The New Jersey Devils continued their playoff push by defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 at the Scotiabank Arena.
For the 51st time this season, the Devils trailed first, as Tyler Bertuzzi opened the scoring a minute into the game for the Leafs. As the ice was very clearly tilted in the Leafs' favor, Jake Allen kept the Devils in the game, making 26 saves. Luke Hughes and Nico Hischier added to the scoring in the first period to give the Devils a 2-1 lead going into the second.
The scoring did not stop there, as each team scored two more times in the middle frame. William Nylander and Auston Matthews each scored for their team. At the time, this put the Leafs back in the lead with a score of 3-2. Timo Meier continued his hot streak and added his 13th goal in the past 14 games. Max Willman added one to give the Devils the 4-3 lead.
The third period featured mostly offense from the Toronto Maple Leafs, but Allen continued to stand on his head for the Devils. With just under five minutes, Jack Hughes gave the Devils a two-goal lead, getting one past Woll on a partial breakaway. He then added the empty net after quite the effort from Curtis Lazar.
Hughes has four goals in his past four games. Now is the perfect time for him to start heating up, as the Devils need everyone playing their best hockey if they are looking to make the playoffs.
Hischier and Jesper Bratt led the Devils to a win, as they each collected three points tonight. Hischier had one goal and two assists, while Bratt added three assists to his season.
Nine different Devils showed up on the scoresheet, as it was a full team effort in Toronto.
As it has been for the Devils recently, goaltending was the story tonight. Allen had a save percentage of .933, facing 45 shots. Since joining the Devils, he has had a save percentage of .923. He has collected three wins in five of his games.
Despite the power play not breaking through tonight, the players could be seen moving the puck well and creating opportunities. The penalty kill continued to be successful as they went 2/2 on the night.
The Devils will continue their road trip in Buffalo as they take on the Sabres on Friday at 7 p.m. If the Devils are looking to make it into the playoffs, this is a must-win game, as the Sabres could also potentially be in the hunt.
Be sure to check out JerseySportingNews.com for Devil Playoff Push Coverage
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- Devils Continue Playoff Race After Strong 6-3 Win Over Toronto - March 27, 2024
