.png)
NEWARK, New Jersey - At Prudential Center on Wednesday night, the Devils defeated the Boston Bruins 2-1 in overtime, pulling off a stunning comeback.
Dawson Mercer's goal in the third period tied the score at one, but Jack Hughes' overtime winner sealed the victory.
With an assist on the overtime winner, goalie Vitek Vanecek stopped 24 of 25 shots to aid the Devils in their fourth victory in their last five games.
"He only gave up one and stood on his head tonight," Hughes stated. "V had a fantastic game this evening. The crowd ought to be supporting him, as they should."
The win ended the Bruins' six-game winning streak against the Devils, and it was head coach Lindy Ruff's 849th career victory in the dugout. That connects him to Ken Hitchcock for the fourth-best finish in NHL history overall.
The lone goal for Boston came from Morgan Geekie.
Observations from the game include the following:
• Hughes played 1:57 of the 2:47 overtime period on the ice before scoring the game-winning goal to close it out.
Ruff: "We took away roughly 20 seconds from him. Because of his extraordinary skating glide, he can heal quickly. He took a few pauses, but we could tell he was prepared to continue. He caught the chance for us by putting it in the back of the net."
• The defensive game between the Devils and Bruins was extremely close and competitive. Not much was given up by either side. The Bruins used their usual collapsing game plan, controlling the slot, cutting off shot lanes, and maintaining possession of the perimeter to limit rebound opportunities. The Devils recovered quickly, avoiding odd-man rushes and maintaining position above the puck. And the goalies were spot on when both teams faltered.
Ruff: "We realized we were taking part in a excellent group. The odds were going to be against us. It was a close contest. Both teams gave the game their all."
• Mercer claimed that he played soccer during the summers instead of baseball as a child. However, in back-to-back home games, Mercer has now scored two goals by hitting the puck out of the air. In an incredible play, Alexander Holtz caught a puck in midair behind the net and slid it between his legs to Erik Haula on the other side of the net. Haula's shot popped into the air after hitting the post. The puck was swatted out of the air and into the net by Mercer.
Mercer: "As a child, I never played baseball. I'll continue to aim for them. I'll try to obtain as many as I can if it proves effective."
Goalie Vitek Vanecek performed admirably in between the pipes. In the last minute of the second period, he made the most timely of saves. When David Pastrnak, a former 61-goal scorer, went one-on-one with rookie Simon Nemec, 19, the Devils were behind Boston 1-0. The seasoned Pastrnak easily tricked Nemec to get a one-on-one shot on goal, but Vanecek stopped him with his pad to keep the score at 1-0. The momentum is entirely in Boston's favor if they score there in the last minute of the period to make it 2-0.
Ruff: "You had a chance to win the game with that kind of save. A game of hockey. V made a fantastic save there."
• The Devils power play came into the game having gone 0 for 9 with no points in the previous three games. Against the Bruins, New Jersey's power play looked excellent, accomplishing everything but scoring (0 for 2). They did a good job moving the puck, which produced momentum and Grade A scoring opportunities. If the Devils continue to do that, they will be rewarded even though they aren't scoring goals.
• Erik Haula of the Devils, who was sidelined due to an upper-body injury on Sunday in Edmonton, is back in the starting lineup. The team also included forward Curtis Lazar, who was hit in the face by a puck yesterday and had to miss the majority of practice. Even though Lazar had a very bad cut around his nose.
Pavel Zacha, New Jersey's opponent in the end, was unable to attend the match. Charlie McAvoy, the Bruins' best defenseman, was also absent.
LOOK BACK
LOOK BACK
