Devils Lose Lead, Game to Toronto | GAME STORY
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The Devils had a 3-2 lead late in the third period but Toronto executed the comeback in a 4-3 victory for the Maple Leafs Tuesday night at Prudential Center.
Erik Haula scored twice for New Jersey while Ondrej Palat chipped in a tally.
Mitchell Marner, Calle Jarnkrok, Michael Bunting and Auston Matthews scored for the Leafs. Bunting and Matthews scored in the final five minutes of regulation.
“The third period it was right there, except we made a couple big mistakes we haven’t made,” head coach Lindy Ruff said. “With five minutes left the other team should have to earn the opportunity. They didn’t earn it. We gave it to them. We didn’t stay on the puck. On the tying goal we didn’t come back hard enough. They get to walk in and tie the game.”
Here are some observations from the game…
The Devils’ third line – Palat, Haula and Jesper Boqvist – popped off against Arizona, picking up five total points between the three, including Boqvist’s first-career two-goal game.
They registered two goals as a line against Toronto with Haula scoring twice. Palat did add a goal, though it was on the power play. Haula drove to the net and buried a rebound for his first goal. Haula’s second goal was a beautiful tip on a Palat shot that sneaked through Ilya Samsonov.
“That line has given us some really good hockey,” Ruff said. “They finished. That line seems to have some chemistry right now. They’re playing hard hockey, skating well, getting inside on a couple of goals. They’re earning what they’re getting, and on the other side they’re not giving up very much when they’re on the ice.”
The trio combined for eight points (3g-5) tonight. There’s a lot to like about the trio. Palat (1g-2a) has smarts, experience and physicality, Haula (2g-1a) is excellent with faceoffs, fundamentals and hockey IQ, and Boqvist (2a) possesses skills, creativity and pace.
“We’re playing well. We had been for a while. We’re just getting rewarded right now,” Haula said. “We’re having fun, playing hard, playing the right way and trying to get the job done.”
The Devils failed to score on a four-minute high-sticking double minor. They received another power play 30 seconds later. They surrendered a shorthanded goal to fall behind 2-1. However, New Jersey evened it up when Palat tallied on the same power play to make it a 2-2 game. It was a wild swing of momentum and events to start the third period. The Devils surrendered power-play goal to Matthews late in the third.
Timo Meier received a warm welcome from the Devils faithful in his home debut. There was a “Ti-Mo Mei-Er” chant from the opening faceoff before he even stepped on the ice. That was followed by a huge cheer when his skate blade did connect on Prudential Center ice for the first time.
The trio of Meier, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt were explosive and created several unbelievable scoring chance from the start – including back-to-back opportunities for Hughes and Meier where goaltender Ilya Samsonov was forced to make incredible saves. Meier was shuffled around with Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer as well, as the coaching staff looks for the right fit.
On one sequence in the second period, Meier attempted a wraparound, lost his stick, threw a big hit, got his stick back, got the puck back and had a great chance. That summarizes what Meier will add to the Devils.
Defenseman Damon Severson had one of his best games at both ends of the ice. Defensively, he guarded against two 2-on-1s by dropping to the ice and knocking away the pass. Offensively, he snapped a beautiful stretch pass to unleash Bratt for a breakaway.
“Just whatever to help the team win,” Severson said. “Offensively, if the chance is there, helping create there. Defensively, when the chances are against us we have to make sure we shut that down.”
Miles Wood made a great play in the first period. He was streaking down the left side when a pass intended for him went behind him. Instead of stopping, he let it bank off the boards and didn’t break stride, picking it up on the bank, cutting the to the net and getting a chance.
Wood had a rough moment in the second period. He was on the receiving end of an inadvertent elbow by Timothy Liljegren. He had to leave the game momentarily but returned to finish the second period. However, he did not play in the third period.
“Precautionary,” Ruff said of holding Wood out of the third. “We’ll see how he’s doing tomorrow.”
The Devils had one of the best first periods of their season. Through the opening 15 minutes, New Jersey had an edge in shots, 14-2, and a lopsided edge in Grade-A scoring chances. But they had nothing to show for it.