Adam Larsson and Mark Fayne watch Marek Zidlicky and use him as a teaching point. In their young careers, at 19 and 24 years old, Larsson and Fayne are still learning when to pinch or to get involved in the offensive zone. Then there are games like tonight's that provide the perfect opportunity to learn.

In the Devils’ 4-2 Game 4 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, it was Zidlicky who was the offensive catalyst in the first period. He created the first goal and then scored the second, erasing a 2-0 deficit that had the Devils on tilt.

“He’s one of those guys that, in practice, the plays he can make and the chances he creates by himself, it’s amazing,” Fayne said. “He definitely shows me, Larsson, the young guys what we could do if we tried to be more offensive.”

Zidlicky facilitated the Devils’ first goal of the game by sending a cross-ice pass from the point to Petr Sykora at the far post, which he tipped past Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. It helped make up for a goal Philadelphia scored on the power play that Zidlicky set up by taking an interference penalty.

When he tied the game, redirecting fellow defenseman Bryce Salvador’s pass from just outside the left faceoff circle after skating all the way in front of the crease, Zidlicky was fully atoned.

“He’s a good, creative hockey player,” Martin Brodeur said. “He’s like a forward playing defense a little bit in the way he’s skilled and can make passes and jumping in the play. He trusts a lot of his skills out there and it shows in the confidence we have in him.”

It was a reminder of why the Devils acquired him in a February trade with Minnesota. He has six points this postseason after totaling eight in 22 games after the trade.

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He said he had a rough transition when he first arrived, helped by fellow Czech Patrik Elias — though Elias disputes any difficulty on his friend’s part — but settled in after a few games. It was made simpler by the fact that “it’s easy when I want to ask for trade.”

Now he’s settling in and enjoying this postseason run — where he’s almost matched the 14 playoff games he had played in before this spring. DeBoer says he’s the reason the Devils’ power play has found chemistry.

“I enjoy it, that’s what I said before after a couple of games,” Zidlicky said. “I enjoy every game. (I’m) feeling pretty good.”

And with the way he played tonight, he’s providing another reason for the Devils’ young defensemen to watch and learn.

“He’s so skilled and does everything right out there,” Larsson said. “For me, being new in the league and he’s been here for a long time, I think it’s smart for me to look up to him and try to do a couple of things that he does and a couple of things I have to realize I can’t do like he does. He is a good player and he plays his own and I play my own way. Some things I can of course take advantage of.”

Mike Vorkunov: mvorkunov@starledger.com; twitter.com/Mike_Vorkunov