The Devils’ hero in their 3-1 playoff victory over the Rangers in Game 4 Monday night at Madison Square Garden watched Game 2 from the press box in street clothes.
Jonas Siegenthaler was benched for Game 2 against the Rangers after Devils coach Lindy Ruff didn’t like what he saw as the lack of physicality in the defenseman’s play.
So Siegenthaler was forced to watch, replaced by Brendan Smith for that game.
On Monday night, you could make the argument that Siegenthaler played the game of his life, scoring the eventual game-winning goal in the third period and assisting on New Jersey’s first goal in the Devils’ 3-1 win to knot the series at 2-2.
“I thought his whole game — getting up for that play [the goal], his physicality down low and he was a lot more assertive,’’ Ruff said. “He gave us a heck of game tonight on both sides of the puck.’’
Ruff said he spoke to Siegenthaler before he made him a healthy scratch for Game 2.
“I told him he’d be going back in, that I need you to be better,’’ Ruff said.
He was.
On the first goal, Jack Hughes’ third of the series, Siegenthaler made an alert clearing of a loose puck in the Devils’ goal crease.
He back-handed it over several Rangers players who were swarming the net and the puck landed on the stick of the dynamic Hughes on a breakaway.
Hughes buried the shot past Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin and, just 2:50 into the game, the Devils had a 1-0 lead.
“I just tried to get it out, to be honest,’’ Siegenthaler said. “I tried to flip it over the Rangers players and luckily [Hughes] was there. That’s it.’’
Siegenthaler’s goal, which came with 11:48 remaining in the game, came thanks to his aggressiveness, something Ruff wanted to see more of from him.
As Devils captain Nico Hischier carried the puck along the right boards in the Rangers’ zone, Siegenthaler rushed over the blue line toward the net and Hischier slid a perfect cross-ice pass onto his stick and Siegenthaler did the rest, giving the Devils a 2-1 lead they’d never relinquish.
“I thought it was a great job by Siegenthaler jumping up in a four-man attack and he found a hole,’’ Ruff said.
“We know as a D-man you’ve got to join the rush,’’ Siegenthaler said. “I saw that little hole and just tried to jump in there and Nico made that incredible play to me. I was not alone in front of the net, but almost, so I tried to shoot it low glove and [it] went in.’’
It was Siegenthaler’s first career playoff goal.
And it made Game 2 feel like such a long time ago.
“Obviously, it wasn’t fun the second game,’’ Siegenthaler said. “I learned from it. I went over my first game. Clearly, I had to be more physical and go harder. That’s what I’m trying to do out there — be physical, be skating and just be hard to play against.
“It was a good game for myself, but it’s playoffs and anything can happen quickly.’’
Yes, like going from goat to hero in a span of just a few days.