Simon Nemec scored his first NHL goal in his third game, netting the game-winner as the New Jersey Devils edged the Seattle Kraken 2-1 on Thursday night. Akira Schmid made 37 saves, including 16 in the third period, to help secure the Devils’ fifth win in six games.
Nemec’s Milestone Moment
Nemec, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 draft, scored midway through the second period. His goal was set up by Jesper Bratt, who carried the puck and circled behind the net, allowing Nemec to move into the slot and score on an open side past Philipp Grubauer.
“He was able to jump in and find the lane. Great shot,” Devils coach Lindy Ruff said of Nemec. “His hockey sense, his ability to pick the right time, it’s been good.”
Nemec debuted last week against San Jose, where he recorded two assists.
“I was really happy. I didn’t look happy, but I was,” Nemec said after scoring.
Key Contributions
Ondrej Palat scored late in the first period to give the Devils an early lead. Schmid, bouncing back from a tough outing against San Jose, made crucial saves in the third period to maintain New Jersey’s lead. He stopped several prime scoring chances, including key saves against Jared McCann and Alex Wennberg.
“There were a couple of opportunities where they could have gained some momentum, and he made some big saves for us,” Ruff added.
Kraken’s Struggles
Tye Kartye scored for Seattle in the second period, assisted by Wennberg, but it wasn’t enough to halt their losing streak, which extended to six games.
“I thought our guys did a really good job today, not allowing anything that’s in the past or coming in front of us to affect our game,” said Kraken coach Dave Hakstol. “We have to continue doing that. We worked hard tonight. We competed extremely hard.”
Injuries and Returns
Andre Burakovsky returned to the lineup for Seattle after being sidelined since October 21 with an upper-body injury. However, he left the game again in the second period and played limited shifts in the third. Hakstol noted that Burakovsky was unavailable for most of the period.
Additional Notes
Seattle’s Ryker Evans made his NHL debut after being called up from Coachella Valley of the AHL. He became the fourth Kraken draft pick to play in an NHL game, joining Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, and Ryan Winterton.
Upcoming Games
- Devils: Visit the Calgary Flames on Saturday.
- Kraken: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
