TORONTO — The Devils got to a shootout Friday night, but unfortunately for them, that spells trouble.
The Devils fell to 0-4 in the skills competition after their 2-1 loss to the Maple Leafs Friday night. They failed to score and are 0-for-12 in shootout attempts this season.
James van Riemsdyk scored the only shootout goal.
Cory Schneider stopped Toronto’s Mason Raymond and Phil Kessel before van Riemsdyk’s goal.
Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier bested Michael Ryder and Travis Zajac had Bernier beat but hit the post. Adam Henrique then fired wide for the Devils. Bernier had 34 saves through the overtime.
“I’m disappointed we didn’t capitalize on our chances,” Devils coach Peter DeBoer said. “We got a bounce there at the end to get a point. We had enough chances to win the game. We didn’t finish enough.”
Schneider made a great save on Kessel on a Leafs 3-on-1 in an exciting overtime to help force the shootout. He finished with 27 saves.
Kessel scored on the power play at 8:12 of the third period to open the scoring.
Bernier seemed to misplay a shot from the right flank from Michael Ryder, with the puck angling high off the goalie’s stick into the net with 4:45 remaining in regulation. Ryder got credit for his fifth of the season.
“I’m probably going to do that play a hundred times and, I don’t know, if you ask me to do it again I probably wouldn’t be able to,” Bernier said.
The Devils were coming off a 3-0 win in Philadelphia on Thursday, with Martin Brodeur posting a 22-save shutout — the 122nd of his career. New Jersey had lost its two previous games, both shutouts.
Former Devils forward David Clarkson almost scored on the Leafs’ first shot, cruising in from the slot while protecting the puck from a Devils defenseman.
His shot got past Schneider but a Devils player poked it away before it could trickle over the line.
“We showed character. We came back and won that game. It was a great team effort,” Bernier said.