"It's easier to go out there in the first game when your team is playing so well and everybody around me played well, so it was fun to experience it and it was nice to be in the rink on the other side and start to get a feel of my new home, and it was good," Hamilton said. "Just want to keep learning from plays out there and try to get better for the next game."
The defenseman, who agreed to a seven-year, $63 million contract ($9 million average annual value) on July 28, assisted on Tyce Thompson's goal in the first period and Pavel Zacha's power-play goal in the third period. Hamilton had five shots and played a Devils-high 23:53.
"He makes the game look really simple, he gets pucks to the net," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said of Hamilton. "I think our guys don't understand that all he's looking is to get a puck to the net for a redirection. I think there's other defensemen on our squad [who] can learn from the way he plays, what he does with the puck. There wasn't anything there that was sparkling, but it's just so simple and effective that it looks so easy."
Tomas Tatar, P.K. Subban and Zacha each had a goal and an assist, and Jonathan Bernier made 24 saves for the Devils. Tatar made his New Jersey debut.
Mika Zibanejad scored, and Igor Shesterkin allowed four goals on 20 shots for the Rangers. Adam Huska made 11 saves in relief.
NHL.com staff writer Mike G. Morreale contributed to this report
