DEVILS vs BLACKHAWKS | PRE-SCOUT | GAME #11

Hey Devils Fans,

Friday night’s game was a tough loss to the Blues, especially considering the Devils’ effort in the final 25 minutes of the game in their push to come back. Binnington shut the door, and the Devils lost 4-1 in a game that, unfortunately, saw Jack Hughes go down in the first period and leave the game after his next shift. The team (including me!) was certainly rattled initially, but it was good to see them fight back in a game they could’ve written off as an excuse due to an injury to their superstar. The Devils continue to impress me with their ability to stay composed under adversity and not let games get out of hand (the Blues had two empty-netters). It was great to learn that the "worst-case scenario" for Jack was avoided. But, he will miss some time, unfortunately, as coach Ruff has just confirmed he is week-to-week. Lastly, a big congratulations to NJD#63 Bratter, who is expected to lace up for his 400th career game tonight in Chicago - so impressive for a 25-year-old sixth-round pick!Well, Devils fans, with Jack unable to go tonight, the Devils are going to be without their top two centers (Nico day-by-day) in this game. Scary… Hence, we are going to need to see guys like Pally, Haula, Lazar, and Mercer all step up for the Devils to be successful. Even though this Chicago team can be conceived as a ‘weaker’ team on paper, they are coming off an impressive 5-2 win vs. FLA last night (their first home win of the season) and, as the room knows, there are no easy nights in the NHL. I’m excited to see how the Devils’ veteran guys (and Dawson) do with a bigger spotlight on them and in increased roles tonight.

On the note of guys stepping up, Mike McLeod’s play has been terrific in Captain Nico’s absence. Being moved into a 2C role and filling the shoes of a Selke Finalist like Nico is never an easy task. However, NJD#20 has filled this void incredibly well in the last 3 games.Chances are, ‘Motor Mike’ will be the Devils’ 1C tonight. Talk about a big stretch of games for him!Since the Devils are without Jack and Nico for tonight and Tuesday's game in COL, another main void to fill is in the faceoff circle. Jack and Nico take 28.17 faceoffs per game combined, and, basically, the majority of OZ faceoffs at both 5v5 and on the PP. In the last three games that Nico has missed, we are starting to see Coach Ruff lean heavily on McLeod and Haula. To my surprise, the third most utilized forward in the faceoff dot is Chris Tierney, taking 5.67 FOs per game. It's not just the points that the Devils will lose in the absence of Jack and Nico, it could also be the beginning of losing more opportunities to start with OZ puck possession after faceoffs, especially on the PP. Nonetheless, this is a chance for these five NJD centers to help grind out important faceoffs as they continue to see an increased workload in the circle.The Devils are back to a 7 PM ET start tonight, with our MSG pregame show kicking things off at 6:30. Join Erika and me as we discuss Max Willman's call-up, generational talent (including J. Hughes & Bedard!), L. Hughes' early Calder watch, and the play of Dawson Mercer. As for Tuesday's game vs. COL, Unfortunately, TNT will have the coverage, so our MSG crew will have the night off. We'll be back Friday at the Rock for the rematch with WSH.

-SalNote: I expect Arvid Solderblom to start tonight, who is 0-1-0 all-time vs. the Devils, losing that only game 3-0 at the Prudential Center back on Dec. 6, 2023. This is only because Petr Mrazek was absolutely blitzed last night by the Panthers, facing 83 SATs, 45 scoring chances (20 being HD chances), and ultimately stealing two points for the Blackhawks by making 38 saves on 40 shots. That being said, I could see the case for Chicago’s head coach, Luke Richardson, to go back to Mraz tonight because he is 8-2-0 all-time against the Devils, winning his last four starts alone. So, let’s hope for Solderblom tonight!