New Jersey Devils vs. Anaheim Ducks Pick & Prediction JANUARY 13th 2023
Feeling at least somewhat encouraged after earning consecutive victories for the first time in more than a month, the New Jersey Devils will begin their road trip to the West Coast in a meeting with the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.
The Devils earned a 5-3 road victory over the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday thanks to a four-goal onslaught that began with less than a minute remaining in the second period. Dawson Mercer delivered his first two-goal game midway through his second season.
With the Devils trailing 3-1, Mercer scored with 52 seconds remaining in the second period before Jesper Boqvist tied the game 18 seconds later. Mercer scored the go-ahead goal near the midway point of the third period.
Robert Jones
"That's a big win for us, to be down in the game and make a comeback against a good defensive team like (the Hurricanes)," Mercer said. "Those points are massive for us right now."
On Dec. 6, New Jersey was a commanding 21-4-1 and seemingly in charge of its own destiny. But a six-game losing streak followed, starting the Devils on a 5-8-2 stretch leading into the first of three games in California.
"We're a group that just stays with it, believes we can get back in it, create some opportunities," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said.
Ruff was talking about the victory over the Hurricanes but the words could also serve as a motto for the rest of the season. Despite a month's worth of struggles, the Devils (55 points) are just two points behind the first-place Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference heading into play Thursday.
Jack Hughes is leading the way for New Jersey with a team-leading 26 goals and 49 points. Nico Hischier has 19 goals and 40 points, while Dougie Hamilton has a team-best 26 assists. Vitek Vanecek had 25 saves against Carolina and is 16-5-2 with a 2.37 goals-against average, seventh best in the NHL.
The Ducks aren't seeing goaltending or defending anywhere near that level. Anaheim has allowed an NHL-worst 175 goals this season after giving up 13 across back-to-back defeats.
Ducks goaltender John Gibson gave up all 13 of those in a span of five periods, sitting out the third period of a 6-2 defeat to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. Anaheim actually had a 1-0 advantage in the third period, when Anthony Stolarz made 16 saves in place of Gibson.
"It shouldn't take that," Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. "It shouldn't take a big meeting in between periods to get you going in this league. You've got to be a self-starter. And you have to be competitive. Working hard is not enough. You have to compete."
Sam Carrick and Simon Benoit each scored goals against the Oilers, with All-Star Troy Terry now without a goal in 11 consecutive games. He has five assists during that stretch.
Terry's 12 goals on the season are tied for the team lead with Adam Henrique and Trevor Zegras, who ended his own 11-game goal drought last week against the San Jose Sharks.
The Ducks are 3-5-1 on a franchise-record-10-game homestand that ends Friday.
--Field Level Media
New Jersey Devils vs. Anaheim Ducks Recap JAN 13TH 2023
Jesper Bratt scored twice and Jack Hughes had two goals with an assist as the New Jersey Devils rolled to a 6-2 victory Friday over the Anaheim Ducks to open a four-game West Coast swing.
Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Boqvist added goals, while Vitek Vanecek made 31 saves as the Devils won three consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 25-28. Damon Severson had three assists as New Jersey improved their NHL-best road record to 16-2-1.
Hughes now has a career-best 28 goals and has 10 goals and 13 points over his past seven games.
Adam Henrique and Trevor Zegras scored for the Ducks, while goalie John Gibson made 33 saves but absorbed another scoring onslaught, giving up 19 goals over his past three starts.
The Ducks ended their franchise-record 10-game homestand with a thud, going 3-6-1.
The Devils set the tone just 8:02 into the game when Hamilton scored his 10th of the season on his second of two shots. Hamilton's blast from the right faceoff circle was saved by Gibson, but he scored on the rebound to give him a point in six of the last seven games.
Bratt scored his first of the game less than three minutes later for a 2-0 lead off a breakout pass from Ryan Graves.
Hughes' first of the game came on the power play and gave the Devils a 3-0 lead when his centering pass in front of the Anaheim goal was deflected into the net by the Ducks' Simon Benoit.
Bratt scored his second of the game at 11:59 of the second period on a wraparound behind the Ducks' goal off a feed from Hughes, his 17th. Henrique scored for the Ducks at 13:35 of the second period, his 13th.
Boqvist scored his fifth on a breakaway at 2:30 of the third period for a commanding 5-1 lead. Zegras scored his team-leading 13th for the Ducks on the power play at 15:03 of the third period, with Hughes making it 6-2 Devils a mere 36 seconds later.
--Field Level Media
- NHL
