NEWARK, N.J. _ The Devils' formula for winning has stayed the same for four games: Give the puck to Kyle Palmieri and kill off the penalties.
The tried-and-true formula worked against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night at Prudential Center. Palmieri extended his scoring streak to four games, Jean-Sebastien Dea extended his to three and Blake Coleman made the scoresheet for the first time this season in a 3-0 win. The Devils remain unbeaten to open the season through four games for the first time since the 1995-96 season.
Palmieri capitalized on a first-period power play with a one-time blast past Stars goalie Anton Khudobin to score his seventh goal in just four games.
Coleman showed off some slick stick work to make it 2-0 just 2:03 into the second period and the Stars never had a chance from there. The Devils picked apart their offense, clogging their lanes and breaking up passes. Dallas played shorthanded for much of the first and second periods.
Taylor Hall nearly made it 3-0 when he was stoned on the breakaway at 12:48 and Nico Hischier had a chance when he jumped on a turnover and took it back a few minutes later, but he was tripped by Esa Lindell, drawing a penalty.
Late in the period, Khudobin's stick snapped and the goalie tossed it aside. Goalies are allowed to play with broken sticks, unlike skaters, but Khudobin instead went without as he tried to get the attention of the Dallas bench. But another turnover in the defensive zone by Dallas resulted in Dea getting an open shot on a stick-less goalie and he went top-shelf to make it 3-0.
Devils goalie Keith Kinkaid registered his second shutout of the season and made 24 saves.
But maybe the most impressive number of the night was 13, as in the number of penalties the Devils have killed since allowing Milan Lucic of the Edmonton Oilers to score with the man advantage in the first game of the season.
Miles Wood spent a few hours in the dentist's chair after Sunday's game against the San Jose Sharks after a high stick knocked out a handful of teeth. He didn't seem to care about his teeth or his opponent as he came to blows with top-line winger Jamie Benn early in the third period.
Both teams saluted the two big wingers with stick taps after some lively action that included punches landed from both sides.
Clearly, Wood isn't afraid to engage with the game's best. He's now fought with Benn and Alex Ovechkin this season.
