What happened to the high-scoring, fast-paced, exciting New Jersey Devils?
Hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets on home ice in the first of the final two games before the Olympic break in a must-win situation where every single point is crucial, the Devils laid an egg.
Where are the top players? Where is the urgency? Heck, where are the goals?
Without star forward Jack Hughes—sidelined by injury again—New Jersey was an embarrassment on Tuesday night in a 3-0 loss.
The Blue Jackets beat Jacob Markstrom first just after the five-minute mark of the first period, leading Columbus to believe they took a 1-0 lead.
However, a successful coach’s challenge by Sheldon Keefe negated the Blue Jackets goal, revealing Miles Wood entered the New Jersey crease on his own accord while making contact with the Devils goaltender. Thus, the official ruling on the play was goaltender interference.
The second period brought even less than the first. New Jersey and Columbus traded scoring chances, accruing a 10-9 shot differential in the middle frame in favor of the Devils.
Wood took an official goaltender interference penalty, sending the Devils to their second power play of the night. Yet, New Jersey’s man advantage couldn’t solve Elvis Merzlikins.
About eight minutes later, the Blue Jackets went to a power play of their own when Arseny Gritsyuk was called for holding against Isac Lundeström. But the New Jersey power play stood tall.
Entering the third period, the Devils had their third opportunity on the power play after Zack Werenski held Juho Lammikko 1:09 into the final frame. New Jersey couldn’t hold onto the man advantage, however, as Nico Hischier was whistled for tripping Charlie Coyle, and to 4-on-4 both sides went.
When 5-on-5 play was restored, it was the Blue Jackets who finally scored first—for real this time—when Dante Fabbro snapped a shot past Markstrom to give Columbus a 1-0 lead 5:24 into the first period.
From there, it was all Blue Jackets. Mathieu Olivier doubled the Devils lead, scoring backhand on a breakaway to make it a 2-0 game.
With Markstrom pulled for the extra attacker with four minutes remaining in the period, Dougie Hamilton slashed Olivier, who had the puck and a clear path to score. Thus, Olivier was awarded a goal by the officials and extended the Columbus lead to 3-0.
Markstrom stopped 22 pucks on 24 shots and suffered his 13th loss.
