No Hall, no worries
Devils top Ducks after trade of former MVP
The Devils’ decision to trade 2018 MVP Taylor Hall to Arizona has put pressure on other players to step up and lead the team.
In their first game since Monday’s trade, Hall’s former linemates Nico Hischier and Kyle Palmieri answered the call.
Hischier and Palmeiri scored second-period goals and the Devils beat the Anaheim Ducks, 3-1, on Wednesday night in Newark, giving them consecutive wins for only the fourth time this disappointing season.
“I think it’s for the young guys coming up, it’s those close games and finding ways to win or finding ways to close them out,” Palmieri said. “Tonight, finding a way to come from behind and find a lead going into the third and come out there and keep playing on our toes. They had a couple looks, but we held the fort.”
Sami Vatanen also scored and Mackenzie Blackwood made 26 saves as the Devils gave interim coach Alain Nasreddine his second straight win.
Adam Henrique scored against his former team, but the Ducks squandered an early 1-0 lead in losing to the Devils for the first time in four games. Ryan Miller stopped 17 shots as Anaheim lost its second straight on a four-game East Coast trip.
“Obviously you get a good start and get a lead and go from there,” Henrique saud. “We have to find a way to get that next one. That’s the key right now. We are having a hard time to get two and three and put our foot on the throat of the other team. That’s an area that has to improve.”
Henrique gave Anaheim the early lead, capping a 2on-none with Ondrej Kase 3:33 after the opening faceoff. Things changed early in the second period when Michael Del Zotto misplayed a puck sent around the boards. It deflected toward the net, where Jesper Bratt got it and found Hischier for a shot low in the right circle at 1:28.
Bratt replaced Hall at left wing on the line centered by
Hischier. Palmieri is on the right side.
“I feel comfortable playing with (Bratt),” Hischier said. “I came in with him in this league and have played a lot of games already with him. He’s a great playmaker who can score, so it’s a lot of fun to play with him.”
Palmieri got his 13th of the season in the closing seconds of a penalty against Del Zotto. He made a toe-drag move on defenseman Cam Fowler and beat the screened goaltender from the right circle.
Vatanen extended the margin to two goals with a tally against his former team, and Blackwood made the lead stand up, making 11 saves in the final 20 minutes in giving the Devils their first home win since Nov. 23 against Detroit.