The New Jersey Devils had to overcome yet another key injury, but they got the job done in overtime.
Read More: Devils Star Defenseman Suffers Game-Ending Injury vs. Canadiens
The Devils lost Dougie Hamilton just about five minutes into the second period. Despite the injury, they carried a one-goal lead into the second period.
However, the Canadiens took the lead halfway through the third, just for the Devils to tie things with about one minute to go.
Jesper Bratt played hero in overtime, and the Devils took two points on Thursday.
Let’s get to how they did it.
First Period
Well, that’s how you want to make a comeback. The Devils went ahead early in the first period thanks to Cody Glass, who retrieved the loose puck in the neutral, and scored on the rush from the left circle for a 1–0 lead.
The Canadiens struck back quickly, however, with a fluky goal. A high wrist shot by Noah Dobson from the far wall hit Kirby Dach on the way to the net, forcing Jacob Markstrom to lose sight of the puck as it floated over his shoulder and past the goal line.
Each team scored on their first shot of the game.
The Devils and Canadiens later traded minor penalties and went to four-on-four hockey. While on the attack, Luke Hughes coughed up the puck at the New Jersey blueline to Cole Caufield for a breakaway. Markstrom came up with two huge saves, first on the initial shot, then on the rebound by Caufield, to keep the game knotted at one.
Jesper Bratt was then sprung for a breakaway toward the other end of the ice, yet Jakub Dobes stopped the Devils forward in similar fashion.
Despite the Devils outshooting the Canadiens 8–4, the first period ended knotted at one.
Second Period
The second period started where it left off in the first. The Devils and Canadiens traded even strength scoring chances through the first half of the period.
That was until the Devils regained the lead, after Simon Nemec skated the puck below the goal line, turned on an edge, and hit a streaking Ondrej Palat with a no-look pass, and the veteran scored his first goal of the season to give New Jersey a 2–1 lead.
The Devils didn’t convert on their third power play that came at the 09:44 mark of the second period. However, New Jersey held onto the momentum for the majority of the period, hemming the Canadiens in their own zone.
That was until Nemec was called for a hooking minor on Zach Bolduc, sending Montreal to their second power play. The elite Habs power play unit was unsuccessful, however, after some great defensive work by Bratt and Brenden Dillon, who clogged the Montreal passing lanes.
The penalty expired, and the buzzer sounded soon-after, sending the game into the second intermission 2–1 Devils.
Third Period
It all broke down for the Devils in the third period when the Devils were shorthanded after Hamilton exited the game. One minute into the final frame, Jake Evans received a leading pass in the offensive zone, and beat Markstrom on the rush to tie the game at two.
The Canadiens were then called for two minor infractions, giving New Jersey two opportunities on the man advantage.
Yet, New Jersey couldn’t convert on either, and even strength resumed.
The Canadiens continued to pressure the Devils in their own end, and Oliver Kapanen found a loose-puck rebound in the slot uncontested, and slide the puck by Markstrom to give Montreal their first lead of the game at the 10.5 mark of the third period.
It took until nearly the final minute of play, but the Devils tied the game with 1:07 remaining in the third, after Timo Meier found a loose puck amid a scramble in front of Dobes, and scored to knot the game at three.
The Devils and Canadiens required overtime. Jesper Bratt forced a turnover in the neutral zone, and scored on Dobes on a breakaway to win it for the Devils.
Markstrom made 16 saves on 19 shots, earning his fourth win of the season.
