Devils had decent plays and chances, but it was New York who capitalized on their chances more.
This Road Trip Didn’t Do the Devils Any Favors
Out of the six games on this road trip, the Devils only took home one win. Defeating the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 6 to close out the West Coast portion of the trip should have given the Devils more confidence going into Rangers territory. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
Related: 3 Reasons for New Jersey Devils’ Recent Slump
This six-game trip comes right after the holiday break, where the Devils have played seven games in total. The first one was at home, where they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2 on Dec. 27. Since then they have been on the road and not performing to the best of their ability. Luckily for them, in their next six games, they play five at home. This stretch is broken up in the middle by a trip to Toronto on Jan. 16. Hopefully some home-ice advantage works out for the Devils, so they can get back on track.
Home Sweet Home
The Devils look to pick themselves up again when they are back on home ice on Jan. 11, when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning.
