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New Jersey Devils: John Quenneville Must Step Up Now

By Nick Villano

EDMONTON, AB - MARCH 13: New Jersey Devils Winger John Quenneville (47) celebrates his goal the fourth of the game in the second period during the Edmonton Oilers game versus the New Jersey Devils on March 13, 2019 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
EDMONTON, AB - MARCH 13: New Jersey Devils Winger John Quenneville (47) celebrates his goal the fourth of the game in the second period during the Edmonton Oilers game versus the New Jersey Devils on March 13, 2019 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB. (Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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New Jersey Devils prospect John Quenneville has no more excuses. After scoring his first goal of the season, he now has to play like he deserves to stick with the franchise.

There were so many times where different New Jersey Devils players needed to break the ice to get going. Cory Schneider desperately needed a win after going more than 14 months without one. After winning a game on February 15th, he’s won five of nine and has a better than .900 save percentage in seven of those nine games. Pavel Zacha didn’t get his first point of the season until November 17th. He’s scored at least four points in every month since, and that includes just eight months in February.

The latest bad streak to end was John Quenneville’s scoreless streak. He’s played 18 games with the New Jersey Devils this season, and just got his first point on Wednesday against the Edmonton Oilers. It was a point that doesn’t happen against a better goalie, as Mikko Koskinen just couldn’t catch the slap shot, but a goal nonetheless.

Now that Quenneville got a gift from the opponent to finally get on the score sheet, the monkey is finally off his back. Even beyond that gift, Quenneville was a completely different player that game. Maybe something was said, because he had a season high three shots on goal. He knows that this is his chance to prove he deserves a shot to stick in the NHL.

Quenneville is a former first-round pick, but that doesn’t mean anything to this current regime. He’s just another prospect like 2nd-round pick Nathan Bastian and 7th-round pick Jeremy Davies. Whoever ends up being the best player will get the playing time. That’s how Jesper Bratt ended up on the roster. That’s worked out beautifully.

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Quenneville needs to turn this one goal into more goals down the stretch. He can’t live off this one goal and think that means anything next season. He needs to continue scoring for even a chance to make the Devils next season.

Beyond that, Quenneville is a restricted free agent this offseason. Don’t put it past Ray Shero to completely let Quenneville go outright. It doesn’t sound like the right idea, but don’t put it past him. Quenneville still has value, but so did Beau Bennett. Shero still let him go for nothing.

This one goal could be all Quenneville needed to turn everything around for good. It worked for Zacha earlier this season. Maybe it works for Quenneville. If he can score a few more goals towards the end of the season, it will do wonders for the Devils confidence in him.

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