Devils 4, Canadiens 3: Finding a way
It wasn't pretty but the Devils found a way to get two points against the Atlantic Division leaders.
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The New Jersey Devils were able to get back in the win column Thursday night, grinding out an overtime victory against the Montreal Canadiens.
Let’s get into some takeaways:
Welcome back, Cody Glass 🥛
Cody Glass reclaimed his role as the No. 3 center and made his presence felt immediately.
He scored on his very first shift of the game, coming down the left wing and beating Jakub Dobes far side to get the Devils an early lead – something they haven’t found often.
That was his only mark on the scoresheet, but it wasn’t for a lack of opportunity. A case could be made the Glass line was New Jersey’s most dangerous throughout.
Glass assisted on a couple of good looks and almost scored a second goal in very similar fashion, ripping one just over the net following a Devils power play.
Ondrej Palat had a strong game, facilitating more shooting opportunities than anybody on the roster at 5v5. He also potted his 1st of the season to give the Devils a 2-1 lead after the Habs tied it on a very…unique goal.
Gritsyuk also got the pre-game memo I wrote, taking on more of a role as a shooter for his line. He had five attempts at 5v5 – 2nd to only Timo Meier among Devils – and actually led the way in chances during that state.
Overall, members of this line accounted for the only two 5v5 goals the Devils scored while combining for the most shot attempts and contributions of any of the four lines.
As it turns out, having a 3C in the 3C slot makes a big difference.
