Devils Postgame: Jeremy Brodeur Shines, Devils Secure First Preseason Win

NEWARK – When the New Jersey Devils hit the ice for warmups tonight against the New York Rangers, it was a lineup more akin to a Utica Comets game. The 26-man squad set off for Prague Sunday night, leaving behind PTOs, AHL bodies, and camp invitees.

Led in net by Jeremy Brodeur, the Devils took down the Rangers 3-1 in a spirited preseason contest. Who would’ve thought of all nights and all lineups that it would be this group to secure the Devils first preseason win of the season.

Devils Recap

The Rangers were on the attack early, but Jeremy Brodeur stonewalled Adam Sykora on a breakaway. The Devils got a breakaway of their own and kicked off the scoring about midway through the first period on a Brian Halonen goal. Lighting struck twice just a few minutes later when Nathan Legare made it 2-0 Devils off of a beautiful backhand-forehand breakaway goal.

The second frame was a bit scattered. Mistakes by both teams saw multiple high-danger chances, none of which were capitalized on. However, just over two minutes into the third period, Kevin Labanc found the back of the net, wiring home a wrist shot to give the Devils a 3-0 lead. The Rangers gained momentum as the third period went on, but Brodeur stood tall, and the Devils defense did a good job in-zone defending.

Brodeur went on to stop 29 of 30 shots and was by far the highlight of the night.

Devils Takeaways

Undermanned Devils Show Fight

When the lineups were announced for tonight’s game, it didn’t inspire much. Apparently, the primarily AHL group didn’t get the memo.

From puck drop, they played with a level of speed and intensity that the main NHL squad lacked for large stretches of time this preseason. All the physicality from a typical Devils vs. Rangers game was there, and it made for an exciting contest. Mistakes by both teams made the game a little sloppy, especially in the second period, but also turned it into a bit of a track meet.

Brian Halonen was someone who stood out in particular. He played with good pace and physicality, throwing the body around a ton and dropping the gloves.

“Physicality is something I can bring, and I think it’s something that the Devils are looking for in me,” said Halonen to New Jersey Hockey Now.

The Rangers pushed hard in the third period, outshooting the Devils 15 to 3, but the Devils stood tall. Also, special teams played a huge factor, with the penalty kill going six-for-six and the power play going one-for-three. It was an all-around solid performance from a group of players that will spend most of the season in the AHL and ECHL.

Jeremy Brodeur

A familiar name started in goal tonight for the Devils and lived up to the sir name. Son of legendary Devils goalie Martin and brother of 2013 seventh-round pick Anthony, Jeremy Brodeur got his first taste of game action in a Devils sweater.

Early on, Brodeur looked solid, stopping all eight shots in the first period, including a breakaway chance by Adam Sykora of the Rangers. The dominance continued into the second period, where he stopped all six shots, including a gorgeous post-to-post pad save. He saved his best for last, stopping 14 of 15 Rangers shots, many of which came from dangerous positions.

“A lot of my hockey is based around having fun,” Brodeur said with a grin. “I had fun the moment I stepped out for warmups, and it made it seamless throughout.”

While Jeremy was having fun out there, so were the fans in the stands. Chants of “Brodeur, Brodeur” rained down from the stands for the first time in over a decade.

“It felt great (hearing the fans chant his name), a lot of times I’m focused on what’s going on on the ice, but sometimes you can’t help but hear it,” said Brodeur.

Whether or not he gets another chance to take the net over the next two preseason games remains to be seen, but if this is his only game in a Devils sweater this year, it was a heck of a performance.

PTOs Stay Behind

Devils PTOs Kevin Labanc and Jakub Zboril were not on the team flight to Prague with the main roster and instead hung back to play big minutes tonight.

In 14:09 TOI, Labanc recorded a goal on three shots and flashed his soft skill when he had the puck on his stick. Meanwhile, Zboril was held off the scoresheet in 19:05 minutes of ice time but did have two blocks.

Labanc and Zboril came into camp with an opportunity to earn roster spots in the absence of Dawson Mercer, Luke Hughes, and Brett Pesce but didn’t make enough of an impact in limited time. However, Labanc made his impact felt tonight, potting his first goal of the preseason. Labanc was in and around the action in spurts but showed off his heavy wrist shot early in the third period.

Head coach Kevin Dineen was a fan of Labanc’s game tonight. “I think he has some composure… he plays the game hard, and there’s a skillset there that puts him in a situation that he can be a real strong organizational piece,” Dineen said to New Jersey Hockey Now.

READ: Timo Meier Rooting for Kevin Labanc to Sign 

As for Zboril, he was slightly less noticeable. Which, for a defenseman, is a good thing. He was steady and made fewer mistakes tonight than he did during the Islanders game the other night. He’ll have an uphill battle to earn himself a contract, but luckily, he should have another chance, if not two, to make his case to earn a deal.

For more Devils news, visit New Jersey Hockey Now, subscribe to our YouTube and like our Facebook page.

Follow us on 𝕏:

@NJDHockeyNow, @JamesNicholsNHL, @NickNatale10

And on Threads:

@JamesNicholsNHL