Battle of The Hudson: Game 2
GAME 2
After the Devils' loss (5-1) in game 1, both teams headed into game 2 with a lot to prove. In game one, New York had the energy they needed to secure the first win of the series. There was no injury report prior to game 2; all Devils and Rangers players were suited up and ready to play. Prior to Thursday night's game, Lindy Ruff claimed that during the Devils' power plays, players lacked shots on goal due to spending so much of the time looking for the perfect play. Ruff also suggested his players overpassed the puck and were unable to get many shots off as a result. The Rangers kept their lineup the same as in game 1; however, changes were made to the opposing team’s. Number 44 for Jersey, Miles Wood, was moved to the third line as well as number 90, Tomas Tatar. This was no surprise, as Wood had 7:30 minutes of ice time in game 1, and Ruff moves lines around frequently. Another change for the Devils that occurred was Ruff’s surprising settlement to scratch Jonas Siegenthaler for Brendan Smith in a possible attempt for Jersey to play more physically in the rink.
Coming out of the locker room strong, Erik Haula for the Devils scored his first playoff goal this postseason (11:44) during the last 2 seconds of a power play, giving Jersey their first lead they've had in the first round. There was no Rangers goal in the first period, signifying a change of play compared to the drive brought to game 1.
After the Rangers' slow start, the Devils' lead came to a rapid conclusion when Tarasenko got New York on the board (5:53), tying the game at 1-1 with the assist of Fox and Lindgren. Tarasenko scored the first goal for the Rangers in both the first and second games, now having a total of two goals in the postseason. A few minutes later (9:57), the Rangers earned their first lead of the game with a goal made by none other than Chris Kreider. This was Kreider's third goal of the season but made it four later, close to the end of the period (16:00), with an assist from Kane and Fox. All four of his goals in the postseason were tip-ins, and Fox currently has six total assists in the two games so far with New Jersey. In both the first and second games, Miles Wood gave the Rangers the power play resulting in Kreider’s goal. The final score at the end of the second was 3-1.
Off a breakaway by Kane to the other end of the ice, only himself and Devils goalie Vanecek were present around the goal when he launched a backhand shot into the net, giving the Rangers a 4-1 lead (6:34). Kane had an incredible three-point night, showing Blueshirt fans he is playing his style play in the playoffs, as he did with Chicago for 16 years. The final goal of the game was made by New York’s Kaapo Kakko with a snapshot assisted by Chytil and Mikkola (13:05). Kakko’s goal was the end of the scoring for game 2, but the excitement continued when defenseman Braden Schneider and Michael McLeod threw several punches, eventually knocking off one another's helmets. By the end of the third, each team was down five players due to misconduct penalties.
Game 2 was absolutely wild for both teams. A specified list on ESPN states the game’s ten misconduct penalties and 25 total penalties for the entirety of the game. The Rangers brought the same fire from Tuesday’s game, alongside giving the Devils slight Deja Vu, winning 5-1 yet again. After the back-to-back loss for the Devils, speculation of playoff “jitters” settle down as New York dominated the team twice in Jersey. As both teams head to Madison Square Garden for games 3 and 4, both teams and fanbases know anything could happen in the remaining games. Both New Jersey Devils, along with New York Rangers want desperately to come out of this series with a win, and that fight will be witnessed on the ice during Saturday night's game.