PITTSBURGH _ PPG Paints Arena grew quiet as Devils star Taylor Hall approached the net early in overtime on Friday night. It was just him, the puck and Penguins goaltender Matt Murray.
What Hall did next made sure the Arena stayed quiet.
The Devils beat the Penguins, 4-3, in a thrilling and pivotal overtime game. Hall scored the game-winner just 27 seconds into overtime after a wild Penguins comeback in the third period and after both teams missed chances to win the game in regulation.
With the win the Devils pulled three points ahead of Florida for the second wild-card spot with seven games to play. They also locked up a 4-2 record on their season-long road trip and snapped their two-game losing streak.
It was a good night for the Devils, in every way.
The Devils seized control of the game with a torrid stretch in the second period. They scored three times in the span of three minutes and 39 seconds, putting Pittsburgh on its heels and turning a one-goal deficit into a two-goal cushion.
It all started with a power-play goal, when Will Butcher ripped a shot past Matt Murray with 14:45 left in the period. After a listless start, the Devils finally had their footing. But with just less than 13 minutes left in the period, Kris Letang had a chance to give Pittsburgh the lead right back. But Kinkaid made the stop, the Devils went the other way Coleman scored a most remarkable goal.
Coleman, who shoots left-handed, gathered the puck as he entered the zone, held it away from the defenseman with only his right hand on the stick, and then as he fell to the ice, he lifted a one-handed, backhand shot over Matt Murray. It was a remarkable goal, so good that even the Penguins fans gasped when they saw the replay. Suddenly, the Devils were up 2-1 with 12:20 left in the period.
A few moments later, Kinkaid stopped Letang again, the Devils went the other way and Nico Hischier found the net after a nice pass from Taylor Hall. The Devils had a commanding 3-1 lead with 11:06 left in the second period. And they continued to outplay the Penguins for the rest of the period _ they dominated one long shift so thoroughly that Letang, perhaps out of frustration, fatigue, or haste, cleared the puck into the Jumbotron hanging over the ice, knocking pieces of it to the ice.
But the Devils couldn't add to their total. And early in the third period, the Penguins changed the momentum right back when defenseman Brian Dumoulin crushed a slapshot past Kinkaid to pull the Penguins within 3-2 with 16:47 remaining. Suddenly, PPG Paints Arena was rocking. Then, with 9:08 remaining, Phil Kessel beat Kinkaid from between the circles to tie the game at 3-3.
The stage had been set for a thrilling, torrid finish as both teams had plenty of chances down the stretch.
