Defenseman Simon Nemec got his first taste of the National Hockey League on Friday night, but a poor performance from New Jersey Devils goaltender Akira Schmid left a bitter taste in a 6-3 loss to the San Sharks. Jose.
The 19-year-old young man, a member of the impressive Slovakian class of the 2022 draft, was the second player selected, after his compatriot Juraj Slafkovsky, whose name was called by the Montreal Canadiens. When the big attacker makes his debut in 2022-2023, the Devils played with patience.
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The Slovakian had big shoes to fill for his baptism of fire, as he somewhat replaced defender Dougie Hamilton. The New Jersey organization confirmed that the Ontario native had undergone surgery on his left pectoral muscle and would be sidelined indefinitely.
Nemec took no time in impressing his new bosses with two assists. He was also head coach Lindy Ruff’s most used defenseman, spending 22:38 on the ice.
Except that his great efforts failed because of the two goalkeepers. Schmid was the first to give up five times on just 17 shots. On the other side of the ice, Kaapo Kahkonen was sensational with 44 saves on 47 shots.
Anthony Duclair and Mikael Granlund led the Sharks’ attack. The Quebec forward scored two goals and showed his talent in possession of the puck each time. His teammate collected three points.
Despite the setback, Jack Hughes was not left out. He scored his ninth goal of the season with a precise wrist shot.