Fabian Zetterlund netted his second game goal 2:38 into overtime, lifting the New Jersey Devils to a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday night, securing their sixth straight win.
Nathan Bastian and Miles Wood each contributed a goal and an assist, leading New Jersey to their ninth win in the last 10 games. Vitek Vanecek made 27 saves, improving his record to 5-1-0.
“Things are going pretty well right now,” Bastian said. “Stick to the basics. We play such a simple game. Keep doing that, and hopefully, we get results like we are right now.”
In overtime, the Devils were on a power play when Dougie Hamilton threaded a cross-ice pass to Zetterlund, who sent a one-timer over goalie Jacob Markstrom’s shoulder for his first two-goal game.
“I worked hard for it, my whole life, actually. I know when the puck is coming there, I won’t miss,” said Zetterlund, who has three goals in seven games. “You can hear everyone having fun. … We have a game plan. All four lines, the D-corps, and our goalies follow it, so it’s easy.”
The 23-year-old Swede, who spent three seasons in the AHL after being drafted by New Jersey in the third round in 2017, is making the most of his opportunity this year.
“We know he’s a good shooter. He’s had great success in the American League,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. “The first goal is the right place at the right time. Watching our power play, we decided we needed a shooter at the end. … (He) hit a heck of a shot to win the game.”
Nazem Kadri, Nikita Zadorov, and Elias Lindholm scored for Calgary, which ended an eight-game homestand with four consecutive losses—the last three in regulation. Markstrom had 31 saves.
The Flames now embark on a road trip with three games in four days.
“Definitely losing four in a row is unacceptable for our group,” Zadorov said. “We’re going on the road, we haven’t done it for a while, we’ve been at home for a while. So it’s gonna be something new for us—new energy, new excitement. … We believe in each other, so I think we will turn things around.”
Markstrom came up big seven minutes into the third period to keep the score 3-3, stopping Jesper Bratt on a partial breakaway. Seconds later, he flashed his blocker to deny Jack Hughes, who got in alone.
Bratt was held off the scoresheet, snapping his franchise-record point streak to open the season at 11 games.
The Flames tied it 3-3 earlier in the third when Zadorov redirected Blake Coleman’s centering pass past Vanecek at 3:12.
Calgary got off to a fast start, with Kadri sending a backhander past Vanecek just 1:29 into the game.
Bastian tied it at 4:27, converting a centering pass from Hughes behind the net for his second. It extended his point streak to a career-best four games.
A defensive breakdown by the Flames allowed Zetterlund to tap in a cross-crease feed from Tomas Tatar 3 1/2 minutes later, putting the Devils ahead.
The Devils pushed it to 3-1 with 3:22 left in the first when Wood finished a perfect pass from Michael McLeod, one-timing it into the top corner to extend his point streak to four games, one short of his career best.
Calgary pulled within one early in the second. Noah Hanifin stepped out of the penalty box just as the puck was cleared, going on a two-man breakaway with Tyler Toffoli. They failed to convert the initial rush, but Hanifin found Lindholm trailing the play, and he knocked in his third of the season.
POWER OUTAGE
The Flames went 0 for 2 on the power play and are now 0 for 12 over their last four games.
UP NEXT
- Devils: Host Calgary on Tuesday night to open a three-game homestand.
- Flames: At the New York Islanders on Monday night in the first of a back-to-back to open a three-game trip.
