Anton Khudobin makes 31 saves, Stars shut out by Devils
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Kyle Palmieri scored his seventh goal in four games, Keith Kinkaid stopped 24 shots for his second shutout and the New Jersey Devils continued their perfect start, beating the Dallas Stars 3-0 on Tuesday night.
Late pickup Jean-Sebastien Dea tallied for the third straight game and Blake Coleman added a goal as the Devils (4-0) remained the NHL's only unbeaten team. The 4-0 start is their best since 1995-96.
Palmieri also became the first player in NHL history to score his team's opening goal in four consecutive games to begin a season, the league said.
Anton Khudobin made 31 saves as Dallas lost for the second time in as many nights. It marked the first time it had been shut out.
Palmieri, who had two goals in each of the first three games, put the Devils ahead at 3:42 with his fourth power-play goal of the season. Defenseman Will Butcher found Palmieri in the left circle for a one-timer that skimmed the goalpost in finding the net.
Coleman stretched the lead 2:03 into the second period with a shot from the right circle after defenseman Damon Severson knocked down a clearing pass at the point.
Kinkaid kept the score at 2-0 with a great glove save on Jamie Benn minutes later. He also had a glove stop on Radek Faksa on an odd-man rush after the Stars killed off a penalty. In the third period, he also stopped Roope Hintz, Mattias Janmark and Gemel Smith in the final 2:17 to preserve his sixth career shutout.
Dea's goal came with Khudobin playing without a stick. He broke it on a check and then played about 45 seconds as it lay on the ice. He waved to his bench for a replacement but got no help. Instead of icing the puck, Dallas defenseman John Klingberg sent a pass up the middle that hit off two Dallas players. Dea collected the puck and beat the goalie with a shot from the top of the left circle.
NOTES: The Devils have used the same lineup all four games. F Drew Stafford and Ds Steven Santini and Eric Gryba have not played. ... Taylor Hall cost the Devils a two-man advantage in the first period when he was called for delay of call for deliberately shooting the puck into his own bench to stop play. ... Jamie Benn of Dallas and Miles Wood of New Jersey exchanged haymakers in a big third-period fight.
UP NEXT
Stars: Return home to host Minnesota on Friday night.
Devils: Host Colorado on Thursday night.
