On Saturday night, the New Jersey Devils (21-11-3) faced a known division rival: the Pittsburgh Penguins (15-14-5). In their last meeting, the Penguins controlled all sections of the ice in a 6-3 win. This time the Devils got their revenge picking up a 3-0 victory at the Prudential Center.
As the first period commenced, New Jersey instantly found its fire and footing, dominating the offensive zone and making Pittsburgh goaltender Tristan Jarry work. The domination started to disintegrate as turnovers plagued the Devils. This flipped the script, as Pittsburgh had New Jersey’s goaltender Jacob Markstrom putting in more determination and diligence to keep the puck out of the net. Despite many high-quality shots, the first period ended scoreless for both teams.
The Penguins walked off the ice with five shots, while the Devils trailed by one and attempted four shots. The two teams also played aggressively on the ice, contributing to New Jersey and Pittsburgh’s success.
The Devils came out for the second period with their aggressiveness intact from the previous period, which helped them get a head start and increase their shots on net. Energy surged throughout the Devils as they’d be everywhere they needed to be, but Pittsburgh wouldn’t be far behind. At the 8:23 mark of the period, Paul Cotter contracted the game’s second penalty for interference. Despite this setback, New Jersey showed its growing resilience as it continued to pressure the Penguins.
With three minutes left in the second period, the inevitable would happen: Stefan Noesen scored his 15th goal of the season to light the lamp for New Jersey. This goal would be a milestone for Noesen, marking a new career high for the 31-year-old. The period ended with a score of 1-0 in favor of the Devils.
The third period started with New Jersey overpowering whatever Pittsburgh brought to the ice. Jacob Markstrom played a key part in the success throughout the period, making many magnificent saves to keep the Penguins off the board. The Devils’ strategic setups would lead them to extend their lead to 2-0 as Nico Hischier sneaked one past Jarry from Dougie Hamilton and Brenden Dillon.
Hischier’s goal would only bring more liveliness to the team. The defensive lines locked down to prevent any action from the Penguins, and the offensive lines continued to persist with their pressure. With two minutes left in the third period, Timo Meier scored on the empty net from Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier to secure the win for the Devils. The game ended with a score of 3-0. Alongside marking New Jersey’s 22nd win of the season, it would coincidentally also mark Markstrom’s 22nd NHL shutout.
A perfect game would be the best way to describe the one just played, as all New Jersey players played attentively and used their abilities to the max. Alongside Markstrom’s and Noesen’s accomplishments, Hischier ended the game with a three-point night, increasing his confidence. The list of positives continues as the Devils regained first place in the Metropolitan Division with the win.
The New Jersey Devils play their next game on Monday against the New York Rangers, their infamous rival from across the Hudson River.
