Mackenzie Blackwood left the game with an injury in the first period, and Timo Meier had two assists in his return to San Jose as the New Jersey Devils beat the San Jose Sharks 7-2.
Mackenzie Blackwood left the game with an injury in the first period, and Timo Meier had two assists in his return to San Jose as the New Jersey Devils beat the San Jose Sharks 7-2 on Tuesday night.
Blackwood was injured at the 17:34 mark of the first period after making a save. He skated directly to the bench as the game headed to a commercial break. He made 13 saves before leaving. Kaapo Kahkonen was left to dry in the second and third periods, making 25 saves. Nico Sturm and Justin Bailey scored for the Sharks.
"We did it over and over and over. Our puck play is just....bad," Sharks head coach David Quinn said.
The Devils got goals from Jesper Bratt, Jack Hughes, Kevin Bahl, Brendan Smith, Colin Miller, Dawson Mercer, and Nico Hischer. They scored seven unanswered goals. Nico Hischier had a goal and three assists, and Jack Hughes also had two assists plus his goal. Nico Daws made 29 saves.
The Sharks played frantically and tried to force a lot of plays, especially after Blackwood left the game. The Devils' speed was on display all night, and they beat Kahkonen with pinpoint shots and traffic in front.
"I thought the whole second period, they get a breakaway, a two-on-one. Just same old B.S., you know?" Quinn said.
Mackenzie Blackwood left the game in the first period.
The Sharks announced Blackwood would not return to the game.
Blackwood is dealing with a lower-body injury, and the extent of the injury is not yet known.
Nico Sturm scores his 4th goal of the season off a great feed from Barabanov.
Jasper Bratt scores his 22nd goal of the season with an easy tap-in on a 2-on-1 and a great pass from Timo Meier.
Jack Hughes gets behind the Sharks for a breakaway and goes five-hole on Kahkonen for his 19th goal of the season.
Kevin Bahl winds up from the slot and scores his first goal of the season. San Jose had just won a challenge for offside, taking away a Timo Meier goal, but quickly gave up the goal again.
Colin Miller scores his 3rd goal of the season off a shot from the point with heavy traffic in front of Kahkonen.
Dawson Mercer scores his 16th goal of the season with a shot from the slot.
Hischer adds the Devils' 7th goal of the game with his 20th goal of the season.
Justin Bailey scores his 5th goal of the season.
Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
- Follow Max on Twitter: @Real_Max_Miller
The Hockey News