Damon Severson found himself in an unexpected role as the shootout hero for the New Jersey Devils.
Severson scored in Tuesday’s sixth round of the shootout, securing a 3-2 victory for the Devils over the Boston Bruins.
Severson outmaneuvered Jaroslav Halak with a backhand shot, and Mackenzie Blackwood sealed the win by stopping Patrice Bergeron.
After the first eight shooters were unsuccessful, Jack Hughes for New Jersey and Chris Wagner for Boston scored in the fifth round, setting the stage for Severson, a defenseman making only his sixth career shootout appearance in six years.
“There were a lot of jokes afterward that I didn’t know what I was doing out there,” Severson said.
Far from it. Observing Halak’s strong glove work during the shootout, Severson decided to mix things up.
“I figured if I could fake a shot, go backhand, and lift it upstairs, I’d have a good chance,” Severson explained. “It went in. That was a big one. It felt great.”
This marked Severson’s second career shootout goal and it capped a comeback win for the Devils, who overcame a two-goal deficit.
Blake Coleman and Jesper Bratt scored for New Jersey in regulation, while Blackwood made 28 saves.
“Everyone competes all the time,” Blackwood said. “Whether we’re down a goal or two, we play the same way. We’re really starting to learn how to win and what it takes to play the right way.”
Brad Marchand and Joakim Nordstrom scored for Boston, and Halak stopped 42 shots. The loss snapped the Bruins’ three-game winning streak, but they extended their points streak to eight games (4-0-4). Boston is winless in six shootouts this season.
“When you get a 2-0 lead on the road, we usually handle those situations well, but not tonight,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. “We leave with a point, but no one is satisfied. It just looks better tomorrow in the standings.”
The Bruins capitalized on an early power play after Devils defenseman P.K. Subban was penalized for interference just 1:17 into the game.
David Pastrnak fired a powerful shot from the left circle that Blackwood partially blocked, allowing Marchand to knock in the rebound at 2:03 for his 20th goal, marking the seventh straight season he’s reached that milestone.
That early goal extended Pastrnak’s point streak to eight games, with three goals and 10 assists during that stretch.
Boston increased the lead to 2-0 at 4:27 of the second period when Nordstrom pushed the puck past Blackwood during a scramble in front of the net.
The two-goal deficit sparked the Devils, who began matching the Bruins’ intensity and chances for the rest of the period.
New Jersey’s energy paid off as Coleman finished a give-and-go with Nikita Gusev at 8:58 to cut the deficit to one.
The Devils continued to press in the third period, outshooting the Bruins 19-5. This paid off when Bratt deflected a wrist shot from Subban at 13:11 to tie the game 2-2.
“We’re playing a team that works hard and gets chances by getting to the net,” Bergeron said. “We knew what to expect. We spent too much time in our zone, and that’s where it hurt us.”
Boston’s best chance in overtime came when Matt Grzelcyk hit the crossbar.
Game Notes:
Injuries are piling up for the Bruins, with D Connor Clifton (upper body) and C David Krejci (lower body) out after getting hurt in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Buffalo. They join D Charlie McAvoy (lower body) and D Torey Krug (upper body) on the injury list. . Bruins D Zdeno Chara played in his 1,525th game, moving past Brendan Shanahan into 18th place on the career list. … Devils D Will Butcher (lower body) returned after missing one game.
UP NEXT:
- Bruins: Host Columbus on Thursday.
- Devils: At New York Islanders on Thursday.
