In 2023-24, the New Jersey Devils had to type “1-0 them” on social media a lot. Well, that wasn’t the case in their first game of the 2024-25 season which was a match in Prague, Czechia against the Buffalo Sabres. This is a part of the 2024 NHL Global Series.
Not only did the New Jersey Devils score the first goal of the game, they scored the first goal of the season for any team. Jonathan Kovacevic made a wise play to find Noesan in front who made a great shot.
Kovacevic wasn’t done there. He scored a goal of his own as a blast found its way through trafic and into the net. The new faces paid immediate dividends for Tom Fitzgerald’s team.
Later on, captain Nico Hischier scored a beautiful goal to get the Devils up by 3. After Owen Power made it 3-1 in the third period, Paul Cotter scored into the empty net and it became a 4-1 victory for the New Jersey Devils in Czechia.
There was a lot to like about the New Jersey Devils’ first game in Czechia
Seamus Casey made his NHL debut in this game paired with Simon Nemec. He looked great and even made some nifty-looking plays to create offensive chances.
Another player who deserves some kudos is Dawson Mercer. He collected one assist in the game but his overall play in all three zones was incredible.
Some of the issues that ailed the New Jersey Devils in 2023-24 seem to be improved with some of the additions made during the off-season. Of course, it is just one game and they need to keep working but this was a great start.
In this win, they looked fast, they looked smart, and they defended well. Buffalo wasn’t able to get much going in terms of high-danger chances on a consistent level. The resistance that the Devils provided played a big role in that.
Sheldon Keefe clearly wants his team to turn protecting the house into strong offensive chances on the other end of the ice. The Devils did that.
They didn’t even get any scoring from the top line of Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, or Timo Meier in this one. That line will produce a ton of goals which will make this team even more dangerous if lines 2-4 continue to produce the way they did in this one.
It is a quick turnaround for the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres. They will close out the 2024 Global Series with one more match in Czechia. Fans in North America will get some early morning hockey as it will be on at 10 AM EC/9 AM CT.
feed
