Akira Schmid, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Erik Haula have been the New Jersey Devils' heroes in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs' first round.
"Playoffs are great. You never know who will be the hero on any given night."
Mike Rupp, Max Talbot, and Ruslan Fedotenko are all unlikely players who rose to the occasion and cemented their names in Stanley Cup Playoff history after scoring critical goals in pivotal Game 7's.
Tonight at Prudential Center, one of the New Jersey Devils' 19 players has the opportunity to carve his name into Devils' playoff history. Before tonight's big Game 7, let's look back at the heroes of New Jersey's first three victories of the series.
Game 3: Akira Schmid
I know what you're thinking. Dougie Hamilton was the Devils' Game 3 hero because he scored the game-winner in overtime.
While the 6-foot-6 defenseman is the obvious choice, there is an expectation that he will score critical goals. Hamilton completed the team's 82-game schedule with 22 goals, seven of which were game-winners. Additionally, his two overtime winners during the regular season were tied with Nico Hischier for the most on the team.
On the flip side, no one knew what to expect from 22-year-old Akira Schmid. In fact, if one did not follow the Devils this season and happened to turn on their device to watch Game 3, there's a good chance they would have no idea who he was.
He came into a critical must-win Game 3 and made 35 saves on 36 shots securing his team's first win of the postseason. Throughout the game, his calm demeanor never faltered, which prompted media members to ask if he was nervous for the first playoff start of his career.
"Yeah, very," he said with a laugh, "I just try not to show it."
Schmid's calm presence and performance in the crease helped propel his team to win their first game of the series and set the stage for Hamilton's thrilling overtime winner.
Game 4: Jonas Siegenthaler
A good coach knows how to effectively motivate his players, and that is exactly what head coach Lindy Ruff did when he scratched defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler for Game 2.
The 6-foot-2 defenseman was back in the lineup for Game 3, and the message from his veteran coach was simple, "I basically told him he'll be going back in. I need you to be better."
Not only did Siegenthaler offensively drive his team one game later in Game 4, but his defensive game was just as impressive.
Early in the first period, the Devils were caught in the defensive zone. The puck got through the crease, and Rangers' forward Tyler Motte reached for the puck to knock it across the goal line, but luckily for Schmid, Siegenthaler got possession of the puck and flipped it into the neutral zone.
"I was still scrambling, trying to find the puck. It happened so quick," Schmid said. "Thank goodness (Siegnthaler) was there to help me out and make a great play."
That play would eventually end with a Hughes' breakaway and his third goal of the series.
In the third period, Siegenthaler scored his team's second goal of the night, the game-winner, after he received a cross-ice pass from Hischier.
"I knew as a D-man you have to move up and join the rush," he said. "I saw a hole and just tried to jump in there. (Hischier) made an incredible play to me. I wasn't alone in front of the net, but almost. So, I just tried to shoot it low glove. And it went in."
Game 5: Erik Haula
The Devils offensively have not been led by Hughes, Hischier, or Jesper Bratt this postseason. It has been 32-year-old Erik Haula who leads the team with five points in six games.
While he has been doing all the little things all regular season long, like winning faceoffs and board battles, his offensive skills were on display in the team's third victory of the series.
In the second period, the Devils were on the power play, and Haula found himself all alone screening Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin. Dawson Mercer shot the puck toward the net, and Haula tipped it in and gave the Devils a 2-0 lead over their opponent.
Later in the period, Haula and Mercer were deployed on the penalty kill. The veteran forward took the puck away and skated into the Rangers' zone. He passed the puck to Mercer, who buried his first career playoff goal. Haula would add an empty-net goal with a little over five minutes left in the game to finish off a three-point night.
In a do-or-die Game 7, another player has the potential to join Schmid, Siegenthaler, and Haula as the surprise heroes of the first round. Could it be New Jersey's stars, like Hischier, Bratt, and Timo Meier, who have been relatively quiet up until this point? Or could Nathan Bastian or Jesper Boqvist score a vital goal to propel their team to the second round? The playoffs have been full of surprises up until this point, and only time will tell who the next hero will be for the Devils.