NEWARK, NJ - The New Jersey Devils kicked off their three-game homestand against division rivals, the Pittsburg Penguins, pulling off a 5-2 win.
Dawson Mercer scored his 18th goal of the season 5:35 into the first period, putting the Devils up 1-0. The Devils headed into the second period with 14 shots and up by one goal.
Jake Allen continued to shine in his Devils career as he made timely saves to ensure the Devils remained in the lead. He saved all 12 shots faced, including three, two of which were very high-danger chances, from NHL legend Sidney Crosby.
The Penguins tied the game at one during the second period. Timo Meier would give the Devils the lead again as he continued his hot streak. The Devils would continue to hold a 2-1 lead into the third period.
The floodgates opened for the Devils in the third period as they scored three more times. Mercer and Meier added another goal to their night, and Alex Holtz found the back of the net once. Penguins forward Bryan Rust added one more goal to the Penguins' night with two minutes left in the game.
The Devils' power play went two for three on the night as Meier scored both his goals on the power play. Since the Devils moved Meier to the first unit of the power play, the Devils' success rate has started to go back up after having a very rough time for most of the season.
Meier has been the best Devils player as of late as he has 10 goals in his last 10 games, including one hat trick.
Allen had a strong night in net in front of the Devils home crowd for the first time in his career. He had a save percentage of .947 and only allowed two goals on 38 shots. Since joining the Devils, Allen has made 105 saves on 111 shots in his three games played. Good goaltending is what the Devils have been asking for all season; He has given them a chance to win these games.
The line of Mercer-Nosek-Palat was one of the Devils' strongest lines as they each ended with two points and scored two goals as a line.
The penalty kill had a successful night as the Penguins could not convert on the two power plays they were given. The Devils' special teams had a successful night during a game where they needed them the most.
The Devils will have to continue their play from tonight if they would like to climb the standings and get into the wildcard spot.
The Devils will continue their homestand against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday at 7 pm.
Be sure to check out JerseySportingNews.com for all things NJ Sports!
- Devils' Luke Hughes named 2024 Calder Trophy Finalist - April 30, 2024
- New Jersey Devils 2023-2024 season In one word: Disappointment - April 16, 2024
- Devils Eliminated from Playoff Contention - April 10, 2024
