Newark, NJ -The undefeated record for the New Jersey Devils to start the season has come to an end. On Thursday night the Colorado Avalanche handed the Devils their first loss of the season in a 5-3 final. The Devils were riding a four-game win streak to start the year prior to the game and were the final remaining team without a loss of any kind heading into Thursday night's game.
Devils defeated by Avalanche
The undefeated record for the New Jersey Devils to start the season has come to an end.
By
Amanda Stein
Team Reporter, NJD.tv
Here are 10 takeaways from the game:
1. For the first time in his career, Keith Kinkaid faced off against the Colorado Avalanche. It also crosses off the final team in the NHL that Kinkaid had yet to play against. During the Thursday night matchup, Kinkaid made 29 saves on 33 shots faced.
2. Head coach John Hynes made a lineup change against the Avalanche. Forward Drew Stafford played his first game of the season in place of John Quenneville. Quenneville was a healthy scratch, while Stafford played on a line with Pavel Zacha and Marcus Johansson. Stafford played 9:53 and had a single shot on goal.
3. Defenseman Will Butcher was no worse for wear after leaving Tuesday's game in the third period with a soft-tissue injury. The defenseman played on his regular pairing with Ben Lovejoy. Butcher continued to quarterback the power play and logged 18:06 of ice time.
4. For the first time in his NHL career, 21-year-old Pavel Zacha dropped the gloves and registered his first fight. Zacha took exception to a hard hit by Colorado's Nikita Zadorov on Stafford. Stafford lay on the ice and was slow to get up from the hit. Stafford would not play again for the period but returned to play in the second and third.
5. Nico Hischier opened the scoring against the Avalanche. At 17:42 of the first period, the Devils put their passing abilities on display in front of Avalanche netminder Philipp Grubauer. Hischier scored his first goal of the season on the power play, after a passing sequence between Kyle Palmieri, Taylor Hall and Travis Zajac. Grubauer was kept on his toes during the play, as Zajac passed the puck to Hischier who had a wide-open net to shoot at for the 1-0 lead.
Tweet from @NJDevils: Outshot but not outscored... #NJDevils got on board late in the first period, thanks this goal by @NicoHischier! #COLvsNJD pic.twitter.com/rxsIe4WiJT
It was the first opening goal by a Devils player this season that was not Kyle Palmieri.
6. The Devils had to play the majority of the game without one of their top forwards. Travis Zajac left the game early in the second period after Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen fell on Zajac's leg, which appeared to twist awkwardly. Zajac lay on the ice while play continued up the ice, before he was helped to the locker room by his teammates and New Jersey training staff.
Zajac did not return to the game.
7. The Devils penalty kill has been a major bright spot for New Jersey this season and it was certainly put to work against the Avalanche. The Devils took five penalties in the first 40 minutes of play on Thursday night. Colorado was able to score on one of those opportunities, at 7:08 of the second period to take a 2-1 lead on New Jersey. That power play goal by an opponent was the first one given up by New Jersey since the opening game against the Oilers in Sweden. In that time span, the Devils killed 15 straight penalties.
8. The beast has awoken! Taylor Hall is on the board for his first goal of the season. The reigning league MVP got on the board at 15:42 of the second period on a one timer from the left circle, after a slick pass from defenseman Andy Greene. The goal evened the score at 2-2.
Tweet from @NJDevils: The first of hopefully many. @hallsy09 is a man on a mission. 😤😤😤Watch the third period of a tied #COLvsNJD on MSG+. pic.twitter.com/NsajRPmDBs
9. The Devils have now scored at least one power play goal in all five games to start the year. With Zajac unable to play with a lower body injury, Brian Boyle took Zajac's spot on the power play. Parked in front of the net in the third period, Boyle scored the Devils third goal of the game to take a 3-2 lead on the Avalanche.
Hall took a shot from the left circle that deflected off of Boyle's skate and past Grubauer. The assist for Hall gave the forward his first three-point game of the season. Kyle Palmieri picked up the secondary assist.
10. The game was a penalty filled affair with fourteen penalties called between the two teams. The Devils went 2-for-5 on the power play while the Avalanche went 1-for-6.
