NEWARK, N.J. _ Ben Lovejoy sat at his locker hours before what turned into a Friday night disaster for the Devils and warned that while the team's last two games had been "great," Thursday's practice had been "lackadaisical."
That proved to be a bad omen. The Devils, without captain Andy Greene, their top defenseman, who had his consecutive games streak ended at 350 because of a left arm injury, lost, 4-2, at Prudential Center. The Maple Leafs scored four times in the first period, twice on the power play and once short-handed on perhaps the worst goal the Devils have allowed this season, then staved off a frantic, late third-period rally.
Prior to the game, the Devils made their first owner, Dr. John J. McMullen, the first inductee into the team's new Ring of Honor. Then, playing in front of some alumni from their three Stanley Cup championships squads, the Devils turned the clock back to 1982-83, their first season in New Jersey when they had just 48 points in 80 games and won an NHL-low 17 games.
"We're coming off two great games," Lovejoy said while detailing Thursday's poor practice. "We've won four of seven but this is a danger for us. We need to come out and be at our best."
The Devils (16-17-7), who had their modest, two-game winning streak snapped, did anything but. The only good news is that the Devils have no time to wallow in this latest blowout loss as they host the Oilers on Saturday night.
Cory Schneider allowed three goals on five shots before Keith Kinkaid replaced him at 14:40 of the first period. It marked the first time this season coach John Hynes has switched goalies during a game.
Without Greene, who was hit above the left wrist by Jordan Staal's shot late in the first period of Tuesday's 3-1 win at Carolina, the defense was a mess, though that indictment was not just limited to the defensemen.
Lovejoy and Kyle Quincey formed the new top-pair while Seth Helgeson, recalled from Albany (AHL) on Thursday, played his third game of the season.
Nazem Kadri opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 9:26 of the first period after defenseman Jon Merrill was called for boarding James van Riemsdyk.
Connor Brown's short-handed goal at 13:17 _ the sixth short-handed goal the Devils have allowed this season _ made it 2-0 on a comedy of errors. First, Michael Cammalleri and Damon Severson couldn't keep the puck in at the blue line. Brown's checking forced Severson to play the puck back to Schneider from the neutral zone and Schneider, trying to stickhandle, did it so poorly that Brown was easily able to poke the puck in.
Rookie sensation Auston Matthews made it 3-0 at 14:20, ending Schneider's night, and Tyler Bozak added a second power-play goal at 15:15.
P.A. Parenteau scored on the power-play at 16:36 of the third period _ snapping an 0-for-30 power play slump _ and Jon Merrill made it 4-2 at 17:31.
Frederik Andersen made 30 saves for the Maple Leafs (18-12-8), who were outshot, 14-0, in the third period.
