Devils Sweep Alberta Behind Gritsyuk-Glass Connection and Allen’s Heroics
The New Jersey Devils just wrapped up a back-to-back in Alberta, and they’re heading home with a clean sweep and a whole lot of momentum. After taking care of business in Calgary on Monday, the Devils followed it up with a gritty 2-1 win in Edmonton on Tuesday night - a game that showcased timely offense, clutch goaltending, and a little bit of everything in between.
Let’s start with the duo that stole the show: Arseny Gritsyuk and Cody Glass. In the second period, Gritsyuk was banging his stick on the ice like a drumroll, calling for the puck with urgency.
He was wide open, and Glass didn’t miss him - threading a pinpoint pass across the zone. Gritsyuk wasted no time, ripping a snapshot past Oilers netminder Tristan Jarry before he could even react.
“If I didn’t get it to him, he probably would have yelled at me,” Glass joked postgame. “Glad I found him on the tape. You put him in any situation with the shot he has, he’s going to have a good chance at scoring.”
That wasn’t the end of their act. After Edmonton tied things up, Gritsyuk returned the favor, setting up Glass for the go-ahead goal later in the period. Two players, two goals, two assists - and a second period that ultimately decided the game.
From there, the third period was all Oilers - at least in terms of pressure. Edmonton, desperate to even the score, ramped up their attack with 13 shots in the final frame alone, more than they had in the first two periods combined.
But Jake Allen stood tall, turning away everything thrown his way. Highlight save after highlight save, Allen was the difference-maker down the stretch.
“It feels good,” said Glass. “Especially on a back-to-back, going against the Oilers, it’s a tough task.
I felt like we did a really good job in the first and second periods. We knew the storm was coming, you knew McDavid was going to be out there for most of the third, so it was all about deflecting him to the outside.
And Jake had his best period of the year.”
Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe echoed that sentiment: “You know Edmonton was going to have a surge. I thought we managed that in the first and second as close to perfect as we could have, but we were going to need some saves, and Jake was outstanding.”
Allen finished the night with 22 saves on 23 shots, none bigger than the ones in the final 20 minutes.
Other Key Takeaways from the Win:
- Johnny Kovacevic made his presence felt early in his return to the lineup. After delivering a clean hit on Connor McDavid, Vasily Podkolzin took exception and dropped the gloves.
Kovacevic didn’t hesitate. The two tangled in a spirited bout, earning five-minute majors for fighting.
Podkolzin also picked up an instigator and a misconduct, while Kovacevic stood tall for his team.
- **Defensive lockdown early, survival late. ** The Devils limited Edmonton to just 10 shots through the first two periods - a testament to their structure and discipline.
But the Oilers flipped the script in the third, pouring on the pressure and outshooting New Jersey 13-3. The Devils didn’t register a shot until the final seven minutes of the period, but Allen’s stellar play made sure that didn’t matter.
“We just had to find a way to get through it,” Allen said. “They’re going to get their looks, that’s the reality of it.
They’re a good team. They have really good players over there.
It’s just how do we get through that momentum, and I thought the guys did a great job.”
- **Special teams came up big. ** Edmonton’s power play is the NHL’s best, converting at a blistering 33.1% clip.
But New Jersey’s penalty kill stepped up in a big way. In the second period, the Devils killed off back-to-back penalties - one for delay of game (Brenden Dillon), the other for tripping (Jonas Siegenthaler) - and allowed just two shots on goal during those sequences.
Allen turned them both aside.
- Dougie Hamilton’s quietly heating up. The veteran defenseman picked up the secondary assist on Gritsyuk’s opening goal, extending his point streak to six games. He now has seven assists over that stretch, continuing to be a steady offensive presence from the blue line.
- Connor Brown received a warm welcome in his return to Edmonton. After spending the last two seasons with the Oilers, Brown was recognized during the first commercial break and greeted with a loud ovation from the Rogers Place crowd. He chipped in with an assist in the game and finishes the season series against his former team with a goal and an assist.
- Jack Hughes hit a career milestone. The dynamic forward played in his 400th NHL game Tuesday night - another marker in what’s already been an impressive young career.
- Luke Hughes was out of the lineup after suffering an injury in Monday night’s win over Calgary. Coach Keefe said the team will need more time to assess before providing an update.
With the win, the Devils have now taken four of their last five and continue to build steam in the second half of the season. They’ll head back to the U.S. with a pair of hard-earned road wins, a surging top line, and a goaltender who just reminded everyone he can still steal a game when it matters most.