New Jersey Devils upset the Atlanta Thrashers with 3-1 win
New Jersey Devils goalkeeper Johan Hedberg made 28 saves, while Ilya Kovalchuk scored for his side to lead them to a 3-1 win over the Atlanta Thrashers on Friday. The result meant the Devils won for the first time in their last seven games.
The New Jersey Devils were quick out of the blocks and created a number of early chances. They managed to make those opportunities count by taking the lead in the second minute through Mark Fayne. They continued to maintain their dominance through most of
the half, and their smooth transition from defence to attack was very impressive.
Both sides put together some slick attacking moves and displayed some excellent passing abilities. The Atlanta Thrashers then came close to scoring in the 11th minute but Rich Peverley’s shot went just wide off goal. Both teams continued their
hunt for a goal but unfortunately neither side could find the back of the net. The period ended with the Devils leading 1-0. During the period, Atlanta made seven goal attempts, while the Devils made 10 goal attempts.
The teams made frequent goal attempts and played decently in defence in the second period. However, it was the Devils who took the early advantage as they scored their second goal through Jamie Langenbrunner’s brilliant strike.
Despite creating scoring chances regularly neither side could score in the remainder of the period, as the Devils took a 2-0 lead into the break. The 20 minutes of play saw the New Jersey Devils making 13 goal attempts, while Atlanta made nine goal attempts.
The home side once again looked like they might dominate the final period as well, but that wasn’t to be. Atlanta came out strong with an excellent display of passing and shooting. The Thrashers got past the Devils defence with a smooth move, and Dustin
Byfuglien scored from a tip in shot in the 13th minute to reduce the deficit.
However, the home team was determined to shut the doors on any potential Atlanta comeback. They responded in the very next minute through Ilya Kovalchuk’s goal to seal the game. The match ended with the New Jersey Devils winning 3-1. During the final period
Atlanta made 13 goal attempts while the Devils made 5 goal attempts. The Devils’ Johan Hedberg was named the star selection of the match, as he blocked 28 out of 29 shots.
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