New Jersey Devils (12-15-5 29pts) vs
Edmonton Oilers (18-12-1 37pts)
Game Recap:
This afternoon features a matchup between the New Jersey Devils and the Edmonton Oilers to finish off 2021 and ring in the New Year. The beginning of the game would be pretty wild between the two teams. New Jersey would get on the scoreboard first with an early power play goal by Jack Hughes who would get set up for a one timer at the right face off circle by Dougie Hamilton for his seventh goal of the season. However, Connor McDavid was left completely wide open at the left side of the net and buried the cross pass feed for the goal and eighteenth goal of the season. If that wasn’t crazy enough, seconds later, Nico Hischier gave the Devils their lead back as his backhand shot ricocheted off of Oilers goalie Mike Smith’s and trickled into the back of the net for fourth of the year. All three goals were scored within a span of three minutes and all by three former number one overall draft picks in Hughes, McDavid, & Hischier. Three minutes later at the six minute mark, Kailer Yamamoto would tip in a shot from the point by Slater Koekkoek for his sixth of the season to tie the game 2-2. The scoring would quiet down for a little bit until Dawson Mercer received a saucer pass from Andreas Johnsson towards the front of the net where Mercer put a shot between the blocker of Mike Smith for his ninth goal of the year. After a wild first period, the Devils would lead the Oilers 3-2.
Period two was relatively quiet to start, until about the midway point when Connor McDavid got sprung in on a breakaway from a stretch pass by Duncan Keith for his second goal of the game and nineteenth of the season to tie the game 3-3. McDavid’s goal would be the only one of the period as we would move onto the third period.
Scoring picked back up between both teams beginning with the Devils at the 5:14 mark as Janne Kuokkanen scored his fifth of the season to make it 4-3. However it was short lived as Devin Shore received a backhand pass to the front of the net for a layup to tie the game up 4-4. Then things got controversial as the New Jersey Devils had thought they touched up the puck on a delayed penalty but, the referees and the league didn’t seem to think so. It was determined that the reviewing if the puck was touched on a delayed penalty was not a reviewable play. As a result, the Oilers on that play had scored and retook the lead as Kailer Yamamoto scored his second of the game to give Edmonton a 5-4 lead. Except you couldn’t count out the Devils as they evened the score up late with the goalie pulled and the extra attacker as Yegor Shangovich tipped in a Dougie Hamilton shot to get this game to overtime.
Overtime was very exciting as both teams traded plenty of chances with the 3 on 3 format, speed and skill, and open ice. Jack Hughes would be the overtime hero as he would fire a puck through Connor McDavid’s legs and use him as a screen and the puck went through goalie Mike Smith’s five hole which then trickled in for the game winner. The New Jersey Devils would beat the Edmonton Oilers by a final score of 6-5. Next time the Devils are back in action is on Sunday afternoon as they travel down to DC to take on the Washington Capitals.
Lineups
New Jersey Devils
Edmonton Oilers
Game Highlights
First Period
Second Period
Third Period
Overtime
Final Stats
| NJ | EDM | |
| Shots | 41 | 37 |
| Hits | 16 | 16 |
| Power Play | 1/2 | 0/1 |
| Face-Offs | 45% | 54% |
Next Up: New Jersey Devils @ Washington Capitals, Sunday 1/2/22 @ 3pm EST
The Xperience Hockey Talk 
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