Nemec's OT Strike Seals Gritty 3-2 Win, Lifts Devils to Second Straight Victory

 

Photo: Andrew MacLean

The New Jersey Devils continued their momentum on home ice, extending their season-opening home point streak to 10 games with a dramatic 3-2 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. Simon Nemec was the hero, scoring the winning goal at 2:58 of the extra frame on a beautiful backdoor feed from Captain Nico Hischier, who tallied a goal and two assists for a three-point night. The victory gives New Jersey its second straight win, while simultaneously handing the struggling St. Louis Blues their second consecutive loss.

St. Louis Blues Lineup:

Kyrou - Thomas - Buchnevich

Holloway - Dvorsky - Neighbours

Schenn - Suter - Snuggerud

Toropchenko - Sundqvist - Walker

Broberg - Parayko

Tucker - Faulk

Fowler - Mailloux

Binnington

Hofer

New Jersey Devils Lineup:

Meier - Hischier - Bratt

Palat - Mercer - Gritsyuk

Cotter - Glass - Brown

Lammikko - Glendening - Noesen

Siegenthaler - Hamilton

Hughes - Nemec

Dillon - White

Markstrom

Allen

Early in the first period, Cam Fowler opened the scoring to put St. Louis ahead 1-0 at 17:44 with the Blues' first shot on goal. He took a slap shot from just outside the left face-off circle after Nathan Walker picked up the puck, firing it, and it bounced off the left boards, where Fowler collected it. Timo Meier tied it up 1-1, recording his eighth goal of the season with 8:58 on the clock when he kicked a loose puck to himself, then lifted it past Jordan Binnington from in front. At 5:23, Robert Thomas put the Blues back in the lead 2-1 with his fourth goal of the season when he struck on the power play, scoring on a snap shot from inside the left circle.

Nico Hischier knotted it back up 2-2 with his eighth of the season when he collected the rebound of Meier's shot, scoring a power-play goal when he tucked it between Binnington's pads at 11:11.

After a scoreless third period, the Blues and Devils went into overtime, where Simon Nemec put it home off a backdoor pass by Hischier, who picked up the puck behind the net, skated to the right of the crease, then sent it to Nemec, who beat Binnington blocker side for the 3-2 final.

Notes:

- In Devils/Colorado Rockies history, Simon Nemec became the eighth defenseman with multiple overtime goals in a single season (Nov. 12 at the Chicago Blackhawks).

- Nico Hischier had a goal and two assists, and Timo Meier recorded both a goal and an assist. ...In his past three games, Hischier has recorded eight points (four goals, four assists).

- Jacob Markstrom made a total of 21 saves for New Jersey.

- In a 4-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday, Evgenii Dadonov did not play after sustaining an undisclosed injury. Before this game against St. Louis, according to Sheldon Keefe, he "will miss some time."

- The Devils are 15-7-1, have won two straight, and are 9-0-1 at home.

- When Ondrej Palat received a double minor for high-sticking two minutes into the third, the Blues failed to score on the four-minute power play. They had five shots on goal. 

- Cam Fowler picked up both a goal and an assist.

- Jordan Binnington made a total of 26 saves for St. Louis. ...In the first frame, Binnington made 13 saves, including three in the first 46 seconds of the game.

- The Blues are 7-10-7, have lost two in a row, and finished their five-game road trip 1-1-3.