Stefan Noesen explains how physicality was important in win vs. Flyers

The New Jersey Devils shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 5-0 on Wednesday. While their offense was impressive, their physicality and defense stole the show. On a night when TNT was televising the event, the Devils brought the "boom" to the Prudential Center. It all started when Brenden Dillon laid a big hit on Owen Tippett in the second period. It seemed like the Devils unleashed Pandora's Box. Tippett didn't return to the game, but the grudge match was far from over. Both teams were exchanging blows all game long

There were a total of 13 penalties in the second period alone. Even though that slowed down the game's pace, the aggression flipped a switch for the Devils. The Flyers roster consists of players like Scott Laughton, Nick Seeler, Garnet Hathaway, and Travis Konecny. It's not the most skilled roster in the NHL, but with players of that caliber coached by John Tortorella, toughness is definitely imperative. That is why Sheldon Keefe ultimately replaced Brian Halonen with Kurtis MacDermid. It was a hard-fought battle, and the crowd loved it.

Pucks and Pitchforks had the chance to conduct an exclusive one-on-one discussion with Stefan Noesen postgame. He had to serve two minor penalties in the second period and was in the midst of all the chaos. He said that the team was lacking physicality for a while but hopes that Wednesday's outing turns it around.

"I thought it was good way to re-establish the way that we play and be physically engaged into games. I think that was lacking for a little bit. I [also] think that we were trying to float by games and in this league you can't really do that. You have to attack it head-on. We took the bull by the horns and just went after them. We knew that they were going to fight back, but that's just the team that they've built...Coming into our building we just wanted to set the tone."

Stefan Noesen w/ Pucks & Pitchforks

When asked to elaborate more on the second period specifically, Noesen credited both Dillon and MacDermid for providing a spark and giving the team more energy. Because that was the eventual turning point of the game.

"It's part of the reason why we brought Dilly in: to be a physical [defensive] presence and set that tone. I think I took one too, but it's part of the game. It was getting physical and chippy, it's the reason why we have Dilly [Dillon] and Dermy [MacDermid] in our lineup to protect us and really stir the pot."

Stefan Noesen w/ Pucks & Pitchforks

Even though the offense was led by the Hughes brothers, Luke Hughes acknowledged the toughness that certain players provided.

"We have a really physical team when we want to be. I think our physical guys definitely stepped up. Dermy, Dilly, and all of those guys were all over the ice."

Luke Hughes postgame vs. Flyers

The Devils had a rough January finishing with a record of 5-5-3. Due to their struggles, they dropped from second to third in the Metropolitan Division. However, when looking at a more positive trend, the Devils are now 3-1 in their previous four outings. It looks like they're finally starting to turn things around. The team's offense, defense, physicality, and goaltending have steadily improved these last few games.