The New Jersey Devils recently set an NHL record by allowing 20 shots or fewer in seven straight games. They went 5-1-1 in those games.
Over the weekend, the shot totals increased as the Devils split a two-game set with the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Devils enter their second Pacific swing of the season, and they will attempt to return to their defensive ways on Tuesday when they visit the Anaheim Ducks.
New Jersey enters its final game of 2024 with a one-point lead in the Eastern Conference standings thanks to a defense allowing 25.5 shots per game — third in the NHL behind Carolina and the Los Angeles Kings.
The Devils yielded just 12 shots on goal in the final contest of their seven-game run, a 5-0 rout of the New York Rangers on Dec. 23. In their 4-2 home win Friday over the Hurricanes, they conceded 31 shots and in Saturday’s 5-2 loss at Carolina, they allowed a season-high 41 shots. It was only the fifth time the Devils allowed at least 35 shots and the fifth time they allowed at least five goals.
New Jersey was held to 23 shots in both games. On Saturday, the Devils allowed the final four goals after Paul Cotter scored in the second period and Ondrej Palat scored early in the third.
Among the goals they allowed was a power-play tally after Timo Meier got a game misconduct for a knee-on-knee hit to Martin Necas, who returned to the contest.
“There were just moments in the third period we did not manage well at all,” New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe said. “We’ve got the lead on the road, we’re in a great spot. We give it right back to them right away. It’s little things like that.”
Anaheim is 4-7-1 in its past 12 since reaching a .500 points percentage (10-10-3) on Dec. 1. Each of Anaheim’s past eight games were decided by two goals or fewer, and it bounced back from a pair of 3-1 setbacks to the Vegas Golden Knights and Philadelphia Flyers with Sunday’s 5-3 home win over the Edmonton Oilers.
Anaheim overcame a pair of two-goal deficits by scoring the final four goals of the game. The Ducks scored at least five goals for the fifth time this season, and the comeback occurred a week after it erased a three-goal deficit to get a 5-4 win at the Utah Hockey Club.
It was also their second win in two weeks over a team with 20 wins, following their 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 18.
Ryan Strome scored the tiebreaking goal to end a 12-game goalless drought. Strome scored after Drew Helleson and Robby Fabbri scored in a span of 5:14 in the second period.
“I think the key thing for us lately is every time we seem to play these good teams, last year we would have lost that game 5-0 or something like that,” Strome said. “This year it feels like we’re going toe to toe with these teams, whether it’s Colorado or Winnipeg or these guys (Edmonton). Obviously it’s only December, but it’s a good sign.”
Mason McTavish also scored for the Ducks, whose 88 goals are tied with the Nashville Predators for the fewest in the NHL.
The Devils are 6-3-0 in the past nine meetings and scored four times in the second period of their 6-2 home win against the Ducks on Oct. 27.
–Field Level Media
