New Jersey Devils: Brian Gibbons scores shorthanded in win over Toronto
Brian Gibbons had the highlight of the night, scoring a shorthanded goal to help the New Jersey Devils beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3.
Both the Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils entered Wednesday evening undefeated. With both teams ranking high in our recent power rankings, a great game was expected. The Devils wound up surprising everyone, topping the favored Maple Leafs 6-3 on the road.
New Jersey forward Brian Gibbons potted a goal with Toronto on the two-man advantage late in the second period. This was just one of the many highlights of the night for the Devils.
On the penalty kill, the Devils win the initial faceoff in their own end. Adam Henrique picks up the puck and drives down the middle of the ice with a head of steam.
Henrique then splits Toronto’s William Nylander and Jake Gardiner as they attempt to backcheck. While Nylander gets a stick on the puck, it ricochets off of Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen, making its way back to Gibbons.
It was his second goal of the year; Gibbons entered the season with five career goals in 66 games.
Devils offense explodes
Gibbons goal was one of six on the night for the Devils. He wasn’t the only unlikely goal scorer for the Devils. With New Jersey down 1-0 midway through the first period, Miles Wood scored back-to-back goals. Wood, the Devils 2013 fourth-round pick, entered training camp as a borderline roster player. With performances like this, he looks to be a mainstay on a roster looking for young forwards.
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Notably absent from the scoresheet: New Jersey Devils 2017 number one overall pick Nico Hischier. They continue to bring him on slowly, as he had only 14:03 in ice time.
Toronto struggles on special teams
The Devils attempted a more conservative approach as the night wore on. They were outshot 50-31 on the night, and Toronto had 10 power-play opportunities.
When they weren’t giving up 5-on-3 goals, the Maple Leafs still squandered their opportunities. The Maple Leafs only managed to score on two of their power play opportunities. While the Devils only scored on one of their six power-play opportunities, it was enough to post a win in Toronto. Along with St. Louis and an unlikely Vegas expansion team, the Devils are one of three remaining undefeated teams.
Next: 3 Reasons The Maple Leafs Bar Is Set Too High
What do you think, Puck Prose readers? Are the Devils for real? Is this just a hiccup for a young Toronto team? Let us know in the comments.