NEWARK, N.J. — The New Jersey Devils are beginning to discover methods to lose and the newest one was a standout efficiency by goaltender Carter Hart of the Flyers.
Hart matched his profession excessive with 48 saves and nearly single-handedly prolonged the Devils’ season-high skid to 4 video games as Philadelphia posted a 2-1 win in a recreation determined by Travis Konecny’s breakaway objective with 8:14 to play.
“He was dialed in,” stated Scott Laughton, who additionally scored because the Flyers snapped a four-game winless streak (0-2-2) and beat the Devils for the second time in three conferences.
“Big save there in the third,” Laughton added. “Even at the end, slides cross-crease. Saves a back-door chance. You need your goalie to be good, especially against a team like that with so much speed and skill. He was great for us.”
Hart not solely stopped all however one shot however at the very least a dozen have been top-quality possibilities, together with a chance in shut by Jesper Bratt within the waning seconds.
“They (defense) did a good job of letting me see the puck, boxing guys out, not letting them get any second whacks at pucks, loose pucks,” stated Hart, who additionally had 48 saves in a win over Florida earlier this season. “The one at the end there with what, 10 seconds left, was off to my blocker, squirts to the middle and Risto (Rasmus Ristolainen) does a good job of clearing it. That was a huge play at the end.”
Jack Hughes scored for the Devils and Vitek Vanecek had 22 saves as New Jersey fell to 0-3-1 in its final 4.
Center Erik Haula stated the Devils (21-7-2) are nonetheless in a great spot.
“But, you know, we lost four in a row. It’s like it’s not good,” he stated. “We’re not happy about it. It’s very frustrating to us and it’s unacceptable.”
The decisive objective got here when a move by Devils defenseman Damon Severson from the boards within the Flyers’ zone was deflected. Konecny, who had blended it up with Hughes within the second interval, intercepted the puck, skated alone into the Devils zone and beat Vanecek to the stick facet for his twelfth objective.
Devils coach Lindy Ruff was irritated after the sport, saying the Flyers did not have an opportunity within the third interval and he had simply advised his group not to make any high-risk passes.
“To make that play and trap those people, that was totally unacceptable,” Ruff stated of Severson’s move.
Severson stated his move was deflected and it was sufficient to give Konecny an opportunity.
“If it connects, it’s a dangerous one,” Severson stated. “If it doesn’t, unfortunately, it didn’t.”
Hughes opened the scoring with a spectacular power-play objective 4:20 after the opening faceoff. A clearing move had deflected off Dougie Hamilton within the impartial zone. It went to Hughes, who cut up defensemen Ivan Provorov and Lukas Sedlak, skated in on Hart and beat him with a shot off the far goalpost for his sixteenth objective.
Laughton tied the sport early within the second interval with shot from the precise level {that a} display prevented Vanecek from seeing. It was his fifth objective.
THURSDAY NIGHT FIGHTS
For a few minutes within the second interval, it appeared like an outdated Devils-Flyers rivalry recreation.
Philadelphia ahead Nicolas Deslauriers pummeled Devils ahead Michael McLeod in a protracted struggle about 4 minutes after the Flyers tied the sport 1-all.
Slightly greater than two minutes later, Flyers ahead Joel Farabee, who is just not a lot of a fighter, blended it up with Devils defenseman Brendan Smith. It did not final lengthy and there was extra dancing than punches.
ROSTER MOVE
The Flyers put a non-roster standing on defenseman Tony DeAngelo. He missed his fourth straight recreation for undisclosed private causes. Philadelphia recalled ahead Olle Lycksell from Lehigh Valley (AHL) to change him on the roster.
UP NEXT
Flyers: Return residence and play the Rangers Saturday.
Devils: Host Florida on Saturday within the finale of a three-game homestand.