Good morning Devils fans. Well, I know we have to temper expectations, considering it’s preseason, but we have to be happy about last night’s results. The Devils defeated Montreal 4-2 on the road while the other half the squad handed Philly a comfy 6-0 loss at home in the Rock. Let’s jump into both games.
The home squad got off to a great start in the first period, lighting up the lamp four times before intermission. Ondrej Palat kicked off the scoring on the rush with a backhand pass from Jesper Bratt. Eric Haula grabbed his own rebound up front to jack up the score 2-0, with a chance created by Bratt and Santeri Hatakka. Tyce Thompson shoveled one in up front with a shot from the point. Alexander Holtz grabbed a pass between the circles to go top shelf blocker side, bringing the score to 4-0. The second intermission gave a slight reprieve for the Flyers as the Devils went on the powerplay. Timo Meier capitalizes a side pass from Nico Hischier to bring it to 5-0. Michael Mcleod wrapped up the scoring by beating the Flyers defense and dealing a breakaway chance into the net. Vitek Vanacek had two shutout periods while Erik Kallgren wrapped up the game. One of the storylines I previewed in an earlier article played out as Alexander Holtz really shined through, both as an attacker and a two-way forward. Per Bill Spaulding, head coach Lindy Ruff was happy with Holtz skating back and chasing down Philadelphia’s attack, showcasing his speed, hustle, and improved hockey IQ. You can find the highlights below, courtesy of the NJ Devils YouTube page.
What are your thoughts? Did you have a favorite goal from last night? Views on the goalies’ performances? Anyone making the trip up to the city for the next game?
Leave your thoughts and comments below. Raise Hell,
-Josh Biringer