CAPITALS vs DEVILS | PRE-SCOUT | GAME #13

Hey everyone,

Unfortunately, I have to start this one by reviewing a difficult-to-process Devils performance, especially in the 3rd period of Tuesday night's game in Colorado. Regardless of the first 40 mins, the Devils were tied 3-3 going into the 3rd period and needed to find a way to leave the Rocky Mountains with at least a point. Instead, the Devils' poor puck management and lack of attention to detail ultimately led them to surrender numerous scoring chances to an Avalanche team that will make you pay. Yes, the Devils are without their top two centermen (and superstars) in Jack and Nico, but this was a game that was nowhere near the "Devils' brand of hockey" and could have gotten well out of hand if Vitek did not play as well as he did.
What's not shown on the graphic is that the Turnover Scoring Chances were only 2-1 and 5-1 in favor of the Avs after the 1st & 2nd periods, respectively. By the end of the game, the Turnover Scoring Chances finished 14-1! Those stats show how poorly the Devils managed the puck in the 3rd period alone. The reality is, Devils fans, that VV gave his team a chance to get points out of this game, regardless if anyone felt he let a soft goal in. Geez, slot shots finished 23-8 in favor of the Avs, and of those 23 slot shots, 15 were from the high-danger inner slot!Coach Ruff is going back to Vitek tonight, and it’s no secret now that he currently sees him as his “1A,” and rightfully so. VV has consistently battled behind inconsistent Devils efforts and has still given his team a chance to win in essentially every game he’s started. For me, it’s his performance in second periods that stands out the most about his game so far this season. In front of VV, NJD has given up more shots per game in the second periods than in each of the first and third periods, but #41 has backstopped them with tremendous individual efforts all season. He has been noticeably more dialed in and confident in the middle portion of games, and the numbers definitely seem to reflect that!With VV in the net tonight, I would love to see the guys 'give' him a strong game in a big bounce-back effort. A VV win tonight against his former team would make him the fastest goaltender in NJD history to the 40-win plateau (62 GP), transcending Marty Brodeur's current record to that feat (76 GP). I expect to see a hungry Devils team back at home tonight, especially considering it's the Capitals that are back in town. It was only 16 days ago that the Devils suffered a frustrating loss to the Caps, losing 6-4 in regulation after coming back from a 3-0 deficit. So, that awful taste should still be in their mouth. Now, those following me for a while know that this is a classic setup for what I call a 'dangerous game'. After struggling at the start of the season, there was apparent panic coming from the Capitals’ organization. Fast forward to today, the Caps have points in five of their last six and appear to be finding their veteran groove again. That is the last thing you want to see when your team is home for only one game before going back on the road for two, while needing a desperate W to make up for a poor performance.

Tonight, I hope to see better puck decisions, defensive coverage reads, and an overall better effort in front of the NJD goaltender right from the onset!
In our pregame show from the Rock, Erika and I will discuss the Devils' chance to reset things in their one game back at home before heading back out on the road, the performance of Vitek, and John Marino starting to finds his game. I'll also chat with Marino during the pregame skate. It all starts at 6:30PM!
-Sal