devils fall to kings
Devils’ Sixth Straight Loss Ends Season With Dud By Matt Blittner, The New York Extra/TheNYExtra.com
It’s not so much that one season is ending, so much as a new one is beginning. What’s that you say? You claim the Devils vs. Red Wings game on Friday night is the season finale for both teams? Technically, you are correct. However, for two teams as young as New Jersey and Detroit, this “Season Finale” is more about the future than the present.
Friday night, inside Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, the Devils hosted the Red Wings for the second time in under a week and once again the result was a Red Wings victory. This time the final score was 5-3. However, the score wasn’t as important as it was to evaluate the play of many players on the ice in regards to potential roles for next season.
Now, here’s how the game went down.
1) Nico Hischier and P.K. Subban returned to the lineup for New Jersey and they appeared to be just fine. In 19:03 of ice time, Hischier tallied one assist, two shots on goal and won 75% of his face-offs. When you consider the Devils were playing catchup throughout the game, that’s a big deal to be able to win face-offs at that rate. In 15:26 of ice time, Subban was a plus-one with and had two shots on goal. By the way, this almost certainly was Subban’s final game in a Devils sweater. The defenseman is a pending UFA who New Jersey has reportedly already decided to move on from.
2) Alexander Holtz, one of New Jersey’s highest rated prospects, played in his ninth game of the season and had a fairly quiet 12:30 of ice time. There were some flashes of what he can do with the puck but overall it was a nondescript night for Holtz.
3) Mackenzie Blackwood, just a couple games removed from a lengthy stay on IR, competed against Magnus Hellberg with the latter taking home the win. Blackwood made 31-saves compared to Hellberg’s 20-saves. However, the difference was that Blackwood allowed a couple leaky goals to get through him at inopportune time.
4) And let’s not forget about Nolan Foote, Fabian Zetterlund and Nikita Okhotiuk, each of whom was recalled from Utica over the past couple of weeks for various reasons. Foote tallied one goal while Zetterlund had a goal and assist to fuel the Devils’ offense. Meanwhile, Okhotiuk was quiet throughout the game, but in a good way. Young defensemen often try to do too much and therefore make mistakes. But Okhotiuk was able to resist that temptation and played a steady brand of defense.
“I would say Fabian was our best forward,” Devils Head Coach Lindy Ruff explained. “This kid was good on the walls. He was strong down low…I think (all three kids) got a real test of how hard it really is (to play in the NHL)…These are big moments for all those young players.”
5) Michael Rasmussen opened the scoring on the second shot of the game – both by Detroit – at the 1:08 mark of the first period. Rasmussen’s shot through traffic, in the slot, beat Blackwood and gave the Red Wings the early 1-0 lead.
6) With 17:14 gone in the first period Zetterlund put the puck on net. Hellberg made the initial stop but Dawson Mercer was on the doorstep to clean up the loose puck and tie the game 1-1.
7) 6:30 into the second period Calder Trophy favorite, Moritz Seider released a long shot from the point that beat Blackwood for the 2-1 Red Wings lead. It was Seider’s 50th point of the season; which, for a rookie defenseman, is a terrific plateau to reach.
8) With 7:55 remaining in the middle period Detroit defenseman Olli Juolevi was sent to the penalty box for interfering with Jimmy Vesey, thus giving New Jersey the first power-play of the game. On the man-advantage the Devils did not manage to get a shot on net.
9) Nolan Foote tied the game 2-2, 15:38 into the middle period with a deft tip of a Dougie Hamilton blast from the point. It was Foote’ third goal in his seventh game of the season and it gave fans a glimpse as to what kind of hands the kid has.
10) Detroit opened the third period with a flurry. Tyler Bertuzzi broke in alone against Blackwood and was stopped at the doorstep. Bertuzzi collected his own rebound, circled behind New Jersey’s net and dished the puck to Joe Veleno in the right face-off circle. Veleno let loose a shot that beat Blackwood 54-seconds into the final period and put Detroit up 3-2.
11) P.K. Subban took an interference penalty 1:44 after Veleno’s goal to give the Red Wings their first power-play of the night. Just like the Devils a period earlier, Detroit did not manage a shot on goal during its power-play. Three-seconds before Subban was released from the box, Yegor Sharangovich was sprung for a short-handed breakaway but he couldn’t beat Hellberg.
12) The momentum the Devils established by killing off Detroit’s power-play came in handy the next few shifts. Finally, with 6:57 gone in the third period, Fabian Zetterlund, who had come close to scoring a couple times earlier in the game, netted the equalizer off a drop pass from Nico Hischier.
13) 3:45 after Zetterlund’s game-tying goal, Pius Suter untied it with a goal that, upon video review, just barely crossed the goal-line. 4-3 Red Wings.
“It kind of summed up our year,” Lindy Ruff said. “That puck just crossed the goal line. Sometimes you have to suffer pain to get to the next level.”
14) Dawson Mercer was caught high-sticking Bertuzzi at the 14:31 mark of the third period to give the Red Wings their second power-play of the game. But, just like the previous power-plays in the game, Detroit was again held without a shot on goal.
15) Finally, with 2:21 left in regulation, the Devils pulled Blackwood for the extra attacker down 4-3. Dougie Hamilton laid out Bertuzzi when the latter tried to score the empty-netter. But that was just delaying the inevitable as Bertuzzi eventually scored the empty-netter with 10-seconds left in the game; and the season. With the 5-3 loss complete, the Devils ended the season having lost six straight games and having been swept in the season series with Detroit.
GAME NOTES
New Jersey’s power-play went 0-for-1 on the night. Meanwhile the Devils went 2-for-2 on the penalty-kill…Nico Hischier led all Devils forwards in ice time at 19:03…Damon Severson led all New Jersey defensemen in ice time at 25:31.
WHAT THEY SAID:
Prior to the season finale, Devils Fan Club President Trudy Stetter expressed optimism that her favorite team would prevail against Detroit.
“Given the recent losses, I think the Devils, with so many players from Utica on the team, will play well and try to win the final game of the season,” Stetter explained. “(Thus) going out on a high note for the summer and looking to the new season!”
After the Devils’ 5-3 loss, it’s fair to say Trudy should invest in a new crystal ball.
