NEWARK, N.J. _ Taylor Hall quickly felt at home at Prudential Center.
The Devils traded for the dynamic left wing to produce goals for a team starved for them last season.
So after going scoreless in his first two games as a Devil, Hall stood out amid the pomp and circumstance of the home opener with two power-play goals. It powered the Devils to their first victory of the season, a 2-1 win over the Ducks on Tuesday night before a sellout crowd of 16,514.
Hall, acquired in an offseason blockbuster from the Oilers for defenseman Adam Larsson, scored twice in the second period as the Devils (1-1-1) were on five of their seven power plays. He celebrated his first goal with an exaggerated fist pump and scream of joy.
It was the Devils' most complete performance of the young season as the Ducks (0-3-1) were outshot, 28-24, and could not convert on a second-period penalty shot on Cory Schneider.
The Devils scored an NHL-low 184 goals last season and it seemed like everything would remain a struggle when their apparent first goal of the season was waved off. Yohann Auvitu connected on a point shot, but not before Reid Boucher was called for high-sticking Kevin Bieksa at 6:29 of the second period.
The players entered the arena via a red carpet through a fan fest on Championship Plaza. A local band played Bruce Springsteen. Children took shots on a miniature floor-hockey rink. There was a row of bean-bag toss games.
Inside, a new, pregame 3D presentation highlighted the Devils' One Jersey initiative to highlight their New Jersey roots.
Hall and P.A. Parenteau, claimed off waivers from the Islanders a week ago and now on a top line with Hall and center Travis Zajac, received nice ovations as the players were introduced.
Center Adam Henrique _ and anthem singer Arlette _ received the loudest cheers.
There were more cheers when veteran center Vern Fiddler, in his first season with the Devils, too, dropped the gloves 30 seconds into the game with Ryan Kesler for New Jersey's first fighting major this season.
But the fans truly warmed to Hall, and, seemingly, the Devils through the Ducks' troubled second period.
The Ducks put the Devils on the power play five straight times, starting with Emerson Etem's high stick on Pavel Zacha at 10:15.
That became a five-on-three advantage for 34 seconds when Antoine Vermette tripped Zajac. The Ducks were able to kill off the Devils' two-man advantage but Hall pounced on a rebound when John Gibson could not handle Mike Cammalleri's shot and popped in the rebound for his first goal as a Devil to tie the game at 1 at 12:35.
Hall struck again at 16:46, again attacking near the right post, tipping in the puck to give the Devils a 2-1 lead.
The Devils had come into the game 0-for-5 on the power play.
Kesler went to the box next at 17:15 for high-sticking Andy Greene. But Cammalleri's turnover led to Chris Wagner's breakaway, with Henrique hooking him from behind and drawing a penalty shot.
However, the right-shooting Wagner, trying to pull the puck to his forehand, had it instead roll off his blade without him getting a shot on the sprawled Schneider at 18:49.
The Devils had several solid opportunities in the first period. Hall and Parenteau couldn't connect on a two-on-one, Pavel Zacha threaded a pass to Devante Smith-Pelly that Gibson denied at the left post, Henrique hit the left post and Gibson, sprawled, turned and knocked away Damon Severson's right point shot with the back of his glove.
But it was the Ducks who took a 1-0 lead on Sami Vatanen's power-play goal from the right circle at 9:03.
