New Jersey Devils end winless streak with 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks
To say that the New Jersey Devils have had problems lately would be a massive understatement.
Many of their players have gone down with injuries, and the team played with a 15-man roster several times. With only three wins in the first 13 games, the Devils were struggling to find
ways to win, but they can take solace after a hard-fought 5-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday 3 November.
How it happened
The Devils opened the scoring at 15:31 of the first period with a goal from veteran Jason Arnott. Arnott tipped in a shot from Patrik Elias to earn his fourth goal of the season.
Travis Zajac potted his second goal of the season at 4:14 of the second frame to give the Devils a 2-0 lead. Ilya Kovalchuk and captain Jamie Langenbrunner provided the assists. Brian
Campbell them replied for the Blackhawks with a tip-in goal at 16:02. The assists went to Viktor Stalberg and Brent Seabrook.
Chicago tied the game at two goals apiece when Fernando Pisani scored his first goal of the season on the power play. Stalberg and Seabrook both earned their second assists of the game
on Pisani’s goal. New Jersey reclaimed the lead at 16:09 when Bradley Mills’ wrist shot beat Marty Turco.
The last minute of the game featured three goals scored with a 42-second span. Langenbrunner scored on an empty Blackhawks net at 19:10, while a backhander from Stalberg got past Johan
Hedberg sixteen seconds later. Andy Greene closed out the scoring by adding an empty-netter of his own at 19:52.
Despite getting their first win in several games, the Devils lost starting goaltender Martin Brodeur in the second period. He left the game after a Patrick Kane shot hit his elbow, and
did not return. Back-up Johan Hedberg replaced Brodeur, and played for the rest of the game.
What they’re saying
The Devils’ long string of losses finally game to an end with the win over the Blackhawks, and Langenbrunner admitted that he and his team-mate couldn’t have been happier.
“It’s real important for us,” said Langenbrunner, who had scored an empty-netter in the third period which stood up as the game-winning goal.
“It hasn’t been a perfect start for us by any means. It’s not an easy building to come in and get two points out of, especially on your sixth game in nine nights or whatever's it’s been
– and with all the guys we’ve had go down. So, it was a big win.”
Brodeur felt that leaving the game was the best decision for him, as he could not hold his stick properly after Kane’s shot had hit his elbow.
“Usually you get hit and it hurts and it goes away,” Brodeur said. “It went away, but when I grabbed my stick, I went to go make a play behind the net, and I just didn’t have the strength
to hold my stick. I just thought it was better off to get (Hedberg) in there.”
The Devils return to New Jersey to take on the New York Rangers on Friday, 5 November, while the Hawks will face the Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday, 6 November.
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