Devils dropped by Preds

Juuse Saros made 29 saves and the Predators defeated the Devils 3-2 on Friday night at Prudential Center in Newark.

The Devils have lost five of seven, and seven of 10 overall. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 24 shots, and Pavel Zacha and Yegor Sharangovich scored for the Devils, who outshot Nashville, 31-27.

“When you get those opportunities — and we’ll grow to learn from not taking advantage of that, or not executing to a top level. Part of that is youth, part of that is some confidence that you can get it done,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “We just didn’t get it done tonight.”

The start was Saros’ first after missing the last two games with an undisclosed illness that the team stressed was not COVID-19. Roman Josi and Eeli Tolvanen scored in the second period, and Yakov Trenin added a goal in the third for Nashville.

The Devils had a slight 6-3 advantage in shots on goal during a scoreless first period, due in part to three power plays.

Just after the midway point of the second period, the Devils broke through on Zacha’s ninth goal of the season. Nico Hischier won a board battle behind the net before pushing the puck to Jesper Bratt, who whipped a pass into the slot that Zacha lasered over Saros’ glove.

The lead lasted for a full 2:23, when Josi scored his ninth of the season. The Devils’ earlier failure on the power play came back to haunt the Devils when Tolvanen’s man-up goal with about two minutes left sent Nashville into the second intermission with a 2-1 lead.

“Get more pucks to the net,” was how Hischier diagnosed what caused the latest Devils loss. “First period we were skating well but we still weren’t enough in front of the net. I feel like the goalie saw all the pucks. Clean up that area. We got to get those lucky bounces and it’s going to bounce right in front of your stick, so just got to get more in front of the net.”