The New Jersey Devils have had a tough week. The team lost two consecutive home games after going unbeaten at home in regulation up until that point.
The Devils first lost to the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-3, allowing three goals in the second period. Owen Tippett and Matvei Michkov each scored twice.
Following their loss to the Flyers, the Devils aimed to rebound and get back in the win column against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
A milestone night honoring Brenden Dillon’s 1,000th game quickly soured.
The Devils took a 2-1 lead at the end of the first period; however, one minute into the second, a brawl broke out.
Dmitri Voronkov fought Dillon, quickly sending him to the ice.
Dillon needed help off the ice. He later returned for three shifts before leaving again, not playing at all in the third period.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe addressed the situation postgame with NJD.tv.
“[Dillon] would never do something like that to another player. That I know for certain,” Keefe said. “I don’t like it. I don’t think Dillon knows he’s in a fight, and he’s tackled from behind. Before he knows it, his helmet’s off, his jersey is over his head, and we saw what happened from there.”
Dillon would skate for just over ten minutes in his milestone game.
Despite leading early, the Devils failed to close out the game and lost 5-3, missing chances to regroup.
These back-to-back home losses marked the first time all season the Devils dropped two straight games on home ice.
Looking ahead, the Devils face a challenging schedule, with games against the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, and Boston Bruins in the coming week.
The Devils play 14 games in 29 days—a heavy load before the Winter Olympic break.
Losing to the Blue Jackets and Flyers is not ideal for this team. With every team in the NHL either holding a playoff spot or within three points of one, there is little margin for error. The Devils, currently second in the Metropolitan Division with 33 points, trail the Flyers by two and the Blue Jackets by 4 in the race for a postseason berth.
Despite injuries, the Devils must find a way to win to remain atop the division, especially with the tough schedule.
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