NEWARK — From their response to an early deficit to the pressure they applied offensively in the third period, the Devils did everything they wanted against the Rangers.
They still walked away with just one point instead of two.
A 4-3 overtime loss on Saturday dropped the Devils to 0-1-2 against their New York rivals this season, and for the second time, a third-period lead didn’t hold.
“We executed our game plan a lot better than we have at times,” forward Adam Henrique said. “We had plenty of opportunities to get the next one, but there are a lot of positives from tonight’s game. We want to find a way to get that second point, but we keep moving forward.”
Devils comeback denied by Rangers
The Devils dictated play in the first five minutes of the third period, when forward Kyle Palmieri scored twice in 47 seconds to give the Devils a 3-2 lead, and they maintained pressure that put them on the verge of extending the one-goal advantage.
But that next goal never came, and the Devils saw the Rangers tie it late before adding the overtime winner.
“I don’t think we sat back,” Palmieri said. “You know they’re going to press, and they have some good players over there, so they’re going to make plays. I don’t think there’s any adjustments to be made.”
Coach John Hynes had no issues with how the Devils handled themselves in the third period, where they matched the Rangers in shots, 12-12. It was just a matter of finishing a shot.
“We had lots of chances early in the third period to up by more than one goal, and (Rangers goalie Antti) Raanta made some huge saves in the third period,” Hynes said. “He did a good job for his team to keep it at one, and they found a way to get the tier and the game winner. We didn’t.”
Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook.
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