On Monday, Jan. 19, the New Jersey Devils kicked off their West Coast road trip with a stop at Scotiabank Saddledome to take on the Calgary Flames. After losing their last game at home, the Devils were hoping to kick off the road trip on the right foot.
Dawson Mercer kicked off scoring for the two teams, seven minutes into the middle frame. Nazem Kadri evened the score just two minutes later. With no change in score in the third period, this game went into overtime to decide the winner. It was the Devils who came out the victor on the three-on-three, leaving Calgary with a 2-1 overtime win.
Hameenaho Had a Brilliant Debut
The Devils called up Lenni Hameenaho on Saturday, Jan. 17, and although they played the Carolina Hurricanes, he was a healthy scratch for this game. Against the Flames, Luke Glendening came out of the lineup, and Hameenaho got to play in his first NHL game. From the jump, he made a huge impact on the team.
Related: Devils’ Lenni Hameenaho Set to Make NHL Debut
Hameenaho played on the fourth line alongside Cody Glass and fellow rookie Arseni Gritsyuk. He took 18 shifts and spent a total of 12:38 on the ice. He recorded two shots of his own and had one block. Although these three players were on the fourth line, they played more ice time than the third line and had more scoring chances than any other. They had a total of nine shots on goal, the most of any line on the ice. They also had a total of 13 shot attempts.
Although it was Dawson Mercer on the second line who scored the only goal in regulation, it was the fourth line that made the strongest impact on the ice in this game. This might have been Hameenaho’s first NHL game, but his impact proved it won’t be his last anytime soon.
Nemec the OT Hero
Just a minute and change into overtime, Jesper Bratt had the puck tied up at the boards near the net. He tried to find someone to pass it to and spotted Jack Hughes near the faceoff circle. He kicked the puck over to Jack, who sent a backhand pass towards Simon Nemec in front of the net. He gently tapped the puck into the net to score the game-winning goal for the Devils.
Nemec was a healthy scratch against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, Jan. 16. The Devils just got Johnathan Kovacevic back in the lineup, and with seven strong defensemen, the coaching staff needs to decide who to play and who will be a scratch each night. This was nothing personal against Nemec, just a matter of adhering to the roster restrictions. After his performance last night, Nemec has proved that he has something to bring to the lineup each night.
Devils Facing Another Injury
After what happened last night, head coach Sheldon Keefe might not have to scratch any players for a while. There is no denying that the Devils have had plenty of issues with injuries this season. Currently, the Devils are without Zack MacEwen and Stefan Noesen for the remainder of the season.
Last night, Luke Hughes exited the game early in the second period and did not return to the bench. He took just 13 shifts and spent 9:31 on the ice before leaving in clear physical discomfort. After the game, Keefe stated he will miss the remainder of the road trip and will have to be evaluated to see how many games he will miss. The Devils will conclude their road trip on Sunday against the Seattle Kraken.
Here’s hoping for the best for Luke Hughes’ situation.
Devils Play the Second Half of a Back-to-Back
The Devils will be back in action on Tuesday, Jan. 20, when they take on the Edmonton Oilers.
The season series between the Devils and the Flames will conclude on March 12 at the Prudential Center.
