Devils Snap Losing Streak; Defeat Bruins in Overtime

The last time the New Jersey Devils and the Boston Bruins faced off the Devils were in a “win and in” playoff scenario. They lost 7-2.

Since that meeting last week, the Devils have gone on a three-game losing streak. Yet they have clinched a postseason spot and look like a team that just wants to get to Game One.

The Bruins, on the other hand, look like a team that wants the season to end. They’re 3-7-0 in their last 10 and will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16.

Jake Allen took the net for the final time in the regular season (and maybe the final time in a Devils jersey), while former Bruin Marc McLaughlin made his Devils debut since being acquired at the Trade Deadline.

READ: Here’s Why Devils Paul Cotter is Suspended for Remainder of Regular Season

The Devils came out early and tilted the ice heavily in their favor.

After multiple quality scoring chances and subsequent good saves by Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman, Timo Meier found the back of the net on the Devils’ seventh shot of the night. Brett Pesce found Meier in stride, skating down the right circle before firing a shot off the inside of the post and in.

Meier’s 26th goal of the year came before the Bruins managed a single shot on goal.

The lead and domination didn’t last long, however. After stringing together a few good shifts in the Devils zone, the Bruins tied the game at 1-1 after a Morgan Geekie one-timer beat Allen from distance. The goal came just 1:18 after Meier’s opener.

Boston would find their way back into the game, aided by multiple power plays, and would end the period leading the shot counter 9-8. Our friends on the Action Network with the Kalshi promo code may have been surprised by the fight shown by the hapless Bruins.

To add injury to insult, Ondrej Palat did not come out for the second period after blocking a shot on one of the Bruins’ power plays. The forward took a shot off the shin pad, returned for a shift, but then went down the tunnel into the locker room and didn’t come back out.

A full 30 seconds after tying the game, Simon Nemec gave the Devils a 3-2 lead after firing a quick snapshot from the point. Devils’ debutant Marc McLaughlin won the faceoff clean back to Nemec, whose shot was partially saved by Swayman but found its way into the net.

A holding penalty would give the Devils their second power play of the night and they would have equal success as their first. Hughes found Hischier all alone at the top of the left circle, but the captain opted to send a pass to Dawson Mercer who redirected the puck into an open net to give the Devils a 4-2 lead.

However, the Devils’ two-goal lead would only last a few minutes. Bruins forward John Farinacci, who’s making his NHL debut, followed up his own rebound and beat Allen up high to cut the lead to 4-3.

An active period saw five goals scored and the Devils lead in shots on goal 22-16.

It was a relatively tame opening five minutes of the third period. That is, until the Bruins found the tying goal.

Brenden Dillon was slow to react chasing a puck into the defensive zone, leaving an opening for Fabian Lysell to steal the puck and send a pass to Marat Khusnutdinov in the slot who roofed the puck over Allen’s shoulder.

The rest of the third period featured not much of note. Both teams traded shots but nothing of the high danger variety, and headed into overtime tied 4-4.

It was an unlikely hero who emerged for the Devils in overtime when defenseman Brian Dumoulin ripped home a wrist shot past Swayman for the game-winning goal and his first as a Devil.

The Devils break their three-game losing streak as they head into the final game of the season against the Detroit Red Wings.