Simon Nemec needed just three NHL games to net his first goal, which turned out to be the game-winner. Nemec scored midway through the second period, and Akira Schmid made 16 of his 37 saves in the third as the New Jersey Devils defeated the Seattle Kraken 2-1 on Thursday night, marking their fifth win in six games.
“He was able to jump in and find the lane. Great shot,” said Devils coach Lindy Ruff about Nemec. “He had a couple of opportunities with good offensive plays. His hockey sense and ability to pick the right time have been good.”
Nemec, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft, debuted last week against San Jose, tallying two assists in his first game. His first goal came thanks to Jesper Bratt’s effort, who carried the puck and circled behind the net, allowing Nemec to move into the slot unmarked and beat Philipp Grubauer.
“It was a great feeling,” Nemec said. “I was really happy, even if I didn’t show it.”
Ondrej Palat scored his fourth goal late in the first period to give New Jersey the early lead. Schmid, bouncing back from conceding five goals on 17 shots in his previous game against San Jose, was pivotal in the third period with several crucial saves.
Schmid faced a barrage in the third, including stopping Jared McCann twice, denying Alex Wennberg’s close-range attempt, and watching Jordan Eberle’s backhand slide across the crease during a Seattle power play. McCann also hit the crossbar on a 2-on-1 with 3:01 left, which was Seattle’s last significant chance.
“There were a couple of opportunities where they could have gained momentum, and he made big saves for us,” Ruff added.
Tye Kartye scored his fifth goal of the season at 7:12 of the second period off a pass from Wennberg, but Seattle lost its sixth straight game. This losing streak is the longest for the Kraken since a seven-game slide in February 2022.
“I thought our guys did a really good job today, not letting past or future events affect our game today,” said Kraken coach Dave Hakstol. “We worked hard and competed extremely hard.”
Andre Burakovsky returned for Seattle after being sidelined since October 21 with an upper-body injury. However, he left the ice with three minutes remaining in the second period, returned briefly in the third, but played only two shifts. Hakstol noted that Burakovsky was unavailable for most of the third period.
Grubauer made 15 saves in the game.
“We’ve got to change something,” Wennberg said. “We can’t let this keep going.”
Ryker Evans, Seattle’s second-round pick in the 2021 draft, made his NHL debut after being called up from Coachella Valley of the AHL. He became the fourth Kraken draft pick to play in an NHL game, joining Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, and Ryan Winterton.
Upcoming Games
- Devils: Play at Calgary on Saturday.
- Kraken: Host Tampa Bay on Saturday.
