The New Jersey Devils have won two games in a row for the first time in over a month thanks to Cory Schneider, who got "off the schneid" by making 49 saves on the 50 total shots he faced to come away with his first two regular season wins in over a year.
The Devils beat the Sabres, 4-1, Sunday night at Prudential Center.
Cory Schneider won his second straight game, making 34 saves on 35 Buffalo shots.
The only Devils goalie to make at least that many saves and allow no more than one goal in a regular season game against the Sabres was Martin Brodeur, who made 37 saves in a 0-0 tie vs. Dominic Hasek back on December 23rd, 1996 at the Meadowlands.
Kyle Palmieri had a goal and two assists in the win, his 8th game with at least three points since coming to New Jersey in 2015-16.
Here are the Devils leaders in games with at least three points over the last four seasons:
• Taylor Hall 14
• Kyle Palmieri 8
• Travis Zajac 8
• Mike Cammalleri 7
• Nico Hischier 4
The Devils trailed 4-1 late in the second period but rallied to beat the Wild, 5-4, in overtime last Friday night in Minnesota.
Schneider, who was 0-17-4 since his last regular season win back on December 27th, 2017, stopped all 15 shots he faced after replacing Keith Kinkaid in the second period and got the victory when Nico Hischier scored 3:19 into overtime.
It was Hischier’s third OT goal of the season, one shy of equaling the Devils’ club record:
• Scott Niedermayer 2001-02 4
• Patrik Elias 2003-04 4
• Ilya Kovalchuk 2010-11 4
• Steve Thomas 1995-96 3
• Patrik Elias 2000-01 3
• Brian Gionta 2005-06 3
• Patrik Elias 2007-08 3
• Zach Parise 2008-09 3
• John Moore 2015-16 3
• Taylor Hall 2017-18 3
• Nico Hischier 2018-19 3
Schneider’s win was his first “in relief” for New Jersey. He did have one win coming off the bench for Vancouver back on April 3rd, 2012, a 5-4 shootout victory vs. Anaheim after replacing Roberto Luongo in the second period.
It was the second time this season a Devils goalie won a game he did not start. Keith Kinkaid got the victory in relief of Mackenzie Blackwood in New Jersey’s 3-2 win at Arizona back on January 4th.
The Devils are now 4 and 0 all-time vs. the Wild in games decided in overtime:
•2/15/19 NJD 5 at Min 4 Nico Hischier
• 11/20/17 NJD 4 at Min 3 John Moore
• 10/22/16 Min 1 at NJD 2 Taylor Hall
• 3/20/14 Min 3 at NJD 4 Andy Greene
The Devils lost to the Blackhawks, 5-2, last Thursday night in Chicago.
Cam Ward stopped 41 shots for Chicago in the win, matching the most saves he has ever made in his 35 career regular season games vs. New Jersey.
The 41 saves were the most by a Blackhawks goalie in a game vs. the Devils in Chicago since Darren Pang stopped 38 of 42 shots back on April 3rd, 1988, the 4-3 overtime victory on the final night of the regular season at Chicago Stadium that clinched New Jersey’s first-ever post-season berth.
The Devils lost to the Blues, 8-3, last Tuesday night in St. Louis.
It was the 10th straight time and 13th time in their last 14 meetings New Jersey was beaten by St. Louis (1-11-2).
Here are the Devils’ longest losing streaks (excluding ties) against an opposing club in franchise history (including seasons as Kansas City and Colorado):
• 16 vs. NY Islanders 2/20/82 through 3/20/84
• 13 vs. Philadelphia 1/14/75 through 12/3/77
• 12 vs. Montreal 12/15/76 through 11/15/79
• 10 vs. St. Louis 1/28/14 through 2/12/19
The eight goals matched the most by the Blues in a game vs. the Devils but were one shy of the nine scored by St. Louis against New Jersey’s predecessor, the Colorado Rockies:
• 12/13/80 Col 4 at Stl 9
• 10/20/84 NJD 3 at Stl 8
• 4/2/85 NJD 4 at Stl 8
• 2/12/19 NJD 3 at Stl 8
Plus/Minus:
Plus: Power Players. The Devils have scored a power play goal in five consecutive games, their longest streak since they began the season with seven straight.
Minus: Pulling the Plug. Keith Kinkaid’s early exit in the second period vs. the Wild was the eighth time a Devils starting goalie came out of a game this season. Only Anaheim (10) and Florida (9) have replaced their starting goalies because of performance or injuries more often.