The New Jersey Devils took down the LA Kings in a 3-1 victory, ending the Kings’ six-game win streak, Thursday night in front of their fans.
The Kings came into town riding a hot six-game win streak. During this win streak, they were one of the best defensive teams in the league, while also scoring three or more goals in five out of six games. After lackadaisical games for the Devils, the Kings were not going to be an easy task.
The game remained scoreless throughout the first period. Similar to last game, the Devils put the pressure on and were finding ways to get shots on net while limiting the Kings’ chances. The Devils ended the first period with nine shots, while the Kings ended it with just one.
The second period did not see much action until the final five minutes of the period. The Kings found the back of the net first, courtesy of Jordan Spence, after a good defensive play in their own zone. But, that lead did not last long, as the Devils got to work. Ondrej Palat found the net just two minutes after, assisted by Jack Hughes, his first point of the night.
The third period was similar to the first period. The Devils continued to limit the Kings opportunities. Hughes broke the tie after a nifty pass from Ondrej Palat, giving the Devils a 2-1 lead with eight minutes left in the game.
The Devils went on the penalty kill with less than five minutes left, a crucial kill. Not only did the Devils kill the penalty, Brett Pesce got his first goal as a Devil and his first shorthanded career goal to put the Devils up 3-1 late in the game. Hughes picked up an assist on Pesce’s goal, his third point of the night. The growth in Hughes’ game has not gone unnoticed as he picks up more penalty kill minutes, showing the trust HC Sheldon Keefe has in the young center.
Jacob Markstrom picked up another win and ended the night with a save percentage of .923%. Markstrom most likely wants the one goal he let in back, but nonetheless, he gave the Devils an opportunity to win the game.
The Devils power play was unsuccessful tonight as they went 0/1. The power play has gone cold recently, relying on the Devils 5v5 play to find the back of the net.
The Kings only registered 13 shots on net for the entire game. The Devils defensive game has been elevated at the perfect time as their production from their forward lines have slowed.
The Devils will end their home-stand this Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks at 1 p.m. ET.
