P.K. Subban and the New Jersey Devils hope for more performances like the one they delivered Monday night.
Jonathan Toews and the Chicago Blackhawks, however, have seen enough.
Travis Zajac capped New Jersey’s dominant second period with a short-handed goal, propelling the Devils to a commanding 7-1 victory over the Blackhawks just before the holiday break.
“Everyone was playing winning hockey, and that’s crucial,” Subban said. “These are the habits we need to keep developing. It’s about building a winning culture, and we need to carry this into the second half.”
Subban, Damon Severson, and John Hayden each scored in the second period as New Jersey claimed only its third win in the last 12 games. Jack Hughes scored his fifth goal in the first period, while Blake Coleman and Pavel Zacha added goals in the third. This matchup featured two last-place teams looking for a positive note.
Nikita Gusev tallied three assists, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 32 saves, helping the Devils recover from consecutive losses to Washington and Columbus, where they were outscored 11-4.
“A big night for us,” Severson said. “That was great.”
It was the Devils’ highest-scoring game of the season and marked the Blackhawks’ worst loss of the year.
“Embarrassment. That’s what we’re all feeling and what we should be feeling now,” Toews said. “Pretty tough all around. Not much to say.”
Chicago had been riding high after winning three of their last four games, including victories in Winnipeg and Colorado. Zack Smith scored the Blackhawks’ lone goal in the first period, while Corey Crawford made 16 saves on 20 shots before being pulled in the second.
“We missed a chance to gather some momentum and build on a couple of really good efforts on the road,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “It’s a missed opportunity.”
The game also saw brothers Jesper and Adam Boqvist face off in the NHL for the first time, though both left the game in the first period. Jesper was penalized for high-sticking Adam just 37 seconds in, handing Chicago its first of seven unsuccessful power plays. Adam Boqvist injured his right shoulder, but Colliton described it as a minor issue, while Jesper was held out as a precaution after taking an elbow to the face.
“We’ll find out a little bit more in the next couple of days,” interim Devils coach Alain Nasreddine said.
Subban put the Devils ahead for good with a slap shot from the top of the slot just 51 seconds into the second period, sparking New Jersey’s offensive outburst.
Severson followed with a goal at 7:22, and Hayden chased Crawford from the net with a goal at 10:40. Zajac then made it 5-1 by flipping a rebound past Robin Lehner with 2:38 left in the period.
“It seemed that we had no energy,” Crawford said. “Nothing was going right. Just one of those games.”
The 21,559 fans in attendance booed the Blackhawks off the ice after their dismal second period, where they were outshot 23-8 by the Devils.
Hayden’s goal was his first of the season. He was drafted by Chicago in the third round in 2013 and played parts of three seasons with the Blackhawks before being traded to New Jersey in June for John Quenneville, who made his first appearance for Chicago against his former team.
“The start to my career here really got me trending in the right direction,” Hayden said. “But come game time, it’s back to business, and I thought we did a good job of putting a full 60 minutes together.”
Game Notes:
- Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw (concussion) missed his 12th straight game with no timetable for his return. “He’s still having symptoms and no real progression yet,” Colliton said.
- There was no update on Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook, who is being evaluated for an undisclosed health issue. “We’re trying to figure out where we go from here, but I’m sure we’ll get something out soon,” Colliton said.
UP NEXT:
- Devils: Host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night.
- Blackhawks: Host the New York Islanders on Friday night.
