Schneider makes 22 saves as Devils beat Bruins, 3-0 (Jan 02, 2017)
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) The New Jersey Devils won a couple Stanley Cups with good goaltending and solid defense. Returning to that style might be the solution to turning around another disappointing season.
PA Parenteau scored his fifth goal in eight games, Cory Schneider made 22 saves and the slumping Devils beat the Boston Bruins 3-0 on Monday night.
Sergey Kalinin added an insurance goal early in the third period and set up Taylor Hall's empty-netter as the Devils won for only the third time in 13 games (3-9-1).
''Great execution by the boys tonight,'' Schneider said after posting his second shutout of the season and his second in his last four starts. ''One game does not turn everything around but it's a good start missing some guys and hopefully it's a good sign for 2017.''
In the Devils' most recent wins, they posted two shutouts and a 2-1 win in a shootout. In eight of the nine losses they surrendered at least four goals.
''It's not that I felt that much superior tonight than I have on other nights,'' Schneider said ''I made a couple of key saves, but overall I thought again we defended really well and didn't give them too many wide open looks, not a lot of odd-man rushes.''
Tuukka Rask had 23 saves for the Bruins, who lost to New Jersey for only the second time in eight games (6-2).
''We just couldn't muster up anything tonight,'' Bruins coach Claude Julien said. ''We were flat. We were flat from start to finish.''
Schneider was the difference. He stopped a power-play redirection in front by Tim Schaller with 1:20 left in the first and made an outstanding stick stop on a rebound try by Patrice Bergeron with 3.3 seconds left in the period following a giveaway by Parenteau.
The puck lay on the goal line for a second or so before Schneider slapped his glove on top of it inches from being a goal. The play was reviewed and the no-goal ruling was confirmed.
''I wasn't quite sure to be honest, I was looking right at it and I couldn't see down on it but it looked like it was pretty close,'' Schneider said.
Parenteau put the Devils ahead 4:12 into the game with the help of just recalled rookie defenseman Steven Santini and Hall, who returned to the lineup after missing the last two games with a lower-body injury.
Santini, a former Boston College product playing in his second NHL game and first this season, took a shot from the right point. Rask pushed the rebound to the left circle and Hall shot it off the goalpost. Parenteau swatted the loose puck off the post and then into the net for his 11th goal. It was Santini's first NHL point.
''To score the first goal of the game, it gives you legs but it's also good for the team,'' Parenteau said. ''That's something we've been stressing, trying to get the first goal, trying to get some shots on net and it's working for me right now.''
Kalinin gave New Jersey breathing room 1:44 into the third period. Miles Wood, another Boston College player, set up the goal with a rush along the right boards into the Bruins' zone. Kalinin took his centering pass and beat Rask in close for his second goal.
''You can lose games and sometimes take a lot of positives out of it despite the losses,'' Rask said. ''Today, I don't think there is too much.''
NOTES: Bruins RW David Backes missed his second straight game with a concussion. ... This was first of five of six on the road for Bruins. ... Torey Krug and Ryan Spooner had five-game point streaks snapped. ... Boston killed off all six New Jersey power plays. ... Devils centers Travis Zajac and Jacob Josefson were out because of illness. D John Moore missed the game with a concussion.
UP NEXT:
Bruins: Hosts Edmonton on Thursday.
Devils: Visit Carolina on Tuesday.
