The New Jersey Devils cut the Rangers’ 2-0 series lead in half on Saturday night as they won 2-1 in overtime. New Jersey traveled across the Hudson River to avoid going down 3-0 as they got smacked the first two games.
Games 1 and 2 both resulted in 5-1 losses. The Rangers were first to every puck, outskating the Devils, and ultimately looked more like a playoff team. The three differences on Saturday were that the Devils got to play their way, they handled the Rangers’ power play, and Akira Schmid kept the Devils in it.
The main difference in New Jersey’s play in Game 3 was they played their style of hockey. Instead of trying to match the Rangers’ physicality, the Devils were more focused on moving the puck and gaining traction through the neutral zone. Something that was not done in games one and two. The Devils had 28 shots on goal Saturday night, which was the same amount as Game 1. However, the shots on goal were more of a threat to the Rangers as they were better scoring opportunities.
Another key to the Devils’ success in game three was they were able to find a way to stop the Rangers’ power play. In games one and two, the Rangers capitalized on four different power plays with all four goals coming from Chris Kreider. The Ranger’s power play had the Devils looking lost and confused. In game three, the Rangers went 0/5 on the power play and the Devils shut it down which ultimately frustrated New York as they were used to getting their way on the advantage.
The final big key to the win was Akira Schmid. Schmid made his first playoff start in goal for New Jersey and looked golden. The 22-year-old, 6-foot, 5-inch goaltender stopped the 35 shots that came his way as he notched a .972 SV %. Jack Hughes was asked about Akira Schmid’s performance after the game Saturday night and Hughes said, “Stone cold, no pulse, always relaxed and poised.”
"He's stone cold, no pulse, always relaxed and poised.”
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) April 23, 2023
Calm. Cool. Collected. Akira Schmid delivers in his NHL playoff debut!https://t.co/9MFXYw66tx
When asked by Emily Kaplan of ESPN about why he chose to go with Schmid in net, head coach Lindy Ruff quoted Schmid’s size as a reason for his start. He also talked about his play during the season. It clearly made a difference, as Schmid stoned the Rangers.
The Devils return to Madison Square Garden on Monday night hoping to knot the series at two. Puck drop is set for 7:00 P.M. EST.