The loss concluded the Devils' seventh of 16 sets of back-to-back games (1st-game: 5-2-0/2nd game: 4-3-0). It was New Jersey's fifth game against a fellow Metropolitan Div. team; the club is 2-3-0 (2-1-0 road) vs. the Metropolitan and is 9-4-2 (6-1-1 road) against all Eastern Conference clubs.
Devils' goaltender, Keith Kinkaid, made his 8th start of 2017-18 and stopped 34 of 39 shots (.872 save%) to fall to 5-3-1 on the campaign. It was also the first time Kinkaid has lost consecutive games in regulation. New Jersey was shut-out in his previous start, a 5-0 loss at ARI on Dec. 2. In Kinkaid's past two starts, New Jersey has been out-scored by a total of 8-2.
The Devils were 0-3 on the power play and have not scored in four straight games, 0-11, Dec. 2-9. Conversely, New Jersey was 3-3 on the penalty-kill and are 27 of 30 (90.0%) down a man over the last nine games, Nov. 22-Dec. 9. The Rangers out-shot New Jersey, 39-28. The Devils have been out-shot by their opponent in 21 out of 29 games this season.
Damon Severson notched his fourth goal of the season to cut the Rangers' lead in half, 2-1, during the second period. Severson led all Devils with 21:47 of action. Stefan Noesen and Blake Coleman had the assists on Severson's tally. Noesen has points in a career-high, three straight games (1G-2A), while Coleman has points in two-straight (1G-1A) for the first point-streak in his NHL career.
Miles Wood notched New Jersey's second and final goal of the evening at 6:34 of the third period. It was his first goal since notching his first NHL hat-trick, Nov. 12 at CHI (11 games). He led all players with six penalty minutes and has a team-high 37 PIM this season. Wood needs just one goal to tie his 2016-17 total (8).
Pavel Zacha notched his fifth assist and 7th point of the season on Wood's tally, in his first game since Dec. 1 at COL. Will Butcher notched his 17th assist (19PTS) on Wood's goal. Butcher ranks second in assists on New Jersey behind T. Hall (20).
TONIGHT'S GAME VS. LOS ANGELES
The Devils will face-off against Los Angeles for the first of two games in the 2017-18 season. The clubs will meet again on St. Patrick's day at Staples Center in their second and final contest.
New Jersey seeks to end their first two-game, losing-streak of the season. The club is 3-3-2 (2-1-1 home) vs. the Pacific Division and is 7-5-2 (3-2-1 home) against all Western Clubs.
New Jersey was win-less, 0-2-0, against LA in 2016-17, losing by a pair of goals on both Nov. 19, 2016, 4-2, at Staples Center and on Jan. 24 at Staples Center, 3-1. The Devils are 1-3-0 at The Rock, and are 3-1-0 at Staples Center in the regular-season against the Kings since the 2012 Stanley Cup Final.
The Kings are 5-0-0 against the Metropolitan Division this season. The Devils are Los Angeles' first opponent on their four-game, road-trip where they will also face the Rangers (Dec. 15), Islanders, (Dec. 16), and Flyers (Dec. 18). New Jersey will look to snap the Kings' eight-game, winning-streak.
