Kovalchuk pushed New Jersey Devils past New York Rangers, 1-0
Ilya Kovalchuk lit the lamp in the middle stanza to lift New Jersey Devils to a 1-0 victory over New York Rangers, at Prudential Centre on Friday night.
Johan Hedberg made 16 saves to register his second shutout of the season and sixth of his career for New Jersey, which hold a 14-1-2 record over its previous 17 play-offs and has also won a season-high six consecutive contests.
"I think this is as good a defensive effort as I've ever had in the NHL," Hedberg. "I can't remember a game where I had to make this little saves as I did tonight. It's just a tremendous job."
Henrik Lundqvist stopped 27-of-28 shots for New York, which had a two-game winning streak halted and has lost seven of nine games.
"We did get some chances, but for the most part they defended pretty well. We just need to find a way to get an ugly one, or just to bang one home and tie it up," said Rangers defenseman Marc Staal.
After a goalless first period, Kovalchuk snapped a scoreless deadlock to make it 1-0 game just a little over eight minutes into the middle session. New York was set up in the Devils zone, but Staal was unable to control the puck in at the right point. A
streaking Kovalchuk grabbed the disc at centre ice and went in on a breakaway and fired a wrist shot. Lundqvist, who turned away first 17 shots he faced, was unable to stop it.
New York almost pulled the game even just 21 seconds into the final intermission. Ryan Callahan snapped a shot that hit off the post and bounced across the line. Hedberg grabbed the puck and cleared it up before it crossed the line. A video review confirmed
that it was not a goal.
Lundqvist was the sole reason that New York did not fall behind earlier and was not behind by more than a goal heading into the final frame.
“That fortunate bounce went to the wrong player,” Lundqvist said.
He turned away all 12 shots in the opening period, including a breakaway by Brian Rolston, and often stopped danger in front of him. In the first 40 minutes, New Jersey outshot New York 22-10.
Rangers got a power play just before the midway mark of the third period when Wojtek Wolski was high-sticked by Kovalchuk, but New York was unable to record a shot, as Hedberg stood strong in the net.
New York benched Lundqvist late for an extra skater, but Devils sealed the win.
“They played really well and they have been,” Lundqvist said. “They’re in the race. It’s unbelievable, but they’re in the race.”
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