New Jersey Devils Finish Home Schedule Strong
The New Jersey Devils had their final home game of the season, and they finished it off on a good note.
The New Jersey Devils had their final home game of the season on Monday night and it was a memorable game in the 2018-19 season. Team tank or not, it feels great to defeat the New York Rangers.
The Devils started MacKenzie Blackwood in this one, and he was sensational. The Rangers got up to 11 shots on goal before the clock reached 10 minutes in the first period. He kept the Devils in it until they found their legs. He made 30 saves on 32 shots. Blackwood is going to be a member of the 2019-20 New Jersey Devils. His role is unpredictable, but he and Cory Schneider should make a great tandem.
A noticeable player in this one was Nico Hischier. He was awarded an assist on Travis Zajac’s power play goal and was all over the ice. He is truly turning into a great number one center. If he reaches his offensive ceiling he could be one of the great centers in the entire NHL.
Zajac and Miles wood were also both all over the place in this game. They each collected a goal in this one. Wood got off to a slow start offensively and Zajac is having one of his best offensive seasons in years. If they can somehow both have great seasons in the same year, this team could have some serious scoring depth.
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It was great to see new Devils defenseman Connor Carrick get his first goal as a Devil. It even stood up as the game winner. The lineup might not be as easy to crack next year for the defenseman as you would expect a healthy Sami Vatanen and Ty Smith is coming, but Carrick is making a case to be one of those guys.
The Prudential Center is a fantastic home for the New Jersey Devils. It can really be a tough place for opponents to play if everyone is on their game. Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin voted it the hardest place to play in his NHL survey. Hopefully a healthy and motivated Devils squad can bring winning ways and playoff hockey back to The Rock.
To end the season, the Devils will hit the road for two games. Their next game is Thursday night when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes will be so desperate because they are only in playoff position by a single point. They will give everything they have in order to qualify for the postseason.
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Fans can look at this one as another win-win situation. If the Devils win then they could have a hand in keeping the Hurricanes out and if the Devils lose they can maybe help improve their lottery odds.