The New Jersey Devils lost 5-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night at the Prudential Center. The Devils struggled with puck possession throughout the game and didn’t put enough chances on net. With the loss, the Devils fell to 37-37-5, while the Maple Leafs improved to 46-23-9.
Game Recap
Period One
After a long shift in the offensive zone, Toronto opened the scoring at 8:56 when Nick Robertson found a loose rebound and buried it behind Jake Allen. Morgan Reilly and TJ Brodie had the assists.
The Devils tied things up at 14:25 with a goal from Nico Hischier, who split the Maple Leafs’ defense and beat Joseph Woll on a breakaway. Dawson Mercer and Brendan Smith collected the assists.
New Jersey finished the period halfway through a second consecutive penalty kill.
The Devils were outshot 7-4 in the first 20 minutes.
Period Two
The Devils finished the kill to begin the period.
New Jersey took the lead on a power play at 5:17, thanks to Mercer’s 20th goal of the season. He found the loose puck at the net front and backhanded it around Woll’s pad. Hischier added the lone assist.
However, Toronto tied the game at 15:00 with a goal from Tyler Bertuzzi, who was left wide open for a one-timer. Max Domi and Jake McCabe collected the assists.
Only ten seconds later, the Maple Leafs jumped back in front with a blast from distance from Mark Giordano for his third goal of the season. Auston Matthews and Bertuzzi had the assists.
The Devils were outshot 15-8 in the middle frame.
Period Three
The Maple Leafs extended their lead at 7:33 with Matthews’ 66th goal of the season through a screen. Domi had the lone assist.
Bertuzzi hit the empty net at 18:47 to ice the game for the Maple Leafs. McCabe and Mitch Marner tallied the assists.
The Devils were outshot 37-20 in the 5-2 loss.
Takeaways
Puck possession was an issue for the Devils all night long. They had a few dangerous chances off the rush but couldn’t get sustained zone time or force second and third opportunities. Joseph Woll did not have a groundbreaking performance, posting just a .900 SV% and a -.23 GSAx on the 20 shots he faced, but the Devils did not put nearly enough pressure on the Toronto netminder.
The third period was, again, a poor showing for the Devils. Down a goal to begin the period, they only managed eight shots on net while allowing 15 against. They were outscored 2-0. Despite the disappointing outcome of the season, the Devils should look to correct this trend to end the year playing solid hockey.
With New Jersey’s loss to the Maple Leafs and a New York Islanders victory over the New York Rangers, the Devils have officially been eliminated from 2024 playoff contention.
Injury Update
Before puck drop against the Maple Leafs, it was announced by the Devils that superstar forward, Jack Hughes, would be shut down for the remainder season to receive surgery on his shoulder.
Hughes suffered a shoulder injury on November 3 in the first period of a matchup in St. Louis after crashing awkwardly into the boards behind the Blues’ net. He missed five games.
He suffered another upper-body injury on January 5 against the Chicago Blackhawks, in the same game that rookie phenom Connor Bedard was sidelined with a broken jaw. Hughes missed over a month with his second injury.
He is set to undergo surgery on April 10 by Dr. Peter Millett, located in Vail, Colorado.
He is expected to make a full recovery in time for the start of the Devils’ training camp in September.
Up Next
The Devils fly to Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs again on Thursday night, in the second half of a home-and-home series between the two clubs.
This will be the third and final meeting of the season between the Devils and Maple Leafs. The series is tied at one game apiece, with the Devils winning the first match 6-3 on March 26 and the Maple Leafs taking the most recent victory.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST.
ITR 39: Conference Finals – Inside The Rink
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