The New Jersey Devils enter the 4-Nations break with a 4-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
The New Jersey Devils entered Saturday afternoon's game against the Montreal Canadiens, understanding it was a must-win.
After 60 minutes, Sheldon Keefe gave a locker room victory speech as his team earned a 4-0 victory over the Canadiens. Jesper Bratt, Paul Cotter, Jack Hughes, and Luke Hughes scored for the Devils. Goaltender Jake Allen made 34 saves on 34 shots for his fourth shutout of the season.
"He has been great," head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Allen. " [..] Today, for me, he was really calm and kept everything in front of him. There were a lot of shots from the perimeter that can turn into second and third opportunities but he was eating a lot of things up today that allowed our team to settle down. I thought he looked like the veteran goaltender that he is, and that was what our team needed."
"Obviously, we have been up and down for quite a while lately, and we have 12 days off and you want to go in that with a good mindset," Allen said to NJD.TV. "It could have easily went the other way (today) and have 12 days to dwell on it, but it was a good way to close it out."
Only two players from New Jersey's bottom six found their names on the scoresheet, but the third and fourth lines played an integral role in the Devils' first two goals.
The fourth line of Tomas Tatar, Curtis Lazar, and Nathan Bastian pinned Montreal into their zone, along the boards, before Bratt jumped over the boards for an offensive zone line change and beat Sam Montembeault with his snap shot to give NJ a 1-0 lead. Tatar was the lone fourth-liner to be credited with an assist.
In a similar effort, the third line of Cotter, Justin Dowling, and Stefan Noesen had an extended shift in the offensive zone. Dowling and Noesen executed another offensive zone line change allowing Bratt and Hughes to come on and set up Cotter for his 13th goal of the season, matching his career high.
The Hughes brothers each scored in the third period, giving the Devils a cushion and Allen goal support as the netminder turned away 12 shots in the final frame.
The Devils will return to action on Feb. 22, when the club hosts Brendan Smith and the Dallas Stars at Prudential Center.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym-8JkvIOBA[/embed]
Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
EXCLUSIVE: Q&A With MSG Networks Host & Analyst Rachel Herzog
Hischier’s Manager Patrick Fischer: 'He’s Driven to Succeed, but Not Easily Satisfied'