A slew of injuries is testing the Devils’ depth and, so far, they are failing.
Their losing streak reached three games with a 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins Friday night at Prudential Center.
It’s the first time the Devils have lost three in a row in regulation since they lost their first three games of the season. With leading scorer Mike Cammalleri (35 points) still out with an upper-body injury, they have scored only two goals in their last three games.
With the win, the Bruins climbed one point ahead of the Devils into the first wild-card spot in the East.
Fourth-line spark plug Bobby Farnham scored the Devils’ lone goal Friday. That only four Devils _ Kyle Palmieri (17), Cammalleri (14), Adam Henrique (14) and Lee Stempniak (9) _ have scored more goals than Farnham’s six in 22 games since being claimed off waivers from Pittsburgh _ demonstrates the team’s lack of scoring depth.
Cammalleri missed his fourth game in a row. Also sidelined with injuries were right wing Tyler Kennedy (upper body), right wing Tuomo Ruutu (lower body), defenseman John Moore (lower body), defenseman David Schlemko (lower body), left wing Patrik Elias (right knee) and center Jacob Josefson (left foot).
To make matters worse, left wing Jiri Tlusty left after the first period and did not return. There was no immediate explanation from the Devils.
The Devils called up right wing Paul Thompson, center Jim O’Brien and defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani from their AHL team in Albany earlier in the day just ice a full team.
The Devils’ patchwork lineup continued to struggle to produce offense, though. They didn’t make things any easier on themselves by allowing the first goal for the third consecutive game and the 27th time in 42 games this season.
The Bruins grabbed the lead only 2:02 into the game on a rebound goal from Frank Vatrano.
Defenseman Colin Miller took a pair of shots from the right point. Goaltender Cory Schneider made a left pad save on the first one, but defenseman Eric Gelinas threw the rebound right back to Miller at the right point. Schneider made a pad save on Miller’s second shot as well, but left a rebound in front this time that Vatrano fired home for home for his sixth goal of the season.
Ryan Spooner made it 2-0 with his goal 4:49 into the second period. Spooner circled off the right wing boards and took a wrist shot from near the blue line that floated in past a screened Schneider’s glove for his ninth goal of the season.
Boston’s Matt Beleskey provided the screen in front.
Farnham continued his surprising run with his third goal in the last six games at 11:57 to cut the Devils’ deficit to 2-1. After taking a pass up from Stephen Gionta, Farnham skated into the right circle and let go a wrist shot that beat goaltender Jonas Gustavsson under his blocker.
The Devils had a chance to pull even on the power play when Beleskey was called for tripping Palmieri at 12:54, but couldn’t convert. Just after the power play expired, Devils right wing Jordin Tootoo hit the left post from the inner rim of the right circle with 4:56 left in the second.
That was the closest the Devils would get to tying it. A Thompson trip of Zach Trotman with 3:10 left in the second gave the Bruins their second power play of the night and they cashed in with a deflection goal from Jimmy Hayes with 1:25 remaining in the period.
Hayes was stationed in front to deflect Zdeno Chara’s straight-on point shot past Schneider for his ninth goal of the season. Miller made it 4-1 with his one-timer from the top of the left circle 6:33 into the third period.