Nico Daws delivered a stellar performance with 29 saves, earning his first NHL shutout as the New Jersey Devils cruised to a 5-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Sunday night.
Dougie Hamilton led the way with a goal and an assist, while Ondrej Palat, Seamus Casey, Stefan Noesen, and Tomas Tatar also found the back of the net for the Devils, who have now won two of their last three games. Nico Hischier contributed three assists, while Luke Hughes and Jesper Bratt each added two.
Nashville, coming off a win against Colorado, struggled offensively and saw its two-game winning streak come to an end. Justus Annunen made 31 saves for the Predators.
Palat opened the scoring late in the first period, capitalizing on a scramble in front of the net to put New Jersey ahead with 6:15 left. Hamilton doubled the lead at 9:14 of the second, lifting a shot from the right side just under the crossbar.
Daws’ biggest save came late in the first period when he stopped Filip Forsberg on a breakaway. He also turned away five shots during a late third-period power play to preserve the shutout.
Nashville has been held scoreless eight times this season, just one short of the franchise record.
Takeaways
Devils: With starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom sidelined for multiple weeks due to an MCL sprain, strong performances from Daws and Jake Allen will be crucial as New Jersey pushes for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Predators: A day after defeating the Colorado Avalanche, Nashville struggled to generate offense and failed to create consistent scoring opportunities.
Key Moment
Casey extended New Jersey’s lead to 3-0 with 5:32 left in the second period, firing a wrist shot through traffic past Annunen. The goal provided the Devils with a comfortable cushion against a Predators team that has had difficulty scoring this season.
Key Stat
Palat and Hamilton recorded their 500th career NHL point on Palat’s first-period goal.
Up Next
New Jersey will visit the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, while Nashville returns home to face the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.
