The New Jersey Devils needed to have a big weekend and they did. A big four-point weekend could spark a big winning streak.
The New Jersey Devils defeated the Montreal Canadiens in overtime to complete a huge weekend for them. They were losing the game late, but a power-play goal by Wayne Simmonds got the game to overtime. Then in overtime, they were gifted another power play and Kyle Palmieri sniped it home. They defeated former Devils goalie Keith Kinkaid to secure the four-point weekend. Both wins were gutsy as a few things could have been different and it changed the entire outcome of the game.
In this game against the Canadiens, Nico Hischier was the spark that got the Devils back in it. He is one of the best players on the team and has been playing like it. He scored a short-handed goal with one second left in the second period. That goal sparked what would be a Devils comeback to win. When Hischier is playing his elite, two-way game, the Devils are going to have a chance to win the game. Hischier also collected an assist on the overtime winner by Palmieri.
MacKenzie Blackwood also started this game for New Jersey after starting the first game of the back-to-back. He was the best player on the ice against the Penguins and followed it up with another strong performance against the Canadiens. He is really coming along in his development and they are going to need him to play well if they plan on winning some games.
Taylor Hall has been a large topic of conversation in the media lately. He only has two goals on the season, but he continues to rack up assists. He had another two in this game as he set up the tying and winning goals. He needs to score some goals but it is good to see that he is still collecting points along the way during the slump.
Nikita Gusev has been on and off during his first month in the NHL, but he had his best game of the season in Montreal. He may have found a home on a line with Travis Zajac and Blake Coleman, but either way, it is good to see him have some success. He is a great scorer and playmaker so the Devils would like to see his game continue to improve.
This was a gutsy win for the Devils but hopefully, it propels them to a big streak. They have dug themselves in a bit of a hole in the standings but a long streak could go a long way. As long as they continue to find a way to get points, things might balance out this season. They won a game this weekend that they played well and they lost a game that they didn’t even come close to playing well. Their next chance to put two points in the bank comes on Tuesday when they host the Boston Bruins.