The returning Stefan Noesen provided the first goal for the New Jersey Devils in the 2024-25 season. This breakdown of the goal shows how Erik Haula, Johnathan Kovacevic, and Noesen punished the Buffalo Sabres off a turnover.
After a week of preseason games, the New Jersey Devils went to Prague, Czechia last weekend. They were to play the Buffalo Sabres as part of the NHL Global Series to begin the 2024-25 regular season for the NHL. Both teams in Prague were rusty as you would expect from teams that did not play a game for over a week with only a few preseason games under their belts. I am happy to write that the New Jersey Devils prevailed over the Buffalo Sabres with a 4-1 win. The victory was highlighted by the new Devils. Jacob Markstrom was excellent in the net. Paul Cotter iced the game. Tomas Tatar fit in like a glove next to Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer. Brenden Dillon was stready. Seamus Casey got a debut. Most of all, Johnathan Kovacevic had a very strong debut and Stefan Noesen opened the scoring in the first period. Yes, the Devils did not open the campaign with a “1-0, Them” tweet.
As a tradition, I write up a breakdown of the first goal of the New Jersey Devils season. I am happy to write this one up. Stefan Noesen’s goal, which was set up by Johnathan Kovacevic, is a great example of how a forecheck can force a mistake and how that mistake can end up in the back of the net. Unlike so many times last season, it was in the back of Buffalo’s net.
The Game Situation
- It was 5-on-5 hockey.
- The score was 0-0.
- The goal was scored 8:39 into the first period, or with 11:21 left in the first period.
- The goal was scored by Stefan Noesen with an assist given to Johnathan Kovacevic.
- The New Jersey Devils on the ice: #25 Jacob Markstrom, #71 Jonas Siegenthaler, #8 Johnathan Kovacevic, #11 Stefan Noesen, #56 Erik Haula, #18 Ondrej Palat
- The Buffalo Sabres on the ice: #1 Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, #75 Connor Clifton, #23 Mattias Samuelsson, #71 Ryan McLeod, #12 Jordan Greenway, #17 Jason Zucker
If you want a recap of the game as a whole, then please check out Jackson’s recap of the 4-1 victory.
The Video of the Goal
The New Jersey Devils’ official Youtube account posted this goal, which appears to be the same one at NHL.com. I presume they used the same broadcast feed in Prague. I will start from the reverse-angle replay from behind Buffalo’s net to start and then use the television broadcast view. Between the two, you and I will best understand what happened that led to Noesen’s and New Jersey’s first goal of the season. The video is owned by the linked personnel. All poorly drawn arrows, shapes, crop, and text are by me in Microsoft Paint.
The Breakdown
We begin at 8:26 into the period when Jonas Siegenthaler takes a shot from the right point. It is a bit blurry, but I have named the players you need to know on this play.
New Jersey Devils Youtube channel
Yes, the goal happens within ten seconds of this shot. If nothing else, I hope a breakdown like this helps you appreciate how much can happen in a short amount of time in hockey.
Anyway, this looks like a routine play. Siegenthaler had a lane amid the bodies. Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen sees it. Jason Zucker will reach but it will not succeed. Ondrej Palat is in front of Jordan Greenway. Erik Haula is trying to get around Ryan McLeod. Stefan Noesen will get to the front of the net. Both Sabre defensemen, Mattias Samuelsson and Connor Clifton, are aware of the shot. Samuelsson is aware of Noesen getting in front and presumably calls it out. Which leads to this.
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Luukkonen makes the save. There is a rebound but Noesen misses it. Clifton does not miss giving him a cross-check to his back. This will knock down Noesen. And the referees let it go. Given that this is a New Jersey Devils goal breakdown, this ended up working out. Anyway, the save is knocked to the corner to the goalie’s right. Palat, Greenway, and Samuelsson have direct sight to either the puck and/or where it is going. Palat, being a veteran, knows he can get around the standing Greenway in pursuit of this puck.
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Credit to Palat, he did hustle to get the puck first. Greenway is in an awkward position. He may have slowed up Palat but Palat is still the first to the puck. More importantly, he is on the inside position. That is valuable for the puck battle that he probably expected to happen. The problem is that Connor Clifton is loose. Fresh off cross-checking Noesen down, he has Palat’s back in sight.
Before continuing, please look at the other players. Haula is monitoring the situation by the half-wall while Ryan McLeod is going to move to the top of the circle. I do not think this is not planned. Haula is there in case the puck (or the battle) moves along the board and he has a chance to get to it. Crucial to cut off any potential exits. McLeod moves up in case there is some control out of battle. This makes him a passing option for an exit away from the boards. The latter is why Noesen is heading to the dot in this image. He is likely going to try to cut that off. That will not happen, though.
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Clifton makes good on his hit on Palat. The referee behind the net saw no issue with it. Your mileage may vary if you want to call it boarding. Either way, the hit did succeed at getting the puck away from Palat. I circled it; it is along the yellow rim of the endboard’s corner. Greenway is going to head towards it. Easier said than done as he has to get around Clifton and Palat. Noesen is also going to go for it.
Again, the players away from this play are notable. McLeod and Haula both moved in but are in their positions in case the puck does somehow go this way. More importantly, Samuelsson is going to calmly go behind the net. Should Greenway get to the puck, he can be a passing option. Or even in a position to get the puck if it is moved around the boards as part of a reverse. With no one on the defenseman, it would be a safe play.
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The safe play is what happens. Not that it was safe for Greenway. He did get to the puck first and rimmed it around the boards towards his net. He also took a hit from Noesen for his trouble. Such is hockey. Sometimes you have to take contact to make something happen. Greenway did his job. He got the puck out of the corner and towards a safer place. A place for Samuelsson to pick it up.
This is change is also why Zucker is going to head towards the opposite side of the zone, why Kovacevic – now in frame – is moving in closer, and why Erik Haula is going to hustle like mad. With Palat and Noesen occupied, the left side of Buffalo’s zone is open. There is no numbers advantage for New Jersey. Depending on how the play goes – and the position of McLeod – it could turn into a disadvantage.
New Jersey Devils Youtube channel
This picture is perhaps the most crucial in this breakdown. This is where Buffalo should have ended this offensive shift by the Devils. Samuelsson now has the puck. He has Zucker all alone in the dot. Kovacevic did move to the top of the circle. But it would be a huge risk for the defenseman to step up on Zucker in Buffalo’s own end. Especially with at least one Sabre out of the picture behind him. Especially in a 0-0 game.
However, Samuelsson does not act here. He takes a couple of more touches of the puck. Which appears fine. Except Haula is not going to give up on this play. The extra touches give him the time to make up a lot of ice. I want you, the Person Who Matters reading this, to appreciate the effort Haula is making at this moment in time.
New Jersey Devils Youtube channel
The purpose of a forecheck in hockey is not always to make a hit or even win the puck. Just like the principal goal of defending in any sport, making the opponent do something he or she does not want to do can be a success. Haula will contact Samuelsson. There will be a hit. But the stretched out stick and Haula suddenly making the defenseman aware of him provides pressure. Enough pressure for Samuelsson to make a mistake. This picture is right before the mistake is executed.
Of course, there is more to it than just the turnover that is about to happen. First, look at Samuelsson’s stick blade. It is open and not facing the perfectly available Zucker. Similar to what happened in the other corner, Zucker is along the half-wall waiting to help move the puck away. Kovacevic, seeing the blade of the stick open up, moves out a bit from the boards as this puck is not heading Zucker’s way. It is a risk because if Kovacevic misses or Samuelsson gets the puck to Zucker (or somewhere else), then he is out of position. But this is a good read that get rewarded.
Second, where are the other Buffalo Sabres?! If Lindy Ruff wants to scream at this unit when reviewing video, then I would totally understand. None of McLeod, Greenway, or Clifton is in the middle or in the left side of the ice. Defenseman Connor Clifton is, bizarrely, by his own blueline. The other two forwards – McLeod and Greenway – are in the neutral zone. I wonder if this was planned. Lindy Ruff prefers aggressive hockey and rush plays. One could be had if Samuelsson was not about to turn this puck over. He could have launched a long pass up ice or attempted to find Clifton. That may not the case though. It could be that the other players assumed the zone exit would happen after the reverse and flew out of the zone. If true, that would warrant some deserved criticism from the coach. Either way, that added to Buffalo’s eventual punishment for Samuelsson’s turnover that is about to happen.
Third, Stefan Noesen is about to be rewarded for not darting out of the Sabres’ end of the rink after the reverse. He saw what could happen and made sure he could be in a position to succeed. He would be in one shortly.
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Samuelsson turns the puck over and Kovacevic takes the puck. He did have to get back to the boards but Haula’s forecheck worked wonderfully. He forced a turnover. Zucker is now out of the picture even if he is in frame. Kovacevic correctly realizes that taking an open shot from the halfwall is not the right move. Even if the goalie is surprisingly not in any kind of position. Luukkonen is just standing – a quick shot could surprise him. But that would not be smart. Just look at how wide open Stefan Noesen is! I circled it and it is a lot of space. You have to pass to Noesen in this situation. Kovacevic does exactly that.
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Well, the pass was not the most perfect pass. He put the puck into space inside the left circle (goalie’s left). Noesen has to turn anyway in order to face the goal. He will get to the post indicated by a circle but will need to collect the puck on his backhand. He will need to take a touch to put the puck on his forehand. Fortunately, the pass was soft enough for Noesen to collect it.
Meanwhile, Luukkonen is about to get into position. It seems a bit slow to me for the goalie to start getting into position now. It is certainly a bad spot for him. He was let out to dry from the turnover. He is now one-on-one with Noesen. Buffalo needs him to make a save. Bail them out. The 6’5” goalie is certainly big enough to fill the frame and he appears to have a little time to come out of the crease. It could be enough to throw off Noesen’s shooting angle and force the forward to pull the shot high or wide. It is not a guarantee but it would be something.
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Something a lot better than what Luukkonen actually did. Look at the goalie. He is still in the crease! Instead of making himself bigger – and Luukkonen is a big goalie – he is making himself smaller. He is also actually in the process is going down. Just as Noesen takes his touch to get the puck to his forehand, you can see he is hunched over. The goalie is in the middle of crouching because he is committing to go down to a butterfly. You will see that in the next shot. This means the far, upper corner is open. Noesen knows it. While it is not an easy shot, he knows that he can snipe it there.
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Which Noesen absolutely does with his second touch of the puck. A shot that just blazes past Luukkonen’s right shoulder. The New Jersey Devils go up 1-0. Stefan Noesen ensures his debut is positive. Johnathan Kovacevic ensures his debut was also strong and would secure it further with a goal of his own later in the first period. The Devils punished Buffalo’s mistake in the best way possible. From this point on, Buffalo would chase the game. All the way to a New Jersey victory.
The Lessons to Learn
This is one of those goals that justify all of the calls for a forecheck and a lament for a lack of one. The Devils battled for a puck. While they did not win the initial battle, an awesome forechecking effort by Haula forced a huge turnover. The Devils took advantage of this gift and took an early lead from it. There is a lot to like here.
There is also a lot to appreciate. Each of the forwards really went in on this one. Noesen took one hard cross-check from Clifton and had another contact with Greenway in the corner. Palat hustled to get past Greenway and got pasted by Clifton. Even if both did not win the puck in the right corner, they forced a reverse. A reverse that would have led to a simple exit for Buffalo except for Haula hustling like crazy to pressure Samuelsson. According to the time on ice report from the game, this all happened in the middle of their shifts, about 25-30 seconds in. It was not like this was a fully fresh line with energy to spare. Or a young line for that matter. Add in the fact that this is their first competitive game that counts and I find it impressive at how much energy they had to make this whole play happen.
I also would like you all to appreciate that pressure is sometimes all that is needed for a forecheck. I get it. It is fun and looks great to see pucks go loose off big hits. I am sure Buffalo fans liked that from Clifton. But the point of a forecheck is ultimately to get the opponent to do something they do not want to do. Haula managed to do that right before making contact to Samuelsson. Forcing that turnover, to me, was almost as impressive as the goal scored seconds after that. Haula may not have received an assist on this play, but he was critical to this goal happening at all.
Additionally, Kovacevic’s assist was more than just making a simple pass to Noesen. He took a bit of a risk remaining in the zone after the reverse happened. But he read Samuelsson’s stick well. He put himself in a position to take the turnover when the puck went by Zucker. Kovacevic was patient enough to feed a wide-open Noesen instead of just winging a shot from the half-wall or looking for another option. The pass was not perfect but it was good enough and good enough turned out to be excellent.
As for Buffalo, they had a situation seemingly under control that went out of control in just a few seconds. Samuelsson getting pressured into a turnover is definitely something to criticize him for. I would think Ruff and his staff are livid at the other three Sabres – not Zucker, he was where he should have been – for just not being in the picture. If it was by design for them to push up and be long passing options for Samuelsson, then you just witnessed what happens when those are not made. If it was not by design, then the Sabres have some work to do to get everyone on the same page. That Connor Clifton, Samuelsson’s defenseman partner, was that far away from the pay is especially bad to me. While Lukkonen was put in a bad situation, it definitely did not look good that he just dropped to a butterfly instead of coming out of his crease or being more aggressive in his stance. I understand he had to make a quick decision but it was not the right one.
Lastly, credit to Noesen for sticking with the whole play. Again, he took hits. He hung back in the zone instead of just darting out of the zone. He got to reap the reward of Haula’s forecheck. He made an excellent read on the goaltender when he got the puck. He did not hesistate to shoot. As a result, he did not just score his first goal in returning to the Devils or scored the Devils’ first goal of the season. Stefan Noesen scored a highlight-reel worthy snipe to the top corner that set the stage for a victory.
And all of this happened in fewer than ten seconds from Siegenthaler’s long shot from the point. I love this sport.
Your Take
That is the goal breakdown of the first New Jersey Devils goal of the 2024-25 season. You have now read what I saw in the play that led to Stefan Noesen’s goal. Now I want to know what you think about it. What did you learn from this breakdown? How well do you appreciate that forecheck? What was Buffalo thinking? What do you think of Noesen’s finish of the shot. Please leave your answers and other thoughts on this breakdown of the team’s first goal of the season in the comments. Thank you for reading.