Devils
Photo Credit: Claudio J. De La Rosa

Siegenthaler, Swiss Teammates lead Devils to Even Series at 2

The fairy tale ending was not to be. Sensational rookie netminder Akira Schmid had shut out the Rangers through two periods as the Devils held fast to a 1-0 lead garnered 2:50 into the game when Jack Hughes beat Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin on a breakaway. The Rangers broke through quickly in the third, knotting the game at 1 only 1:42 into the period when center Vincent Trocheck slotted home a rebound.

The momentum had swung, and the crowd was alive.  It appeared all but certain that the star-studded Rangers would revert back to the onslaught they wreaked in first two games of the series. However, the resilient Devils did what they have done all year. They weathered the storm and found a way to win a big game on the road 3-1.

 

THE SWISS (DON’T) MISS

 

Earlier this season, the Devils became the first team to have four Swiss born players take the ice in a NHL game.  Saturday they became the first team to have four Swiss players play together in a Stanley Cup Playoffs Game. Tonight, the Swiss countrymen were the catalysts for the biggest win in most of their careers.

Schmid again played masterfully, only allowing one goal on 23 shots and displaying his calm demeanor even when pucks got loose behind him. Schmid said he was certainly less nervous for this start than the one Saturday.

“No, not as much, I was a little more used to it this time,” Schmid said.

Schmid gave the majority of the credit to his teammates for keeping lanes clear and eliminating screens. 

Despite the stellar play of  Schmid, the hero Monday night was Jonas Siegenthaler. Just two games ago, Siegenthaler was a healthy scratch and forced to watch the game from high above the Prudential Center ice. In Game four, he got his redemption in the form of an amazing backhanded flip to a streaking Hughes for the first goal, and then a blistering snap shot beating Shesterkin clean to restore the lead. 

Siegenthaler conceded that missing Game two was difficult ,but said he spent time reflecting, “It wasn’t fun. I learned from it, I went over my first game, clearly I had to be more physical…be hard to play against, take it shift by shift.” 

On the fist goal, Siegenthaler cleared the puck off his own goal line, above a cadre of Rangers directly onto the stick of Hughes speeding up ice.

  “I tried to flip it over the Rangers player and luckily (Hughes) was there,” Siegenthaler said of the game's opening goal. 

 

Later, in the third period Siegenthaler would make a fateful decision to join in the rush when he saw an opening. Fellow Swiss countryman Nico Hischier delayed at the half wall until he had a lane to find Siegenthaler streaking in alone.

“Nico made an incredible pass to me and I was almost alone in front of the net and I tried to shoot it low glove, and it went in,” Siegenthaler said about his goal to give the Devils a 2-1 lead in the third period.

The rocket off of Siegenthaler’s stick rattled around and out of the cage and put the Devils in front to stay, completing the two-point night for Siegenthaler. It was Siegenthaler’s first postseason goal and first multi-point outing in the playoffs. The assist was Hischier’s second in as many games. 

 

THREE GAME SERIES

 

With the series now tied at two games a piece, the action shifts back to Newark for Game Five on Thursday. The Devils have regained home ice advantage with games five and seven at home. 

Since Coach Lindy Ruff switched up the lines heading into Game Three, the Devils have been far more productive at 5v5. Monday night, they doubled the Rangers in high-danger chances 15-7 (Per Natural Stat Trick). The line of Hughes, Erik Haula and Ondrej Palat were dominant especially in Game Four. The line had a 67% expected goals for and had 83% of the high danger chances during the nearly 12 minutes they were on the ice. Haula has noticed a significant improvement in the team’s play over the last two games.

“It just shows the way we have to play and what’s working for us," Haula said. "It’s great to see we had four lines again. Everyone in our lineup did their job and we’re doing what we need to do.”

He was impressed with the team’s reaction to the Rangers scoring the tying goal.

“We stayed calm, got the next best chance and were able to capitalize so it shows growth,” Haula said about the Devils' reaction after 

 

Puck drop for Game 5 will be Thursday at 7:30 in Newark