Schneider calls 5-goal period 'best 20 minutes' he's seen Devils play
The New Jersey Devils made a big statement Thursday, as a five-goal first period gave goaltender Cory Schneider more than enough of a cushion to work with as they beat the Ottawa Senators 6-3.
"That's probably the best 20 minutes I've seen this team play maybe in my three years here," said Schneider, who has yet to see playoff hockey through two seasons in New Jersey, but now sees his team on a three-game winning streak as it barely holds on to a wild-card spot in the East.
Wild Card Standings
| Rank | Team | W | L | O | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston | 24 | 17 | 5 | 53 |
| 2 | New Jersey | 24 | 19 | 5 | 53 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | 22 | 17 | 7 | 51 |
| 4 | Montreal | 23 | 20 | 4 | 50 |
| 5 | Ottawa | 22 | 19 | 6 | 50 |
The Devils chased Senators goalie Craig Anderson net as the top line of Travis Zajac, Kyle Palmieri, and rookie Joe Blandisi combined for 10 points on the team's first four goals of the night.
"Everything was going in. Everything was going right," said Blandisi, who became the seventh rookie in team history to record three points in a period, which included his first NHL goal. "It was almost like a fairy tale."
Palmieri added two goals and an assist while Zajac had a goal and three helpers to become the first Devil to record a four-point period since Ilya Kovalchuk accomplished the feat in 2010.
Lee Stempniak added the final goal of the opening period while Adam Henrique scored an empty-netter after the Senators reduced their deficit to two late in the third period.
New Jersey will look to continue its winning ways with a quick two-game road trip against teams currently outside of a playoff position. It will face the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday before a huge division matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.