Gibbons giving upstart Devils a boost

NEWARK » As the Devils continue their impressive turnaround and remain near the top of the National Hockey League’s Metropolitan Division standings, many of the contributors that got them there were predictable.

For example, Cory Schneider, Nico Hischier and Taylor Hall were all expected to be a big part of a team that entered Thursday’s games with a 17-9-4 record.

Brian Gibbons was not.

Gibbons, 29, had spent the entirety of his last two seasons in the American Hockey League, including last year, when he tallied 16 goals and 20 assists in 72 games with what was then the Devils top affiliate in Albany.

This season, which is his first in the NHL since a 25-game, goalless stretch with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2014-15, has been a revelation for the former Boston College star; Gibbons leads the Devils in goals with 12, and is the team’s fifth-leading scorer with 18 points in 30 games, making the most out of what may have been his last chance to make an impact at the game’s highest level.

“I wouldn’t say this was my last opportunity, but this is probably one of the best opportunities I’ve had,” Gibbons said. “I’ve been getting a real good look. I know what the coaches want from me, and they’ve been honest with me. When you have a good relationship like that, it makes it easier to play your game.”

Listed at 5-foot-8 and 175 pounds, Gibbons went undrafted despite a standout four-year run with Boston College; he racked up 101 points over his final two seasons with the Eagles, which he parlayed into a contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Gibbons spent two and a half years in the minors before debuting with the Penguins during the 2013-14 season, where he appeared in 41 regular season games and eight playoff contests. But, after stays in the Blue Jackets and New York Rangers organizations, he hasn’t truly been able to establish himself as a full-time NHL’er until this season, his second with the Devils.

“It’s been a great surprise for us,” said Schneider, who was a college teammate of Gibbons.

“Some of us who’ve seen him back home in Boston with BC knew he was a good player, and he’s finally gotten a shot and run with it. He’s been really consistent, and I think that’s been the biggest key. Night in and night out, he’s been dependable on the penalty kill and good defensively. The goals have been a bonus for us, and he seems to get big ones for us. He’s playing with a lot of confidence, and that’s the kind of depth we need.”