NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Everyone knows Taylor Hall can score and set up teammates. He also showed he can deliver a devastating hit on Tuesday night.
Hall had a goal, assisted on a go-ahead tally by Kyle Palmieri and delivered a crushing check that knocked Vancouver defenseman Philip Larsen out of the game to lift the New Jersey Devils over the Canucks 3-2.
Hall’s second-period hit caused Larsen to be taken off the ice on a stretcher and driven to a hospital for observation.
The Canucks said he was alert and had a full range of motion leaving the ice.
“I’m looking to make contact there, but I never want to see a guy laying on the ice like that,” Hall said. “I only know how to play the game one way and you’ve got to play it hard. I feel terrible. He’s a former teammate of mine. I would have loved to make a hit there and continue the play. I hope he’s all right.”
No penalty was called on the play.
Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins had no update on Larsen’s condition, and he did not know if the 27-year-old would remain in the hospital overnight.
“You always have a problem with a hit when one of your guys gets hit hard,” Desjardins said. “It doesn’t even matter if it’s a clean hit. You still have a problem when a guy gets hit that hard.”
Hall felt he was doing his job.
“It makes me feel a little bit better that everyone was saying it was a clean hit and the referees agreed,” Hall said. “In that sense, I don’t have any regrets with what I did. I try to keep all my extremities in close, and I just wanted to make contact chest to chest. Sometimes it doesn’t work out like that.”
Defenseman Ben Lovejoy also scored and Cory Schneider made 22 saves as New Jersey remained the NHL’s only team not to lose at home in regulation.
This is the first time the Devils have gone 10 home games without losing in regulation - they began 8-0-1 in 1987-88. This was also their first win in regulation in the last 11 games.
Daniel Sedin scored a second-period power-play goal with the Canucks on a two-man advantage, and he set up his brother, Henrik, early in the third period when Vancouver closed the deficit to a goal.
Hall’s big hit followed another notable check late in the first period.
Canucks center Michael Chaput shoved Travis Zajac in the corner, and the Devils center seemed to lose his balance and hit the end boards face first, creating a big cut that left a pool of blood on the ice.
No penalty was called. Devils defenseman John Moore went after Chaput and Vancouver ended up with a two-man advantage when New Jersey coach John Hynes complained to referee Dan O’Rourke. Sedin tied it at 1 during the power play.
Hall then caused a stir with his shoulder check to Larsen’s jaw at 5:35. The Danish defenseman fell immediately on his back and did not move.
“I thought it did change the tide of the game a little bit,” Henrik Sedin said. “It’s never fun to see someone go down like that and a teammate and I thought it took away a little bit from us. We’re just hoping he’s OK.”
A little less than two minutes later, with the Devils on a power play, Hall sent a cross-ice pass to Palmieri, who beat Jacob Markstrom for a 2-1 lead at 7:08.
Lovejoy stretched the lead to 3-1 about four minutes later with his first goal as a Devil. Zajac, who returned to the ice with a full face shield, had the primary assist.
Hall had given the Devils the lead 3:42 after the opening faceoff, putting in the rebound of a point shot by Kyle Quincey.
NOTES: Lovejoy’s goal ended a 30-game drought dating to last season when he was with the Penguins. … After missing eight games with a knee injury, Hall has two goals and three assists in three games back. … Daniel Sedin has goals in two straight after going six games without one. … Schneider is 3-1-2 against his former team. … Markstrom is 1-5 against New Jersey.
UP NEXT
Canucks: Their trip continues in Florida with games against the Lightning on Thursday night and Panthers on Saturday night.
Devils: At Montreal on Thursday night.
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