*Photo from All About the Jersey*
In an intriguing early season matchup between two teams with the busiest offseasons in hockey, Jack Hughes took home the biggest reward. Dougie Hamilton scored, Hughes added the game winner, and the New Jersey Devils defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on Friday night.
Hamilton said of the crowd packing the Prudential Center in New Jersey that "It's been a while since we had crowds, but just to have them back and loud and excited, it was awesome. I didn't really know what to expect, and it was definitely way higher than what I expected. I hope we can keep that going."
It did not take long for Hamilton, the prized addition of the offseason, to fit in well with his new team, giving the Devils a 1-0 lead just 17 seconds into the game, a very good start for a defenseman who just got paid the big bucks. Goals in the second period by Alex Debrincat of Chicago, as well as Hughes, made it a 2-1 lead for the Devils after 40 minutes of hockey.
In the 3rd period, Andreas Johnsson tallied his first goal 6:34 into the period, extending the New Jersey lead to 3-1. With 3:53 remaining in the game, Kirby Dach scored on the power play for the Blackhawks to cut the deficit to 3-2. With 26 seconds left, Dominik Kubalik tied it for Chicago, which forced overtime. 57 seconds into OT, Hughes scored on a dazzling move to give Chicago the win.
Devils head coach Lindy Ruff talked about both Hamilton and Hughes postgame, saying that "It couldn't have been a better start for Hamilton. We know what he can bring, we know what he can add, and to get involved offensively right off the bat was great for our team. Hughes wants to build off of where he was last year and he wants to get better every day. I think there's still a lot to learn and he's got tremendous talent. He wants to hit his next level."
Jonathan Bernier got the season opening start for the Devils, and he did well for himself, despite giving up the tying goal late. Bernier saved 24 of 27 shots he saw from the Blackhawks offense, posting a .889 save percentage to move to 1-0-0 on the young season.
Kevin Lankinen received the start in the second game of the season for the Blackhakws. Lankinen stopped 25 of 29 shots the Devils flung at him, recording a measly .862 save percentage, dropping to 0-0-1 this season, with the Blackhawks as a team at a 0-1-1 record to start the season.
Chicago head coach Jeremy Colliton said of the loss that "I thought we had stretches in the game where we were really good, like some of the second period. I felt like we were close to taking over. I think ultimately, we just have to find a way to be more consistent shift to shift so we can build momentum."
The Devils get back into action on Tuesday night against the Seattle Kraken, with Mackenzie Blackwood likely to get the start for New Jersey. The Blackhawks are right back in action against the Pittsburgh Penguins Saturday night, with Marc-Andre Fleury getting the start.
Comments
Post a Comment