New Jersey Devils: Mackenzie Blackwood Shines In Opener

Mackenzie Blackwood was great for the New Jersey Devils on Opening Night.

The New Jersey Devils had a tough first period. They allowed the Boston Bruins to walk all over them but they escaped only trailing by one thanks to a power-play goal by Brad Marchand. Mackenzie Blackwood shined to escape the period like that despite being outshot 16-4. Well, New Jersey found their game from there and played much better in the second and third period but they still needed great play from Blackwood in the net.

They still ended up being outshot 37-22 but they were still able to earn a standings point by getting to overtime. Brad Marchand scored again in the shootout to give Boston the win but the team definitely played better than most would have thought and Blackwood was a big part of it. If he continues to play like this all year long, they will be close in a lot of games. Following the news about Corey Crawford retiring, the Devils knew that he would have to step up big.

As good as Mackenzie Blackwood was, Tuukka Rask was also very good for Boston. Whenever a team plays well, the goalie has a lot to do with it. Neither team should be laughed at because the goalie played well. The Bruins are a better team than New Jersey, especially without Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt, but Blackwood was able to keep them in it until they found their legs.

Jack Hughes is going into this season with the hope that he will become an elite player. He showed flashes of brilliance all year last year but the numbers weren’t what anyone was expecting. Well, he had an assist on both Devils goals in this 3-2 shootout loss. Having two points in the opener is great for him and his confidence. Now we just need to see him score that first goal of the season.

It shouldn’t take long as his line with Yegor Sharangovich and Kyle Palmieri looked good from the second period on. They are going to be counted on heavily this season so it is nice to see them get off to a decent start. There is another level they can get to as well which is exciting. Speaking of Sharangovich, he was brilliant in this game. He didn’t score but he was a big body in front of the net on the second goal and he drew three penalties. It is nice to have him on this team making an impact.

That second goal was scored by Ty Smith who was also playing in his first career NHL game. He scored a lot of goals in the WHL so seeing him net his first one in the NHL in his first game was really nice. He needs to be a big part of this team in the long term so this was a brilliant start. Smith shouldn’t be on the third pair for very long as his development continues.

If Miles Wood can continue scoring while taking fewer penalties, he can continue being a good bottom-six forward for this team that is desperate for them. When the injured and quarantine players come back, this team isn’t as bad as some people think. Hopefully, Blackwood can also keep this up because if he does, this team won’t be as bad as people think.

The Devils are back at it again at home on Saturday afternoon against these same Boston Bruins. It should be fun watching these two teams battle it out once again after seeing each other just a couple of nights prior. That part of the season is strange but it is just nice to have our team back after 310 days.