Here are some observations from the game:
• All three of Nico Hischier's goals this season have come on the power play. The Devils first unit has seemingly come to life after starting the season poorly. With the help of the Devils captain, the power play is now on a stretch of 5 goals in its last 11 attempts.
Hischier had two power play goals against the Canucks, and another one in Detroit on Tuesday night. His goal against the Red Wings brough his career total to 202 goals, moving him up the franchise all-time list, joining Travis Zajac and Bobby Holik, tied for third on the all-time goals scored list.
• The ice was tilted in New Jersey’s favor for much, if not all, of the opening period. The Devils dictated the pace of play, controlled possession and did an excellent job cycling the puck in the offensive zone. Their sustained pressure forced the Red Wings out of their defensive structure, often leaving Detroit chasing the puck and scrambling to regain positioning.
Although the period ended in a 1-1 tie, New Jersey had the edge by a wide margin in shots, up 15-3 and held possession in the offensive zone for such long stretches that it was 12 minutes in before Jake Allen had to make a legitimate save on the Red Wings.
• New Jersey’s opening goal was a direct result of exactly what the team had preached just a night earlier, finding ways to get the puck into the middle of the ice to create quality scoring chances.
The Rodrigues line did just that, working its way through Detroit’s 1-3-1 structure, getting the puck in deep and going to work with a gritty, hard-nosed shift. From behind the net, Stefan Noesen found Evan Rodrigues alone in the slot, where he fired the puck past John Gibson.
It was Rodrigues’ first goal as a Devil, but it also marked the first time this season the Devils have scored the opening goal of a game.
• The Devils' second goal - also a first as a Devil - was another example of the value of getting to the inside of the ice. This time, New Jersey generated its opportunity off the rush, with Dawson Mercer helping push the play forward and Anthony Mantha driving into dangerous scoring territory.
Mantha drove his way toward the net and capitalized on the opportunity, beating Gibson with a snap shot to pull New Jersey even at 2-2.
"Both goals are simple, chip it in, win a battle, puck comes loose, put it in the net," Rodrigues said. "The second goal, defense leads to offense, that’s the way the games played. You’ve got to defend and that’s when you catch teams in transition and (Mercer) made a great play.”
• It was a new-look forward group for the Devils, with the first three lines all with changes. Luke Evangelista missed Tuesday's game out with an illness, which made room for Stefan Noesen to rejoin the group.
The Devils forward lines were shuffled and looked like this:
Gritsyuk-Hughes-Bratt
Meier-Hischier-Mercer
Mantha-Rodrigues-Noesen
Lombardi-Glass-Boqvist
• Johnny Kovacevic made his season debut. Kovacevic had to sit out training camp and the first five games of the season while rehabbing a knee injury. He returned to the Devils lineup and played 16:00 while on a pair with Declan Chisholm.
• Brenden Dillon did not play against the Red Wings.
