Good morning Devils fans. Well, I know we have to temper expectations, considering it’s preseason, but we have to be happy about last night’s results. The Devils defeated Montreal 4-2 on the road while the other half the squad handed Philly a comfy 6-0 loss at home in the Rock. Let’s jump into both games.
The home squad got off to a great start in the first period, lighting up the lamp four times before intermission. Ondrej Palat kicked off the scoring on the rush with a backhand pass from Jesper Bratt. Eric Haula grabbed his own rebound up front to jack up the score 2-0, with a chance created by Bratt and Santeri Hatakka. Tyce Thompson shoveled one in up front with a shot from the point. Alexander Holtz grabbed a pass between the circles to go top shelf blocker side, bringing the score to 4-0. The second intermission gave a slight reprieve for the Flyers as the Devils went on the powerplay. Timo Meier capitalizes a side pass from Nico Hischier to bring it to 5-0. Michael Mcleod wrapped up the scoring by beating the Flyers defense and dealing a breakaway chance into the net. Vitek Vanacek had two shutout periods while Erik Kallgren wrapped up the game. One of the storylines I previewed in an earlier article played out as Alexander Holtz really shined through, both as an attacker and a two-way forward. Per Bill Spaulding, head coach Lindy Ruff was happy with Holtz skating back and chasing down Philadelphia’s attack, showcasing his speed, hustle, and improved hockey IQ. You can find the highlights below, courtesy of the NJ Devils YouTube page.
Meanwhile, in Quebec, a more back and forth effort played out as the away Devils squad fought for a 4-2 over the Habs. The Canadiens began the score sheet with a Josh Roy power play goal against starting goaltender Akira Schmid. Camp call ups would even it up before the period wrapped as Joseph Gambardella capitalized on a rebound floating to his stick from pressure shooting forwards Kyle Criscuolo and Justin Dowling. The Devils took the lead in the second off of a wacky mismanaged board dump from Simon Nemec. Later on in the same period, Dawson Mercer finished up a chance from an unbelievable shift by Jack Hughes, who scraped past defenders and dipsy doodle skated through the zone on a powerplay. The lead was cut down a few minutes later as Josh Anderson tipped in a bouncing puck on Schmid’s blocker side. Hughes was on full display in the third as he swooped in on the right during a power play to grab a rebound top shelf. Keith Kinkaid wrapped up the game in the third, letting in nothing against 7 shots. You can find the highlights below, courtesy of the NJ Devils YouTube page.
Overall, both squads looked strong, the youth looked ready to fight for a roster spot, and, despite Schmid’s stats, both goalies appeared ready for the season to start. The Devils will take on the Rangers at the Garden, Thursday at 7. You should be able to catch the game on MSG. For the rest of the week, the Black and Red should be looking to continue camp practices, whittling down the roster piece by piece until we have a better picture of what this year’s team will look like.
What are your thoughts? Did you have a favorite goal from last night? Views on the goalies’ performances? Anyone making the trip up to the city for the next game?
Leave your thoughts and comments below. Raise Hell,
New Jersey Devils Blogger • 
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