New Jersey Devils Defense Excels in Victory Over the Rangers

New Jersey Devils, Ice Hockey, Professional

April 1, 2023

Thursday night, the two juggernauts in the Metro East New Jersey Devils (47-20-8) and the New York Rangers (44-21-10) faced off. Both teams having high stakes made for an extremely exciting contest. With the playoffs rapidly approaching, both teams continue to try to battle for higher seeding as they both have clinched a playoff spot. While both the Devils and Rangers have immense talent on the ice, the takeaway tonight was the stout defense of the Devils.

The Devils' defense allowed them to prevail, 2-1, inching them one game closer to securing the No.1 seed and home ice throughout the playoffs. This matchup can be seen as a preview of what’s to come in the first round in April.

“I felt we played the type of game we needed to play to be a good hockey club,” Devils head coach Lindy Ruff said. "They're going to put a statue up right next to him [Martin Brodeur].”

Explosive First Period for the Devils

This season, the Devils have frequently gotten off a to slow start. Understanding what was at stake, the Devils appeared to play with much more energy than we've seen from them all season. Ironically, this the was period that separated them from the Rangers. In the first period, they managed to strike twice and gain an early lead on the Rangers.

“I think we stuck with it, played for the most part and took away their creativity,” Devils left wing Erik Haula stated. “It was a full game and they have a lot of scorers on their team. However, we managed to execute our game plan pretty well.”

That said, the Devils came out strong with several breakaways, and the Rangers just weren't able to capitalize on the opportunities presented to them. They appeared to come out a bit flat with a lack of energy. Within the first five minutes of the period, the first goal of the game came from a tip-in from Haula off of a slapshot from defensemen Dougie Hamilton. Throughout the remainder of the period, the flow of the game remained intense, however it was a stalemate.

Into the final three minutes of the first period, Devils' star right wing Timo Meier (acquired in a trade from the San Jose Sharks) drilled a shot into the net. Nimbly, Meier found his way back into the slot and kicked the puck out to Hughes, ultimately leading to a Hughe-assist as Meier snapped the puck past Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin giving the Devils a two-score lead.

Timo Meier scores a power-play goal against the New York Rangers to make it 2-0 #NJDvsNYR #NJDevils #NoQuitInNY pic.twitter.com/dA1sgqq8EP

— nopClips (@nopClips) March 30, 2023

Despite both teams having a special resiliency and patience within the flow of the game, the Devils dominated the first period.

New York Rangers Continue to Claw Back

Although the Devils gained momentum from their performance in the first period, this didn’t necessarily carry throughout the second. The Devils came out with similar energy as they did in the first period, however the bounces stop going into the Devils favor it appeared. Throughout the period, the Devils had ample opportunity to capitalize on breakaways, power plays, and clean shots. Unfortunately, this was a period of misses, which handed the momentum back to the Rangers.

Later in the period, the momentum building up on the Rangers' side and the confidence that Shesterkin continued to build eventually paid off. With 6:36 remaining in the period, the Rangers' left wing Chris Kreider answered the Devils with a goal of his own.

The majority of the period consisted of missed opportunities from both teams, however the Rangers managed to get a bounce that favored them and trailed the Devils by one with a 2-1 score heading into the third period.

Devils Defense Saves the Day

In the final period, both teams had ample opportunities to score, but neither could get a score off. The Devils defense held strong, and the game ended with a Devils 2-1 victory over the Rangers. Devils' goalie Vitek Vanecek joins Devils' HOFer Martin Brodeur with 30 wins on the season.

The Devils continue to step up to the challenge no matter who comes into the Prudential Center. The tides are turning for the Devils and they’re starting to build momentum at an optimal time. The Devils faceoff with the Blackhawks at 8:00 pm Saturday.