Trailing 2-0 after Artemi Panarin and Mike Zibanejad tapped in a pair of goals for the New York Raners in the game’s opening three minutes, the New Jersey Devils stayed calm, cool and collective. And quickly rallied, tallying four consecutive goals through the second period to take a 4-2 lead, en route to a 5-3 victory over their “cross-state-lines” rivals in the first match-up of the year between the bitter rivals.
Tomas Tatar’s beautiful backhanded goal on an assist by Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt got the Devils to within one goal, before Yegor Sharangovich knotted things up at two late in the opening period. The Devils took over in the second period when Jack Hughes and Michael McLeod tallied goals to put Jersey in front 4-2.
Sharagovich would add his second goal of the night late in the third period to ice the game at 5-3.
The victory moved the Devils to 19-4 on the season with 38 points to their name. That means Jersey is currently the best team in the NHL with only the Boston Bruins trailing them by two points with an overall record of 18-3.