GAME DAY
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WATCH:
Full Highlights
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Windy City Win
INTERVIEWS:
Meier
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Hischier
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Boqvist
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Head Coach Lindy Ruff
WHAT'S NEXT
The Devils complete their back-to-back set against the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday. The game can be seen on MSGSN2 or NHL Network outside the Devils market and heard on the Devils Hockey Network, including right here at NewJerseyDevils.com. Puck drop is 7:08 p.m. ET.
The best chance of the opening period went to the Devils as Timo Meier took a rolling pass from Dawson Mercer and fired it from the right circle but Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock batted the puck down with his blocker.
The first penalty of the game went to the Devils with 6:56 to go in the first. Dougie Hamilton was called for cross-checking but Devils were able to kill it off.
Chicago's first penalty came with 42 seconds to go in the opening frame. Nikita Zaitsev was called for holding.
After one, shots on goal were 10-4 in favor of the Devils.
Past the six-minute mark of period two, Dougie Hamilton completed a tic-tac-toe with a blast from the point that beat a screened Stalock five-hole to put the Devils on the board first and the Devils started to find their legs.
"I thought early on we were trying a lot of seam plays, we weren't really attacking the inside. We were trapping ourselves. They gave us some outside ice, we took it. We had to get inside and eventually we took it," said Devils head coach Lindy Ruff.
"We talked about playing a quick game. Playing a quick game is not bringing pucks back, it's driving the net and making sure pucks go there."
Chicago got that goal back just over a minute later. Tyler Johnson took a pass from Taylor Raddysh who was behind the net and quickly shot it by Mackenzie Blackwood to tie it up.
Blackhawks took the lead with 6:02 to go in the second. Andreas Athanasiou took the puck up the left boards all the way to the point and took a wrist shot which went off the stick of Lukas Reichel in front, beating Blackwood high blocker side.
Meier wrapped the puck around and Haula pounced on the rebound to score about 90 seconds later to tie the game up at 2-2.
"He's had plenty of chances during the year," Ruff said of Haula. "We talked about the number of opportunities that haven't gone in. That goal he scored would have hit something (and missed) 30 games ago. He's a guy who's been in the playoffs and played tough games."
With 1:32 to go in the second, Jesper Boqvist made an outstanding individual effort to stretch out his stick and sweep the puck over the line and give the Devils their first lead of the night.
"It's a lot of fun. I love scoring goals and then to see our line score a couple more, too. The most important thing is the two points," said Boqvist, talking about his line with Haula and Meier.
Ruff talked about putting the trio together.
"We have guys that struggled the first couple of periods. He struggled the first couple but I thought that line, when I put him with Haula and Boqvist, that was a good line for us."
Shots on goal after two periods were 26-13 for New Jersey.
Devils doubled their lead to 4-2 five minutes into the third after Ryan Graves roofed the puck from in close.
Chicago drew back within a goal midway through the final frame. Athanasiou slipped the puck past Blackwood from the top of the crease.
Meier scored with 3:56 to go in the third on a wraparound goal and with two minutes to play, Mercer scored an empty netter to ice this one.
"I thought we didn't really do a good job, do be honest," said Meier. "The first 20 minutes we were making mistakes and turning pucks over. Sometimes you have those games and you realize you need to keep it simple. The good thing is we found a way to win this and get two points.
"You don't want to underestimate any team at this time of year. They have guys who can play over there and they battle."
Here are some observations from the game...
- It's interesting that Meier tried a wraparound attempt twice on Alex Stalock, his longtime former teammate in San Jose. Meier said after the game that wasn't a coincidence.
"I played with him and it's tough to read where to shoot on him. I know he's aggressive so I tried to go around. It worked out twice, on Haula's goal and on my goal."
- Dougie Hamilton's goal was his 20th of the season and 70th point. The 20th goal makes him the first Devils blueliner to ever score 20 goals in a season. He also added an assist. Now with 71 points, he is in sole possession of third in the NHL in defense points.
Hamilton's 51 assists is second among Devils defensemen and tied for 10th among all skaters in team history.
- Jack Hughes assisted on the Hamilton and Boqvist goals to reach 49 assists and 89 points on the season. He is now tied with Brian Gionta for the fifth-most points in a season in Devils history.
