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Preseason: Devils Down Islanders in OT

The Devils traveled up to the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut today for an afternoon preseason tilt against the New York Islanders. The Isles scored early, the Devils tied it late and the Devils won in overtime 2-1.

The game was being played in Bridgeport, home of the Islanders’ AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders (they rebranded this past offseason with the parent club’s identity – a Lou Lamoriello special), because they are done with the Nassau Coliseum and the new UBS Arena does not open until mid-November. The Isles will begin their regular season on the road for the first month or so.

The Devils made some cuts this morning, as per team reporter Amanda Stein. Ryan Schmelzer a forward, defensemen Jeremy Grodleau and Michael Vukojevic and goaltender Marek Mitens were all assigned to the AHL Utica Comets. Groleau and Vukojevic played on Friday versus the New York Rangers while Schmelzer and Mitens had AHL-only contracts. Utica’s camp begins on Monday, October 4.

In net for this game, Mackenzie Blackwood made his preseason debut, playing the first period in net for New Jersey. He finished with a .938 save percentage, giving up one goal on 16 shots against. Scott Wedgewood took over in the second frame, stopping all eight shots he faced. The Isles totaled 33 shots against Devils goaltending.

For New York, Ilya Sorokin played the first two periods getting all 11 thrown his way. Former Devil Cory Schneider, trying to make his way back to the NHL with the Islanders faced two shots – including in overtime, which he played – and let in both.

The Islanders got on the board just 3:23 inot the game when Kieffer Bellows scored off of a 2-on-1. He broke in after getting the puck from Mat Barzal and snapped a shot off himself, one which beat Blackwood to make it 1-0 New York. Kyle Palmieri had the secondary assist.

And then Islander low-event hockey settled in for the majority of the game.

The Devils would eventually break through when Mark Jankowski scored at the 15:45 mark of the third period. Jankowski shot quickly off the rush, beating Schneider under the blocker to make it 1-1. The Devils finally broke through via the rush, which is the best way to beat that Islander low event hockey, as we saw for many years here in New Jersey. Aarne Talvitie had the lone assist on Jankowski’s goal.

One thing to note is that Jack Hughes did not play much in the second period and did not play at all in the third. Nothing was given as to a concrete injury or anything. It is possible he was just rested on the back end of the back-to-back with a day game after a night game. He got his reps in and was done. We will try to update should any injury be announced.

The overtime proved two things: one I was right about a strong transition game beating low event hockey and two, Yegor Sharangovich continues to play very well.

It developed very quickly, as suddenly, Sharangovich was racing up the right-wing boards and roofed a shot by Schneider to give the Devils the win in OT and remain unbeaten in the preseason. The goal came unassisted 3:35 into the OT period.

(I am sorry about lack of details on the goals. I was watching the stream supplied to the Devils’ official website by the Islanders. Which was the feed from the Webster Bank Arena in-arena boards and did not show replays. It was either see everything initially or risk having less detailed notes. I went with the less detailed notes as I could not get everything as it was happening.)

Once again, as last night against the Rangers, the teams decided to forego the shootout practice, of which they have the option after every preseason game, no matter the outcome.

So that was that with the Devils coming away with the 2-1 victory, the Isles handed their first loss of this preseason.

Team-wise, the Devils finished 0-for-5 on the power play while the Isles were 0-for-3. That is all of the stats I am seeing on the NHL.com scoresheet, so I am sorry this is incomplete.

In the limited player stats available, Sharangovich led the Devils in shots on goal with five.

Now that this nightmare of a recap is in the books, I will tell you that the Devils next play in Newark on Monday against the Washington Capitals. That game will not be televised over the air in our market or Washington. I would suppose that the Devils will stream the scoreboard feed, but who really knows.

Until then.

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Preseason: Devils Blow Past Rangers, 7-1

The Devils returned to the Prudential Center for the first time this season for their second preseason game of 2021-22. They came away with a 7-1 blowout win over their rivals, the New York Rangers.

We will begin in the nets where Jonathan Bernier got the nod to start in what was a gametime decision by coach Lindy Ruff. Nico Daws was backing him up and it was thought that he might see some game action, but Bernier ended up going the distance. He made 24 saves on the Rangers’ 25 shots against. He turned aside three of the Rangers’ four power play shots and both of their shorthanded attempts. He was 19-for-19 at even strength and had a .960 save percentage.

New York started Igor Shesterkin for the first half of the game. He was equal to 16 of the 20 Devils shots he saw for an .800 percentage. He did not see a shorthanded shot from the Devils, got two of the three power play shots he saw and was 14-for-17 at even strength. Adam Huska, a former UCONN Husky, was equal to 11 of the 14 total shots he saw, including one of two power play shots and 10-of-12 even strength shots. The Devils did not register a shorthanded shot on him. He finished with a .786 save percentage. The Devils totaled 34 shots on goal on the two New York goalies.

Dougie Hamilton made his Devils debut tonight, playing just as well as advertised. He wore an “A” on his jersey for the game.

The Devils scored early and often. PK Subban got the festivities off right when he scored 4:29 into the first period. Michael McLeod dug the puck out of the near corner and got it to Subban at the near point. Subban let loose a bomb that looked like it may have been tipped in front by Chase DeLeo, who was a screen in front with Tyce Thompson. It actually went in off of Rangers’ defenseman K’Andre Miller’s leg, but DeLeo did notch the secondary assist.

About two minutes later, at the 6:34 mark, Subban loaded Alexander Holtz up for a one-timer at the far faceoff circle. The shot was blocked but it bounced right to the stick of Janne Kuokkanen who was cutting into the high slot. Kuokkanen put the rebound home to make it 2-0 Devils. This goal came on the power play.

Thompson made it 3-0 at the 12:50 mark of the first when he grabbed a loose puck behind the Rangers’ net and wound it around the boards to Hamilton at the near point. Hamilton put the shot on net and Thompson, who had gone to the front to provide a screen, dove to put the rebound into the net.

Before the frame was out, Mika Zibanejad would get the Rangers on the board when he scored at the 16:41 mark on the power play. It came extremely fast into the man advantage for New York. Barclay Goodrow moved the puck from the far half wall to Nils Lundkvist at the point. He had a look and moved it to Zibanejad at the near half wall. He blasted a one-timer by Bernier to get the Rangers on the board before the first frame was expired.

But that was all they would get. Bernier shut the door on them from there on out.

In the second period, newly acquired Devil Tomas Tatar made it 4-1 when on a delayed penalty against the Rangers, he pinched up the far boards and cut up the wall towards the circle. He shot and beat Shesterkin off assists from Colton White (primary) and Pavel Zacha (secondary).

That was basically it for Shesterkin as he finished his night and Huska came in.

In the third, the Devils came alive. It started at the 7:26 mark when Zacha scored on the power play. It was tic-tac-toe from Tatar to Hamilton to Zacha at the far circle. Zacha snapped off a shot to make it 5-1 Devils. The Devils ended the game 2-for-4 on the power play while the Rangers were 1-for-5 with their only goal coming on the man advantage.

After this goal was the moment that the game (a preseason game!) will be remembered for. With Lauri Pajuniemi right at the doorstep, Bernier dove across his crease, left to right, and made a spectacular glove safe at point blank range. That helped keep it 5-1 and was certainly a highlight reel save.

The Devils would score their last two right in succession. At the 16:34 mark of the third, Jimmy Vesey scored against his former club unassisted when he grabbed a turnover by the Rangers in the neutral zone. HE flew in up the right-wing boards and had a partial 2-on-1. Instead, he elected to shoot and snapped a shot by Huska to make it 6-1.

Less than one minute later, Dawson Mercer grabbed a loose puck off of a turnover just inside the Devils’ blue line and was off on a breakaway. He made a nifty move to beat Huska and score making it 7-1, our final. That goal was also unassisted.

Team stat-wise, the Devils won 53-percent of the game’s faceoffs, were outhit 23-14, had less blocks at six to the Rangers’ nine, but had two less turnovers at 14 to New York’s 16.

Individually, Tatar, Hamilton and Subabn each had two points. Tatar and Subban with a goal and an assist each and Hamilton with two assists. Subban also led in shots with six. Vesey, Miles Wood and Jeremy Groleau each had three hits to tie for the lead in that category. Thompson and White each had two blocks, leading there. Takeaways were led by Wood and Jesper Boqvist with two each. Zacha and Wood both had three giveaways. McLeod led all Devils centers in faceoff percentage with 67-percent.

Next up, tomorrow, the Devils will travel to Bridgeport, Connecticut to face the Islanders at 2 PM. That game is only streaming via the Devils radio app. I will try to do what I can to get the recap written and up in a timely fashion.

Until then!