Sidney Crosby returned to the lineup to make his season debut, but it was the Devils that played spoiler on Halloween eve with a 4-2 victory against the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena Saturday night.
Jesper Bratt was the hero after receiving a penalty shot with three minutes to play in the game. He deked goaltender Tristan Jarry before easily sliding the puck into the net for the game-winning tally.
Bratt, who was benched in the second period of New Jersey's previous game, was hauled down by Crosby to be awarded the penalty shot. And after scoring the decisive goal, he exhaled on the bench with a look of relief.
"It was just relief," Bratt said. "I finally got it in the back of the net. I was ready for the shootout. Finally, the moment came. It was just nice that it went in for me. It's been a struggle for me to put the puck in the net. It was a relief."
The Devils also had goals from Andreas Johnsson (2) and Jimmy Vesey.
Pittsburgh goal scorers were Danton Heinen and Brock McGinn.
Johnsson Scores Twice as Devils Spoil Crosby's Return | GAME STORY
Andreas Johnsson tallied twice and Jesper Bratt scored on a penalty shot as the Devils won their first road game of the year
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WHAT'S NEXT
The Devils return home for the second half of a back-to-back contest with a home match up against Columbus at Prudential Center. The game can be seen on MSG+ and heard on the Devils Hockey Network, including right here at NewJerseyDevils.com. Puck drop is 5:08 p.m. ET.
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Here are some observations from the game...
- The Devils are adapting their style a bit with star center Jack Hughes out of the lineup. Without the ability to generate offense off the rush, the team is looking for more of a crash the net and get tips and rebound chances.
That strategy led to their first goal of the night. Andreas Johnsson had the puck at the near wall and was trying to pass to a crashing Dawson Mercer. His pass, however, went off of the skate of Pittsburgh forward Evan Rodrigues and into the goal. Good things happen when you crash the net.
"I was trying to pass to Dawson," Johnsson said. "I saw him driving to the net. I thought the goalie was with me, covering a lot of net so I tried to throw it far side."
- What a fabulous individual play by Jimmy Vesey late in the second period with his team killing a penalty. First, he read Sidney Crosby's pass the entire way and jumped the route. He was then able to win the foot race and chip the puck over a diving John Marino for a breakaway. From there, a quick twist of the wrist fake before going backhand five-hole. Vesey has been excellent all year in his PK work, now adding that offensive threat as well.
"It was a big goal for us," Ruff said. "There were two or three opportunities before that to take a lead. I thought Jimmy, we get the opportunity and he puts it in the back of the net. I thought it changed momentum."
- The morning of the game, Ruff pointed out that he wanted to see his four offensively gifted defensemen - Dougie Hamilton, Ty Smith, Damon Severon and P.K. Subban - to be more involved in the offense. That includes both joining the rush as the trailer or jumping up in the offensive zone.
Five minutes into the first period Damon Severson pinched to the low near circle. He collected the puck and New Jersey had four men below the hash marks. He took a shot with three Devils players crashing, looking for a rebound. Late in the second period, the Devils had two players at the net when an errant puck drifted into the slot. Subban alertly jumped up and snapped off a shot for a high-quality scoring chance.
Though neither resulted in a goal, that is exactly what the Devils need from their defensemen. Keeping their eyes open for (smart) opportunities to get involved and manufacturing some offense.
- How many breakaways does it take to beat Tristan Jarry? For the Devils in the second period, it was three. After Michael McLeod and Tomas Tatar were stopped, Vesey broke through with the late shorthanded goal. The Devils were excellent at forcing turnovers and turning them into transition offense.
"We went through a lot of stuff at practice that these guys grabbed a hold of," Ruff said. "We didn't create a lot against Calgary. When you take a look at that and have an opportunity to get back to what made us a good transition team, I thought everybody grabbed a hold of it and did a good job."
- Jonathan Bernier has been out of the lineup with a lower-body injury since playing the opening two games of the season. He was back between the pipes for the Devils, and looked like he hasn't missed a beat. He was tested early in the first period on a 3-on-2 rush. The Penguins worked the puck across ice to Guentzel for a quick snap shot. Bernier pushed off right to left and stretched out his pad to kick it away. Bernier used that lateral movement well again in the third period. Once coming to his left to deny Guentzel, again, with the glove. Then later moving a long distance to his right to absorb a Kasperi Kapanen shot.
"In the third (period) when they came with a little bit of pressure I thought (Bernier) made some really good saves," Ruff said. "He made a cross-ice save late in that third period where he got across real quick."
