Kyle Palmieri scored his first two goals of the season, including a short-handed one, to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. This marks New Jersey’s second consecutive win since returning from a two-week COVID-19 hiatus.
Pavel Zacha also found the net for the Devils, scoring in his second straight game. Mackenzie Blackwood made 25 saves to help secure the win for New Jersey, whose first seven February games were postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak that affected 19 players.
Zacha extended the Devils’ lead to 3-1 late in the second period with a give-and-go play with Andreas Johnsson. Zacha spun around to start the play and finished it off with five minutes left in the period.
“With the 4-on-4, I had a bit more room. I tried a spin move, found Johnsson, and he gave it right back,” Zacha explained. “It’s one of those things you practice, but in the game, you just act instinctively.”
Jake DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy scored for the Bruins, while Jaroslav Halak made 23 saves. Boston had won nine of their previous 10 games before suffering a loss to the New York Islanders on Saturday.
Palmieri scored early in the second period, taking a behind-the-back pass from Jack Hughes at the blue line and skating down the middle before firing a wrist shot past Halak.
Midway through the second period, with the Devils killing a penalty, Jesper Bratt sent a long pass to Palmieri, who capitalized on the breakaway to make it 2-0.
“With the pandemic and the long offseason, it’s been a long time between goals,” Palmieri said. “Seeing the guys’ reaction when I returned to the bench meant a lot to me.”
Boston cut the deficit to 2-1 during the same four-minute power play when DeBrusk intercepted a clearing attempt and quickly turned it into a goal, beating Blackwood in the slot.
The score remained 3-1 until there were just 2:11 left in the game. New Jersey’s Ty Smith was penalized for delay of the game, giving Boston a 6-on-4 advantage with Halak pulled. McAvoy capitalized, sending a fluttering shot from the blue line past Blackwood to make it 3-2.
Halak remained on the bench for the final 66 seconds, and the Bruins fired several shots at Blackwood, but they couldn’t find the equalizer.
“They just out-competed us,” DeBrusk admitted. “No one feels good about our game after that.”
INJURY UPDATE
Bruins forward David Krejci left in the second period with an unspecified lower-body injury and did not return. “Lower-body, that’s all I’ve got,” said Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy.
WAITING FOR WILLIE
The Bruins had planned to retire the number of Willie O’Ree, the first Black player in NHL history, but the ceremony was postponed at the league’s request until fans could be present. The event is now scheduled for Jan. 18, 2022, marking 64 years since O’Ree broke the NHL’s color barrier.
UP NEXT
- Devils: Host the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
- Bruins: Face the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday in an outdoor game overlooking Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada.
