New Jersey Devils Go For Franchise Record On Wednesday Night
In a season where the Devils are playing really well, they recently tied a franchise record with a win against the Oilers
On Monday, the New Jersey Devils tied a franchise record that has been in place for 20 years. The Devils have now won 13 games in a row. Throughout their winning streak, the Devils showcased talent, fight, and tenacity to win these games. The only other Devils team to break this record was the 2000-01 Devils, who would go onto the Stanley Cup Final that year. This historic franchise record win on Monday would be against the Edmonton Oilers. The last time the Devils faced the Oilers was a very close match on November 3rd. But thanks to some quick goals by Ryan Graves and Jesper Bratt, the Devils won their 5th straight game up until that point. Now facing the Oilers again, the Devils won the battle thanks to these components.
Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt Continue Hot Streak
Regarding who is leading the charge on the team, both Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt fit that description perfectly. On the first powerplay of the game for the Devils, Hischier set up Bratt on a beautiful pass, to which Bratt fired an incredible shot to put the Devils up 1-0. Hischier would have two more assists in the game. One of them was thanks to Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner who gave up a bad giveaway in the net, to which Nico set up Dawson Mercer to put the Devils up 2-1. The other assist was on a secondary assist on Tomas Tatar‘s beautiful play to put the Devils up 4-2.
Now, as for Jesper Bratt, he continues to show Tom Fitzgerald why he needs an extension. The last few games in the streak were just beautiful for Bratt. Monday night was no different, as he added two more points. One of them was on that goal which he fired so fast past Skinner. The other point he got was an assist on the 3rd goal when he and Jack Hughes made two crisp passes to set up Damon Severson‘s goal. It’s just amazing to watch these two making great play after great play.
Vitek Vanecek‘s Star Stunning Performance Is a Big Part of this Franchise Record Win
A big part of this franchise record win is the goaltending. Thinking about the Devil’s goalie issues, signing Vitek Vanecek may have been one of the best moves that Tom Fitzgerald made that offseason. Due to Mackenzie Blackwood getting hurt again, Vitek Vanecek has made his presence known as the Devils’ starting goaltender throughout the streak.
Monday’s game was one of his best performances, considering the team he was facing. It’s not easy as a goalie to face off against the speedy Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. However, it was no issue for Vanecek, as he only allowed two goals in the game. There were plenty of times in the game when the Oilers applied pressure in the Devils’ zone, trying to put the puck in the net. The Oilers outshot the Devils this game. But Vanecek saved 33 shots out of 35 to win the game, and if it weren’t for him, the Devils wouldn’t have won 13 straight games.
Tomas Tatar and Dawson Mercer Putting Up Points of Their Own in the Franchise Record Game
Last season, two of these guys were on the opposite ends of how well they played on the team. While Dawson Mercer was one of the few good players on the Devils last year, Tomas Tatar failed to do anything spectacular. The roles switched at the beginning of the season, especially during this stretch. Tatar has been doing much better than last year, putting up at least five assists and four goals in November alone.
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While Mercer has yet to play like he did last year, that doesn’t mean he can still get points when he needs to. This game was perfect for both to earn points and remain consistent with the team. Mercer and Tatar were on the same line with Nico Hischier, and he helped both of them gain points. Mercer got two points which was the goal he finished thanks to Stuart Skinner’s mess-up, then got another point on the assist for Tatar’s goal. For Tatar, he scored a beautiful goal where he got his own rebound after Skinner saved it initially. Both plays were a big part of why the Devils ran away with this game for the win and tied the franchise record for a winning streak.