The Devils goal of 5,000 in the seats for the opener fell about a thousand short, and even that figure was boosted by Reading Royal fans who covered almost the entire lower level by their offensive zone, but the Devils fans who were in attendance watched the franchise rise to a 7-2 all-time mark in season openers behind a clutch performance by rookie goaltender Dave Caruso, who stopped 46 of 48 shots, and at times took the game over with his glove.
The scoring was opened at the 6:20 mark of the first period when rookie Joe Rooney blasted a shot from the right circle that found its home in the top left corner of the net to give the Devils a 1-0 lead, a lead that would be expanded some six minutes later when veteran Jim "The Hammer" Henkel took a Jay Pemberton offering and slammed it home up high.
Reading hung tough, however, and cut the lead in half with four minutes to intermission when Dany Roussin found a rare rebound and floated it over the shoulder of Caruso. They would then tie the score at two when Malcolm MacMillian, having just finished serving a penalty, stepped in behind the Devils defence, and converted on a breakaway try at 7:37 of the second period, a period in which the Devils looked a bit lax, not displaying the grit and tenacity on display during the first and third periods.
The winning goal for the Devils would come on the power play at 5:18 of the third period when veteran Stephen Wood (welcome back) knocked a free puck through the pipes during a scrum in front of the net to set the score at 3-2.
Special teams were a mixed bag for the Devils, as the penalty kill went a perfect 6-for-6, but the power play looked weak, going 1-for-5.
My Three Stars:
1) Dave Caruso (TRE) - 48 Shots, 46 Saves.
2) Stephen Wood (TRE) - Game-winning goal.
3) Patrick Jarrett (REA) - 2 Assists.
~Titans Fan 25~
No comments:
Post a Comment