The New Jersey Devils needed to get the Winnipeg Jets to play their game and it led to them getting their first shootout win of the season.
The New Jersey Devils finally got a win past regulation when they defeated the Winnipeg Jets by a final score of 2-1 in the shootout. The Devils are one of the stingiest teams in the league, and they haven’t generated a lot themselves offensively. The Winnipeg Jets have basically been the exact opposite so whichever team was able to impost their game onto the other team would likely win. That is what happened as it went to a shootout tied at 1.
The Jets were a perfect 5-0 in games that went past regulation and the Devils were an abysmal 0-4. The Devils used Nikita Gusev and Jesper Boqvist as their shooters and they both scored. MacKenzie Blackwood made both saves in the shootout and the Devils finally got their first win past regulation. It felt a little extra good as a fan to see the Devils do this against the Jets because the Jets came back from 4-0 down on the opening night of the season to win.
Gusev and Boqvist have both had a hard time staying in the lineup lately as they are both in their first NHL seasons. It was a good thing they were in this game as John Hynes elected to use them both in the shootout and change things up. A win is a win and now they have two in a row to begin their decently long road trip.
Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes switched their lines as Hishcier was moved up to the top line and Hughes was put on the second line. It paid dividends, at least on the scoresheet, as Nico Hischier scored the Devils’ only regulation goal that allowed them to get to the end of regulation tied. Hischier was an absolute beast in this game and it is starting to show on the scoresheet as well. If these two both continue to contribute at the pace they are, it is going to make the future so bright.
The Devils used MacKenzie Blackwood for the third straight game and it worked. He was excellent. It will be interesting to see how they handle the goaltending going forward as they have a back to back on Thursday and Friday with another game on Sunday to make it three games in four days. It is a tough portion of the schedule but they are off to a good start to their road trip. The first half of the back to back on Thursday will see them play the Calgary Flames and look to make it three in a row.