Last night the New Jersey Devils defeated their regional rival the New York Rangers in Game #7 of the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. While there are many reasons why the Devils were triumphant in the series, it was hard not to notice two key stick plays on the Devils’ first and third goals which proved to be massive in the 4-0 victory. Both plays which we will examine were made by 32-year-old Czech forward Ondrej Palat who has proven time and time again that he is the definition of a winner.
Before diving into the plays, let’s discuss Ondrej Palat as a player and his body of work. Palat has played 11 NHL seasons and has registered a solid 446 points in 677 games. Not bad for the 4th last pick (7th Round, #208 overall) in the 2011 NHL Draft. But beyond the underdog story and the impressive amount of points, what stands out most about Palat’s career is that he has always been a key contributor on winning teams. Just check out his Elite Prospects profile page and the graphic of his Career Highlights below:
Beyond his two Stanley Cup rings, Palat was a key player on two more Tampa Bay teams that appeared in the Cup Finals (2015 & 2022), he was the leading playoff scorer on a Calder Cup (AHL Champion) team, and led his U18 & U20 teams to Championships in Czech junior hockey. Throughout his entire career, Palat has done nothing, but win. This is a big reason why the Devils did not hesitate to give him a 5-year, $30 million USD deal that goes into his late-30’s and so far the contract is paying off. This should be a huge takeaway for younger players that are looking to climb the ladder into junior hockey and above. If you want to get the attention of scouts at a higher level you need to be a key contributor on winning teams. It’s way more attractive than being the leading scorer on a bad team.
Goal #1: NJD 1st goal of the game - Michael McLeod goal assisted by #18 Ondrej Palat
The opening goal of the game for the Devils was a beauty that came midway through the 2nd period. With 4-on-4 play expiring and the Devils on a line change, Palat was the lone forechecker for his team against two Rangers players back in their own zone. The video speaks for itself as Palat hounds the puck like a dog on a bone. He was relentless with his stick-on-puck pursuit to cause problems for the Rangers and ultimately wins the puck to create a quick 2 v 1 attack at the net. Michael McLeod makes an excellent play at the net to convert the goal, but none of this occurs without Palat’s puck pursuit. These checking skills are the types of skills that are required to win at any level.
Goal #2: NJD 3rd goal of the game - Erik Haula goal, 2nd assist to #18 Ondrej Palat
The Devils were in full control of this game late in the 3rd period with a 2-goal lead, but every coach and player knows it’s much easier to play the final minutes of the game when you take the life out of your opponent via a backbreaking goal. This play begins in the defensive zone for the Devils as they return deep into their own zone as a group of 5 and swarm the puck in the corner. The Devils defender #33 Ryan Graves uses good stick-on-puck skills to get the puck moving up the wall where Palat engages in a key wall battle against Rangers forward Kappo Kakko. Despite Kakko’s size advantage over Palat, Palat outmuscles Kakko with two stick lifts which create a loose puck and allow #86 Jack Hughes to skate onto the puck and lead the Devils onto the rush. The Devils convert on the 3 v 1 rush and earn a little extra breathing room in the final minutes of the game. This seems like such a small play, but without the stick battle win by Palat, the Devils do not get this opportunity to ice the game early.