Rookie Will Butcher assisted on all three power play goals with fellow rookie Jesper Bratt scoring on one of the power play goals (1) and assisted on a John Moore shorthanded goal (1).
Adam Henrique (1) and Jimmy Hayes (1) completed the Devils scoring tally on the stat sheet.
New Jersey travels to Buffalo Monday for a Columbus Day three o'clock start...
Hell Raisers
1) It didn't take long to see why so many were excited about the Devils managing to sign Will Butcher to a contract and Butcher's three assists on the power play showed the offensive potential that Butcher brings.
He'll need work and refinement in his own end, but Butcher looks to be an able puck mover and a pretty nice shot as well.
2) Jesper Bratt's goal on the power play was nice, but his big play was the assist on the shorthanded goal by John Moore,
Bratt looked across the ice, found his man in Moore and put the pass right on the money.
That's the type of play that young players don't often make, but Bratt was more than able.
A decision on Bratt will have to made after nine more games, Bratt might be on the verge of making that a very tough decision...
3) Nico Hischier didn't earn a point in his first pro game, but he showed offensive aggressiveness (six shots on net) and I loved when he challenged Erik Johnson after his cheap hit on Kyle Palmieri.
This guy is going to be a really good one.
4) I thought Erik Johnson's knee to knee hit on Kyle Palmieri was a cheap shot and deserved more than a two minute penalty.
Bet on Johnson getting more punishment from the league....
5) Drew Stafford was injured along with Palmieri.
No word on how long either will be out, but losing the right wings on each of the top two lines will cause some shaking up in the lines and on the roster as well.
6) I wrote in the preview that Cory Schneider was going to have to raise his game and with 40 saves, he did just that and showed signs of the Schneider that played before last season.
Andrew Gross of Fire and Ice, wrote that the new goaltender coach Rollie Melanson has Schneider deeper in the crease and for one game it seemed to help.
7) Watched the Devils broadcast for most of the game (due to a tv signal issue, we watched the first period on the Colorado feed), I really liked what Bryce Salvador brought to the broadcast.
Salvador is good on the mic and had some interesting things to say, such as Cory Schneider blaming himself for Chris Terreri losing his job as goaltending coach.
8) Chico Resch is back with the team, but as the team's radio color commentator.
Chico is replacing Sherry Ross, who I really liked, but I'm not sure this is for Chico.
Hockey on radio is not an easy call and Chico's folksy stories might not mesh as well in an audio medium.
If the Devils really wanted Resch back, I would have moved him back to television and Ken Daneyko to radio, as Daneyko is more likely to make that conversion successfully.
9) Deb Placey is back and she's still awful.
Back later with thoughts on Ohio State's crushing of Maryland,if I have time!
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