Devils, Clemmensen Win Second Straight

AP Photo/Bill Kostroun (ESPN.com)

The Devils are starting to look like the team of old. Solid goaltending and defense helped to lead the Devils to a 3-1 victory of the Florida Panthers Thursday night. It was the second straight for Marty replacement Scott Clemmensen. Clemmensen had 22 saves in the game.

The Devils controleThe Devils are starting to look like the team of old. Solid goaltending and defense helped to lead the Devils to a 3-1 victory of the Florida Panthers Thursday night. It was the second straight for Marty replacement Scott Clemmensen. Clemmensen had 22 saves in the game.

The Devils controlled the first period, doubling the shots the Panthers took. However, neither team was able to capitalize on their chances. The first period ended stalemated at 0.

The second period was not as successful shot-wise for the Devils. They were out-shot 10-1 in the period. Patrick Elias made sure that one counted though. He connected on the Devils only shot of the period, giving them a 1-0 lead. Clemmensen continued to shut the Panthers down, giving the Devils the lead heading to the third.

The third was the most evenly played period of the game. Although the Devils only managed 6 more shots, they again made them count. Paul Martin scored his first goal of the season to give the Devils a 2-0 lead. About a minute later Brian Gionta padded the Devils lead even more with his fourth of the year. Florida tried to get back into the game with a powerplay goal a few minutes later, but the Devils shut the door.

This was a large victory for the Devils. On a night when they were held to 19 shots, they made the most of their opportunities. They need to start stringing together some wins if they plan on climbing farther up the very competitive Eastern Conference. The Devils play the final game of their home-stand Friday night against the Islanders.

The Devils will go on a 5-game road trip, before coming home for three games in early December. It’s crucial for the Devils to do well during this road trip, because their home-stand will not be easy. The Rangers, Penguins, and Sabres will be the teams they play, who are first, fourth, and seventh in the Eastern conference respectively.

Note:

Seems to be a reoccurring note: Devils allow opponent to go 1-2 on powerplay, while going 0-2 on their own.

Next Game Prediction: Devils 2 Islanders 1 (OT)