Noesen scores in Devils debut; NJD falls to WSH

The Devils lost, 5-2 to the Washington Capitals on Thursday at Prudential Center despite goals by newcomer Stefan Noesen and Adam Henrique (PPG). Here's what we learned:
1) After allowing four goals on 17 shots, Keith Kinkaid was replaced midway though the second by Cory Schneider who stopped all 18 shots he faced in the final 29:41 of regulation, including an outstanding save in the final minutes of the game. The Capitals fifth goal was an empty-netter.

2) Once again, the Devils got burned on the penalty kill as the Caps scored twice with the man advantage. They were able to get a power play marker of their own, but they also allowed a handful of shorthanded opportunities. Special teams will be a serious area of focus for the Devils moving forward.
3) The Devils are not offensively equipped to continuously outscore their mistakes. Whether it's a turnover like the first goal the Devils allowed tonight or an errant pass that ends up in the back of the net like the second goal they allowed or a sustained lapse in effectively executing their game plan like we've seen previously this season, they can't always get it back, even when they put forth a quality effort to impose their will in the game like they did tonight.
Friday marks the start of the All Star Break. Don't forget to watch Taylor Hall represent the Devils in Los Angeles at the 2017 NHL All Star Game. The skills competition will air on NBCSN at 7 p.m. on Saturday with the game on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on NBC. The Devils will return to the ice on Monday for an afternoon practice before heading to Detroit for their game against the Red Wings on Tuesday.