On Thursday night, the New Jersey Devils lost a close game to the Philadelphia Flyers by a final score of 2-1. It was another tough game which happens to be their fourth loss in a row and they have only collected one standings point out of those eight.
It isn’t that the team played badly, though. They actually played their best game of this little skid, but Carter Hart stood on his head.
Jack Hughes scored one of the prettiest goals for New Jersey early in the game to give them a 1-0 lead. It was a power-play goal, but it was all Jack Hughes making an amazing play. Honestly, it looked like it was going to be a long night for Hart and the Flyers from there.
It was a long night for them, too. The Devils kept pressuring just the same, but Hart was up to the task, as he didn’t give up another goal. He made 48 saves on 49 shots and stole the victory from the New Jersey Devils.
There will be folks upset that they lost four in a row, but sometimes a goalie steals a win. That happened to the Devils in this one, as Carter Hart was just magnificent. Tip your cap. If they played that same game 100 times, they’d win 98.
The New Jersey Devils were beaten at home by Carter Hart on Thursday.
Philly scored two goals which isn’t a lot, but it is enough when your goalie plays like that. With a 1-1 tie, Damon Severson made a terrible play that allowed the Flyers to score the go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal. You must be better at protecting the puck in a close game like that.
The Devils have been so good that they can have this four-game skid and still lead the Metropolitan Division. It won’t last, however, unless they start to find their winning ways again. They won’t be facing goalies playing that well every night, so it is time to move on.
Their next test will come on Saturday against the Florida Panthers, who are a really good team. This is a chance for the New Jersey Devils to suit up, play well, and get a win against a quality opponent. The sky isn’t falling yet.