The New Jersey Devils walked into Tuesday night facing the best team in hockey and spent most of the night looking like the sharper side.
They pushed the Edmonton Oilers all the way to overtime, then survived the shootout to come away with a win. Jack Hughes led the way with two goals, Connor Brown scored on the power play after a big change by Sheldon Keefe, and the Devils eventually settled things when Arseny Gritsyuk and Jesper Bratt beat Tristan Jarry in the shootout.
Jarry was busy all night. The Devils fired 34 shots at him, and he kept Edmonton alive long enough for the game to reach the extra session and then the shootout.
Connor Hellebuyck had his roughest night since being traded to the Devils, but he made the biggest saves when it mattered most. He stopped three of four shootout attempts, and those stops ended up being the difference.
The game turned messy late in the second period. New Jersey got into penalty trouble, and Edmonton made them pay with two goals in a short span, one late in the second and another early in the third, to pull even at 3-3. After that stretch, though, the Devils cleaned things up and kept the Oilers off the board the rest of the way to force overtime.
That mattered because Edmonton arrived at 11-2-2, the best record in the NHL. For long stretches, New Jersey looked like the better team anyway. Outside of part of the first period, the Devils controlled the tone and, minus the penalties, had every reason to feel like they earned the two points.
They also did a strong job against Connor McDavid, which is no small thing. He finished with a secondary assist and helped set up Leon Draisaitl on the power play after kicking the puck along.
For most teams, that would count as a win against him. For New Jersey, it was almost a complete shutdown.
At 5-on-5, McDavid lost the chance battle 8 to 10 in 16 minutes of ice time, according to Natural Stat Trick. The Devils didn’t just hold their own there, either. Anthony Mantha, Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist finished even in chances, while both Jack Hughes’ line and Nico Hischier’s line were above 70 percent in chance share.
For the Devils, it was the kind of night that shows they can skate with anyone. The penalties need to be cleaned up, and Hellebuyck likely wants a couple of those goals back, but the rest of it was exactly the kind of crisp, disciplined hockey Sheldon Keefe had to like.
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Fondrk is hardly the only prospect making noise, either. Gustav Hillstrom, Daniil Rusakovich, Quinn McKenzie and Chase Cheslock have each put together notable stretches in their own leagues, while the Utica Comets have also picked up two recent wins with help from Anton Silaev, Lenni Hameenaho, Dmitry Osipov, David Rittich, Topias Vilen, Jakub Malek, Colin White and Ben Steeves. The bigger question now is whether Fondrk can keep this pace going long enough to turn a hot start into something much more lasting. [Read more 🡒]
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Hellebuyck arrived from Winnipeg and wasted little time showing why the Devils valued him so highly, earning a win in his first start with New Jersey by making 17 saves in a 5-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. Brodeur pointed to the veteran goalies experience and immediate impact as part of the clubs push to keep moving forward, and the early return only sharpened the sense that this is a team acting with real urgency. [Read more 🡒]
Hellebuyck Faces His First Real Devils Test At Home
Connor Hellebuyck has settled in quickly since the Devils brought him over from Winnipeg on Oct. 23, and the early returns have been exactly what New Jersey hoped for. The three-time Vezina Trophy winner has won his first two starts in a Devils sweater, drawing positive remarks from teammates and coach Sheldon Keefe as he gets comfortable in a new setting.
Now comes the first real test at home, with Edmonton coming to town and Connor McDavid leading a record-setting season. For Hellebuyck, it is the kind of assignment that can tell you plenty about how well the transition is going, and for the Devils it is another chance to see whether their new goaltending answer can hold up against one of the leagues most dangerous offenses. [Read more 🡒]