Here are some observations from the game:
• The Devils power play came through with a goal in the opening period by the captain to tie the game at 1-1. Arseny Gritsyuk made the play on the left side by finding a hole in the PK and sending a pass to Hischier in the bumper. Hischier couldn’t handle the pass for a quick snap shot, but it worked in his favor as Canucks goalie Leevi Merilainen came sliding across his crease. By the time Hischier settled the puck and shot, Merilainen had slid out of the shot lane. If Hischier got the quick snap shot, the puck likely would have hit Merilainen. A little luck for the cap.
Oh, and by the way. That goal for Hischier was No. 200 for his career.
"It makes me proud a bit," Hischier said of 200. "That's something nobody will take away from me. Hopefully there are a couple more coming. Hopefully I'm not done. I still want to get better and I still want to take this team somewhere."
• Jesper Boqvist gave the Devils their first lead of the season with his second goal in as many games. It happed on a high flip into the Canucks zone. Defenseman Filip Hronek went back for the puck but was being pressured by Amadeus Lombardi and Boqvist. Hronek fumbled the puck and Lombardi scooped it. He took a shot from the slot that fell loose in the crease. Boqvist beat Hronek on the clear to bat the puck into the net.
• I love the fact that Lombardi shot the puck on the play. When he collected the puck, he had Boqvist wide open to the side of the net. But Boqvist was on his strong side, meaning he couldn’t quick one-time the shot and would have had to pivot toward the net to shoot. Young players often defer, but Lombardi kept it and shot in on goal, allowing Boqvist to clean up the mess.
Oh, and by the way, that was Lombardi’s first career NHL point.
The Devils added their second power-play goal off the stick of Jesper Bratt. Jack Hughes tried to bank the puck in the net off the stick of Hischier. The puck caromed around the crease as Merilainen scrambled. Amidst the scramble, Bratt found the puck in the low circle and snapped it home from a bad angle through the legs of Hronek.
• The Devils would try the same play again on the man-advantage. This time, Hughes would connect with Hischier, who buried the shot for his second goal of the game and second on the power play.
• The Devils permitted the game’s opening goal for the fourth time in four games this season when Linus Karlsson scored on the power play at 5:27 of the first period.
• Crazy things can happen in games, even at the highest level. Canucks goalie Leevi Merilainen made a save on a shot from Luke Hughes and in the process the blade of right skate came off. The equipment team failed to get the blade to stay so he was replaced at the 12:37 mark by Kevin Lankinen. Four minutes later, Boqvist scored.
• There was a lot of hoopla surrounding goalie Jake Allen’s 500th NHL game. The entire team entered the building wearing custom “Allen 500” shirts and hats that read “500” in Devils script. Allen’s wife and three daughters surprised him in the locker room before warmups. He was presented with customized mask, blocker and glove commemorating the 500. At warmups, Allen was given a solo lap.
"I think an exciting moment for (my girls), which means the most," Allen said.
