NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Corey Schneider and the New Jersey Devils rebounded quickly from an overtime loss the night before in Montreal and push aside the Dallas Stars.
Schneider made 28 saves, and Brian Boyle broke a tie with his 100th career goal and added an empty-netter and an assist to help New Jersey beat Dallas 5-2 on Friday night.
“We knew coming in to the game that 35 (Schneider) probably had to be our best player. Coming in on a back-to-back against a rested team, we needed a goaltending performance. Particularly against a team like Dallas,” Devils coach John Hynes said.
“It’s something that we challenged him a little bit on where you look at the back-to-backs. … We need him to be our guy and when there’s situations when we’re in adversity, we need him to come through, so I thought he was a huge factor for us tonight and a congrats to him on I think answering the challenge.”
Steven Santini, Blake Coleman and Nick Lappin also scored for the Devils. Martin Hanzal and Alexander Radulov connected for Dallas.
Midway through Stephen Johns’ double-minor for high-sticking, Devils fans booed the team’s power-play effort. Boyle responded by knocking in a rebound from the crease off of Will Butcher’s shot to give the Devils a 3-2 lead with 3:21 left in the period. Johns’ penalty came at the tail end of John Klingberg spending two minutes in the box for cross-checking Boyle.
“It changed twice. Halfway through the game they had nine shots which is exactly what you want. Klinberg’s penalty - whether that was a penalty or not - that allowed them to take a breather and then the 5-on-3 from there, I don’t think it should have been a penalty at all,” Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said. “But that kind of gave them a breather to get shots on goal, and then obviously three missed chances on the power play when the game is 3-2, so it turned twice for us.”
As things got chippy, Klinberg and Boyle exchanged words.
“I told him he was 100 pounds heavier than me and I think he fell easy there. I don’t think it’s a cross-check,” Klinberg said. “And after he scored a goal he celebrated in my face and I didn’t think that was respectful. He said he was sorry, so let’s move on.”
Boyle insisted he wasn’t flopping.
“The hit was the hit, guys are playing physical. I’m not trying to dive,” Boyle said. “It was what it was but I’m not trying to embellish it. I just didn’t see him. I don’t think he’s being malicious. I don’t think he’s trying to injure me. It’s just something that happens.”
Boyle assisted on Lappin’s goal midway through the third period and completed the scoring with the empty-net goal.
It capped off an emotional night for what has been a rollercoaster season off the ice for Boyle, who was diagnosed with cancer on Sept. 19.
“Emotional is a good word,” Boyle said. “It’s really been a blessing for sure. Sept. 19 seems like a long, long time ago. Lot that’s gone on with my family, which is most important to me and the support I’ve gotten, that’s why I’m able to play. From my family my wife and my parents and especially this club here. Everyone this club, top to bottom. I’m having a blast and we’re playing pretty well.”
NOTES: Devils F Taylor Hall (knee contusion), F Marcus Johansson (ankle bruise) and F Kyle Palmieri (broken right foot) all skated Friday. It’s the first time on the ice for Hall and Johansson since their injuries. Coach John Hynes hopes they will skate Saturday, practice with the team on Sunday and see about playing Monday night. … The Stars couldn’t complete the sweep of the metropolitan-area teams this week after beating the Islanders and Rangers.
UP NEXT
Stars: Dallas wraps up its four-game road trip at Philadelphia on Saturday night.
Devils: New Jersey has the weekend off before hosting Anaheim on Monday night.
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