Kyle Palmieri snapped a scoreless stalemate with 4:37 remaining in the third period, Scott Wedgewood had 40 saves to complete the shutout and the New Jersey Devils ended a five-game losing streak with a 1-0 victory over the host Boston Bruins on Sunday night.
Wedgewood recorded his second shutout in six games this season for the Devils, who entered having lost eight of nine. New Jersey played the tail end of a back-to-back after a 6-3 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon.
The Devils improved to 3-0-1 against the Bruins this season.
Tuukka Rask had 24 saves for Boston, which has lost six of nine (3-5-1)
Palmieri's game-winner came after Rask stopped an initial shot from P.K. Subban. The puck trickled away in the crease, and Palmieri stuffed it home for his fourth goal of the season.
Pavel Zacha was initially awarded the goal but had it switched to an assist upon the change.
Boston pulled Rask with about 1:30 remaining but couldn't find the net. Wedgewood finished with 18 saves in the third period.
Earlier in the third, the Bruins had their first two chances on the power play against the league's worst penalty kill (63.9 percent). Boston couldn't convert when Dmitry Kulikov (5:26) and Mikhail Maltsev (11:13) were each whistled for hooking.
Despite no score through the first two periods, Jack Hughes did get a puck past Rask with about two minutes remaining in the second. The apparent Devils goal was immediately ruled invalid due to a hand pass by Jesper Bratt.
The Bruins' best scoring chance to that point came on a David Pastrnak breakaway that was denied by Wedgewood with about five minutes left in the second. Boston outshot New Jersey 22-19 over the first 40 minutes.
The Devils had the game's first three power plays. They came up empty twice in the first and couldn't convert again with Jake DeBrusk penalized for high-sticking at 9:14 of the second.
--Field Level Media
New Jersey | Boston | |
Kyle Palmieri 1 | Points | N/A |
Kyle Palmieri 1 | Goals | N/A |
P.K. Subban 1 | Assists | N/A |
N/A | Power Play Goals | N/A |
N/A | Short Handed Goals | N/A |
Scott Wedgewood 1.000 | Save Percentage | Tuukka Rask .960 |
Scott Wedgewood 40 | Saves | Tuukka Rask 24 |
Team | Shots | Goals | Power Play | Penalty Kill | Penalty Mins | Face Offs Won |
New Jersey | 25 | 1 | 0-3 | 2-2 | 4 | 23 |
Boston | 40 | 0 | 0-2 | 3-3 | 6 | 27 |