First-year coach John Hynes said he isn't aware of the fuss being made about the New Jersey Devils' start to the season. If they continue to impress the way they have in recent weeks, that could change. After a 4-0 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Prudential Center on, the Devils are third in the Metropolitan Division.
There was plenty of appreciation to go around Saturday in Hynes' first game against the organization he left to join the Devils. David Schlemko, Mike Cammalleri and former Penguins forwards Bobby Farnham and Lee Stempniak scored for New Jersey, which has won 10 of the past 13 games after starting 0-3-1. The last time Schneider had a shutout was March 17, 2015, a 35-save, 2-0 victory against Pittsburgh here. Jeff Zatkoff made 33 saves for the Penguins, who have lost three of four.
Hynes spent five seasons as coach of the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins, the American Hockey League affiliate of Pittsburgh. Devils general manager Ray Shero was Pittsburgh's GM from 2006-14 before being fired on May 16, 2014. He was hired by the Devils on May 4, 2015.
Stempniak scored on a 2-on-1 with Cammalleri with 5:06 left in the third period to give the Devils a 4-0 lead. Stempniak was with the Penguins in 2013-14, playing 21 regular-season games and 13 games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He signed a free-agent contract with the Devils on Oct. 5. Farnham gave the Devils a 3-0 lead at 2:09 of the third period. Farnham, who flipped a backhand from behind the net that rolled off Zatkoff's back, was claimed off waivers from the Penguins on Oct. 26.
Cammalleri scored his sixth of the season in the second period on the power play for a 2-0 lead at 6:44. After Schneider made a right-pad save against Crosby off a 2-on-1 with Pascal Dupuis 16 seconds earlier, Cammalleri took a pass from Jordin Tootoo down the slot and backhanded a shot inside the left post. Cammalleri had three points in his fifth multipoint game of the season.
Schlemko scored in the first period off a rebound in the slot just before the net was dislodged at 15:28. Cammalleri deflected a shot in the slot that was blocked by Penguins defenseman Rob Scuderi, but Schlemko was there for the rebound. A quick review of the goal confirmed it. Sergey Kalinin and Kris Letang went for roughing at 6:40 of the third period.
Prior to the game, there was a moment of silence to honor the victims of the attacks in Paris on Friday.
"[Zatkoff] had to make save after save, and that's not the way we play. [Saturday] was a matter of work ethic. We didn't deserve to win. I don't think we've put a full game together for a while." Sidney Crosby said.
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