When the New Jersey Devils have needed a hero this postseason, they’ve turned to the third-youngest guy on the team.
That, of course, is 21-year-old Adam Henrique, who continued to grow his legend in Los Angeles on Wednesday night by scoring the game-winning goal in New Jersey’s 3-1 win over the Kings in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals.
With the goal, Henrique prevented a Kings sweep and gave a glimmer of hope that the seemingly unbeatable Jonathan Quick was, well, beatable.
“Big-time play,"DeBoer said of Henrique’s goal in the postgame presser. “Off a skate, a quick shot up top. I mean, especially with the way Quick has been playing. It was a goal-scorer’s play. He’s got a knack for that.”
Prior to tonight’s heroics, Henrique had scored New Jersey’s two biggest goals of the season. There was a double-OT, Game 7-winner in the opening round against Florida followed by his Game 6 OT decider in the Eastern Conference finals against the Rangers.
Following the defeat of New York, Devils head coach Peter DeBoer had nothing but praise for his Calder Trophy candidate, saying “this kid is just right place, right time, all the time.”
On Wednesday night, Henrique was exactly that.
Note: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Henrique’s three game-winning goals this postseason are the most by a rookie since 1999, when a pair of Avs rookies -- Chris Drury and Milan Hejduk -- accomplished the feat.