NEWARK, NJ — Yegor Sharangovich and Dawson Mercer each scored in the second period and the New Jersey Devils held on for their third straight win, 2-1 against the San Jose Sharks at Prudential Center on Saturday.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 21 saves for the Devils (3-2-0), who had not won three consecutive games since Dec. 29, 2021-Jan. 2, 2022. Blackwood has allowed four goals on 59 shots in three wins since allowing four goals on 24 shots in a 5-2 loss at the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 13.
Blackwood denied Timo Meier on a slap shot with 12 seconds remaining in the third period with the Sharks goalie Kaapo Kahkonen pulled for the extra attacker.
Kevin Labanc scored for the Sharks (1-6-0) and Kaapo Kahkonen made 34 saves.
Sharangovich gave New Jersey a 1-0 lead at 13:21 of the second period. He connected off a turnover in the slot and scored on a backhand.
Mercer gave the Devils a 2-0 lead on a power-play goal at 15:43. He took a pass from Nico Hischier at the right post and scored on his own rebound.
Labanc scored 32 seconds later to make it 2-1 at 16:15. He skated down the left wing and scored on a wrist shot from the left circle.
Hischier had an apparent shorthanded goal off a 2-on-1 Ondrej Palat At 11:17 of the second overturned when a video replay determined the Devils captain used a distinct kicking motion to direct the puck into the net.
Jesper Bratt had an assist and has eight points (all assists) in five games to tie Will Butcher (eight assists in 2017-18) for the most by a Devils player through the team’s first five games of a season.
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