Tatar Sinks Bruins with Game's Lone Goal | GAME STORY

In the final home preseason game for the Devils it was Tomas Tatar who had the Bruins hook, line and sinker with the only goal of the game.
The man they affectionately call Tuna beat Keith Kinkaid in the first period, a top-shelf goal that would stand as the winner.
aIn the third period, there was a moment of hush amongst the crowd when the Bruins thought they had scored but the goal was immediately waved off for incidental contact on Vitek Vanecek by former Devil A.J. Greer.

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The Devils continue their preseason on Thursday with a game against the Islanders at UBS Arena. The game can be seen on MSG and heard on the Devils Hockey Network, including right here at NewJerseyDevils.com. Puck drop is 7:08 p.m. ET.
Here are some observations from the game:
- Tomas Tatar broke the 0-0 stalemate at the 10:55 mark of the first period. Mike Vukojevic found Tatar up the middle of the ice with a tape-to-tape pass. Tatar, with two Boston defenders on his tail, managed to squeeze away just enough space for himself to get a shot off past Keith Kinkaid for the 1-0 lead.

Tatar has quietly put together a strong preseason with three goals.

"I'm feeling good," he said after the game. "I worked pretty hard during the summer to come here. To prove a point. I was excited and angered, which kind of drove me through the summer. You know, hopefully, we will kick out a season on the right step."

- Vitek Vanecek's big breakaway stop in the first period on Craig Smith felt like a really important moment. Yes, it's just a preseason game and one single stop, but it is also the type of save that the Devils sorely missed last season. Those moments can be back-breaking. That's not to say that Vanecek or his goalie counterpart won't let in breakaways throughout the season, but seeing a save like that breeds confidence.

"He's made a big save two or three times in the game," Lindy Ruff said after the win, "He didn't have a lot, but he made the breakaway save on the mistake where we let the guy get in behind us. The play in the second period when we had a bad change and the guy was in all alone, (Vanecek) showed really good composure. And there were a couple of tip plays that he was able to track the puck and make the save. You know you get those saves, it gives you a really good chance to win."

- It is becoming more evident by the game how big of an add Erik Haula was in the off-season. Traded to the Devils for Pavel Zacha, he has come in and shown the type of utility player he can be. Last week he absorbed over 24 minutes against the Rangers when Tyce Thompson went down to injury, while tonight against the Bruins he was dispatched at the face-off dot on multiple occasions while his counterparts were struggling. Midway through the first period, Haula was the only Devil to record at least one faceoff win. - Don't tell Jack Hughes it's just the preseason, because that won't make it feel any less frustrating. Hughes ended the second period with two high-quality chances. Both came in the final minute of play, with the first off a cross-ice feed from Miles Wood, Hughes already in motion towards being on one knee, ripping the shot at the net. Keith Kinkaid made the save but did look behind himself for a moment, unsure if he had the puck covered. It felt like that would be a sure goal given the velocity at which Hughes shot the puck.

And with just three seconds left on the clock, another Grade-A chance by Hughes went wide. Hughes slammed his stick in frustration on the glass behind Kinkaid as the buzzer sounded. Jack, is always a competitor.

- This was one of the only showings in a preseason game for Alexander Holtz where he was not on a line with Hughes, instead, he played alongside Tatar and Dawson Mercer, both talented players but with different make-ups than Hughes. Holtz played just over 16 minutes and had three shots on goal.

"Just a look to see, sometimes a player will fit better with somebody else. Dawson (Mercer) has had good success at finding guys below the goal-line. I think he hit (Holtz) a couple of times. His chances were there again tonight, he had a couple of really good opportunities."

- Nathan Bastian was given a rare look at playing center. Lindy Ruff saying post-game that he had a discussion with Bastian to ask him when the last time he played the position was. Both acknowledged it had been a long time, but Bastian was willing to embrace any opportunity in front of him. Bastian was quick to point out his deficiencies in his play, the first to mention going 0-for-7 at the face off dot.

"Definitely in the face-off circle, if they're going to ask me to play there I've got to work on that," he said post-game.

"There were times tonight, where a lot of areas of my games have been finishing my checks and stuff like that, and as a winger sometimes you might be able to get away with doing it maybe a bit behind the play. There was one time earlier (tonight) where I finished a check and looked back and I was, not that I forgot I was a counterman but I've got to be more diligent here and pick my spots a little bit better because I have more responsibility in the d-zone."