Scott Wedgewood made 40 saves, while Jack Hughes contributed a goal and an assist, leading the New Jersey Devils to a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night.
P.K. Subban and Travis Zajac also scored, helping the Devils secure their second consecutive home win after enduring an 11-game losing streak (0-10-1) in Newark.
Mackenzie Blackwood was initially expected to start in goal for New Jersey but was scratched after warmups. The team clarified that his absence was not related to COVID-19.
“I thought our guys did a great job,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “We faced some adversity and lost a couple of key players, but we got a big effort from everyone, which allowed us to win and get off to a great start.”
Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust scored for Pittsburgh, with Tristan Jarry making 32 saves. The Penguins suffered their second consecutive loss.
“We need to be better, obviously,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “We didn’t get the result we wanted. It’s not good enough. We need to be better as a group. We’ll examine our team and see what adjustments we must make.”
The Penguins and Devils will meet again at the Prudential Center on Saturday for the second of three straight games against each other.
Subban scored his third goal of the season with a powerful slap shot at 8:42 of the second period, giving the Devils a 2-0 lead. The dynamic defenseman extended his point streak to three games, with Hughes and Jesper Bratt assisting on the power-play goal.
Zajac extended New Jersey’s lead to three goals just 1:37 after Subban’s tally. Devils defenseman Damon Severson sent a wrist shot from the point Zajac redirected past Jarry. Zajac has tallied seven points (one goal, six assists) in the last six games.
“That’s a high-powered team, and that was one of our best efforts,” Wedgewood said. “The guys did a great job; it was fun to watch. They executed the game plan perfectly in the third period. It’s a big win for us against a skilled team, and that’s something we need to learn from and understand.”
Guentzel ended Wedgewood’s shutout bid with a redirection goal on the power play at the second period’s final minute. Before that, the Devils had successfully killed 16 straight penalties over their last five games. Kris Letang and Kasperi Kapanen assisted on the goal.
“We didn’t like our start,” Guentzel said. “We pushed back in the second and third, but you can’t spot them that many goals. We get another shot at them on Saturday and Sunday, so we need to be ready next time.”
Pittsburgh outshot New Jersey 22 to 13 in the second period.
Hughes opened the scoring at 10:02 of the first period with a sharp-angled shot that found the top shelf. The 19-year-old recorded his seventh goal of the season, matching his total from his rookie year. Ty Smith and Kyle Palmieri assisted on the goal.
“I saw a little bit of room up top and tried to bank it off his head and into the net,” Hughes said. “I’m not sure if it hit his head, but it was a good shot, and I’m happy it went in.”
Rust narrowed the gap to one with a goal at 19:55 of the third period.
On Tuesday, penguins alternate captain Evgeni Malkin did not travel to New Jersey after sustaining an injury late in the first period against the Boston Bruins.
“We are looking for a collective effort,” Sullivan added. “We need to be hard to play against and rely on our team structure.”
Rookie Impact
Devils rookies have combined for 49 points this season, leading the NHL. Six different players (Ty Smith, Janne Kuokkanen, Yegor Sharangovich, Nathan Bastian, Mikhail Maltsev, and Nicholas Merkley) have contributed to that total.
Familiar Face
The Penguins faced former assistant coach Mark Recchi, now with New Jersey, for the first time since his offseason departure. Recchi spent the previous six seasons with the Penguins organization, helping them win two Stanley Cups.
Goaltending Duo
Pittsburgh’s goaltenders Casey DeSmith and Tristan Jarry have combined to allow just 14 goals over the Penguins’ last eight games, including a six-game winning streak ending Tuesday’s loss to the Boston Bruins.
