The Devils got both in moving a little closer to their first playoff berth since the 2011-12 season.
Stefan Noesen scored on a rebound with 1:33 to play and the Devils got two goals in the final nine minutes to post a 4-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night.
”I was jumping on the bench Ryan Miller Jersey ,” said Devils catalyst Taylor Hall, who had three assists. ”Sometimes you need to make a play, need to have a performance and guy come through and really get that one for us. You don’t want to get to overtime and split the odds.”
Noesen, whose 12 goals and 25 points are career highs, was in the right spot at the right time in helping the Devils win their third straight and sixth of eight.
Andy Greene’s shot from the left boards was stopped by Scott Darling, but the rebound came to Noesen who fired it into the net.
”Puck goes out to Greeny and comes right on my stick and those are nice, especially with a minute and a half left,” Noesen said. ”That’s a big win, as of now it’s the biggest win of the year. Every win now from this point forward will be the biggest.”
The Devils (88 points) are three points ahead of idle Florida in the race for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Panthers have two games in hand.
”It wasn’t our greatest game, execution wise, defensive wise Phillip Danault Jersey , but this time of the year you have to try and find a way to do whatever it takes,” said Kyle Palmieri, who had two goals and an assist.
Pavel Zacha also scored and Keith Kinkaid, who has supplanted Cory Schneider as the No. 1 goaltender, made 31 saves.
Phil Di Giuseppe, Warren Foegele and Noah Hanifin also scored as the Hurricanes had a three-game winning streak snapped despite taking a 3-2 lead early in the third period. Scott Darling was outstanding making 41 saves, but Carolina’s slim playoff hopes faded as it fell nine points behind New Jersey.
”No matter what, you want to win,” Di Giuseppe said. ”That’s our focus. We are just trying to win for each other. Obviously disappointing tonight, but there are a few more games.”
Palmieri tied the game twice with power-play goals, with both being setup by great passes by Hall.
The second tied the game 3-all with 8:55 left in regulation as a penalty against Valentin Zykov about to expire. Hall sent a pass between the circles and Palmieri deflected it with an open blade into the top of the net.
Hanifin had given the Hurricanes at 3-2 lead 3:39 into the period with a shot from the left circle into a relatively open net after Jeff Skinner won the puck behind the net.
Kinkaid was the difference in the second period when he stopped breakaways by Skinner and Brock McGinn with the Hurricanes leading 2-1.
”Keith stood on his head and gave us a chance tonight and special teams came through when it mattered Youth Matt Nieto Jersey ,” Palmieri said.
The save on Skinner in the opening minute of the period was spectacular. The 23-goal scorer made a move to his forehand to get Kinkaid out of position but the goalie reached back at the last second and just the butt of his stick kept the puck out of the net.
Hall then made a great cross-ice pass to find Palmieri low in the right circle for a quick power-play shot that beat Darling to tie the game 2-all with 5:53 left in the period.
New Jersey dominated the opening 10 minutes and took the early lead when Zacha put the rebound of a Palmieri shot into an open net at 5:47.
Darling kept the Hurricanes in the game, stopping a short-handed breakaway by Blake Coleman at 12:01.
Di Giuseppe tied the game a couple of minutes late with a shot from the left circle after Skinner won a battle along the boards. Elias Lindholm found Di Giuseppe.
Foegele, who scored in his NHL debut on Monday, got his second in two games with a wraparound goal at with 3:07 left in the period.
NOTES: Hurricanes hope to get D Justin Falk back before the season ends. He has missed the last three games with an upper-body injury. … Devils F Miles Wood returned to the lineup after missing three games with a similar injury. … Hall now has 52 assists, one shy of his career high with Edmonton in 2013-14. … Palmieri has three goals in the last two games. … Di Giuseppe has three goals in four games after scoring two in his first 40. …Hurricanes F Sebastian Aho snapped a nine-game point-scoring streak (4 goals, 8 assists).
UP NEXT
Hurricanes: At Washington on Friday night
Devils: Host Pittsburgh on Thursday night in third straight home game.
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More NHL hockey: While Andy Dalton was throwing deep passes to A.J. Green and the rest of the Bengals receivers on Friday, Tyler Eifert was on a side field running sprints in shorts and a cut-off shirt.
He ran one sprint, then another. Next were some agility drills. The tight end did everything except catch one of Dalton’s spirals.
The Bengals’ most oft-injured player hopes that part comes soon.
The Bengals have gambled that Eifert can stay healthy for a full season and get the NFL’s worst offense moving again. He played only two games last season before hurting his back again, prompting another medical procedure. Eifert was a free agent after the season, and the Bengals decided to keep him with an incentive-laden, one-year deal .
Cincinnati’s offense finished last in the league in yards. A healthy Eifert could help change that.
”I can’t predict the future on that one Josh Morrissey Jersey , but I can testify to the fact that he made a difference when he was up and running for us,” director of player personnel Duke Tobin said. ”We know what he can do if he can get back to that level.”
Eifert is one of Dalton’s favorite targets. He caught 13 touchdown passes in 2015, the most by a tight end in Bengals history. That was the last time the Bengals made the playoffs. A concussion, a dislocated elbow, a torn ankle ligament and two back injuries have limited him to 24 games over the last four years.
Although the Bengals have encouraging reports on Eifert’s back, they’ve decided to go slow with him at the start of camp. He hasn’t been cleared to practice even though he feels he’s ready, forcing him to work out on a side field the first two days.
”When I came back, I thought I’d go right into practice,” Eifert said. ”Everyone knows all the surgeries I’ve had. We’re just being smart about it.”
The Bengals are trying to keep him healthy and get him in shape for the opener at Indianapolis on Sept. 9. He said there’s been no discussion about how much he might play in the preseason.
”I definitely need to get back out there, get some plays full-speed,” Eifert said. ”It’s been a while.”
Eifert hurt his back during the second game last season Danton Heinen Jersey Kids , a 13-9 loss to Houston. Backups Tyler Kroft and C.J. Uzomah combined for 52 catches and eight touchdowns during the season.
Eifert’s greatest asset is his ability to make catches in tight coverage, the main reason he became Dalton’s favorite target near the goal line. The tight end has made one change in the offseason, dropping at least 10 pounds for quickness.
”I feel a lot better,” he said. ”Everyone is always saying you’re got to block and hang in there in the trenches, you’ve got to put on weight, but that’s (wrong).”
ON THE SIDE: Linebacker Vontaze Burfict also worked out on the side Friday for the second straight day. He hasn’t been cleared to practice. Burfict is suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
ROSS AGAIN: Second-year receiver John Ross made his second impressive catch of camp on a long throw, drawing applause from the crowd of 1,050. Ross missed most of his rookie season with shoulder injuries.
OUCH: Tony McRae fell while trying to break up a pass, and receiver Cody Core landed on the back of the cornerback’s right leg. McRae limped to a cart and was taken off for an exam.
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