Hey, Devils Fans.
Obviously, it was another tough and deflating loss for the Devils yesterday. No one is feeling sorry for this team, and at this point, words are empty calories. They simply need to take action and deliver results, starting tonight with an important opportunity to win on the road before returning home.
JACK’S STRONGEST GAME BACK
As I talked about in my last article, nobody wants to hear any positives when the results have been what they are for so long now, and I get that. But it’s still important to count the “small wins” from each game to build upon in the bigger picture, and there certainly were a few important ones in WPG.
First, it was great to see Jack have his best game back since returning from injury. On top of his 2 assists, he led all skaters in the game in TOI (27:04), SATs (10), Slot Shots (4), OZ Possession Time (0:57), and combined DZ Exits/OZ Entries (20).
When Jack is going, the Devils' offense is going, and I’m hoping this game was an indication that scoring 3+ Goals will no longer be a major challenge and rarity for this team.
SIEGS-KOVY PAIR
How could you not be encouraged by what we saw from the reunited Siegs-Kovy pairing yesterday?
Despite it being Kovy’s first game since April, this was the most relied-upon pairing in the game, logging the most 5v5 TOI. They controlled 5 of the 9 HD Chances when on ice and factored in on what should have been two NJD goals, if not for Siegs’ goal getting called back for goaltender interference.
CODY GLASS
My fellow Manitoba native, Cody Glass, had an outstanding game in his hometown, as well, with his first multi-goal period (PD2) in his career. It was great to see Glasser lead the charge with the ABC line back together and in full form.
2nd PERIOD
From a team perspective, the Devils’ process in the second period was very encouraging. Yes, one goal was called back, but the Devils scored three goals in this middle frame alone for all intents and purposes, which they hadn’t done at all in a full game over their last four games.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
What was disheartening in WPG, though, was the carelessness on the defensive side of the puck.
You can’t concede goals the way the Devils did. A rimmed puck turnover on Iafallo’s goal, a turnover at the OZ blueline and soft netfront on Toews' goal, a soft boxout on Vilardi’s goal, and a soft boxout again on Pearson’s goal. Unacceptable hockey.
This team needs to finally get everything in sync tonight — Offense, Defense, Special Teams, Goaltending, all for the entire 60-65 minutes — to come home with a win and some real momentum.
DOUGIE IN, NEMO OUT
Per Sheldon’s comments, Dougie will slot back into the lineup tonight for Nemec, who has had a tough first couple of games since returning from injury. In this case, I love the fact that Sheldon is holding players accountable based on performance. Now, it is Dougie’s turn to elevate his game and make a statement to Sheldon and his teammates that this was the right decision.
ENORMOUS GAME FOR MARKY
We all know Marky needs an outstanding game tonight, and as Sheldon alluded to, this scenery aligns well for him, historically (6-1-1 career record & .942 Sv% in MIN). Maybe, he will also get a nice competitive boost with his soon-to-be Swedish goaltending teammates on the other side of the rink in Gustavsson and Wallstedt, who are set to become the first-ever tandem from the same NHL team to play together in the Olympics.
Regardless, Marky needs to find a way to have his best performance of the season tonight. It’s as simple as that. We all know about how badly he, individually, needs to rebound from his last start against the Islanders, but it will be equally important that the team supports him by defending well and finding the back of the net in front of him. Again, put it all together in one full game, and the results should come.
Join Rachel and me for tonight's pregame show as we break down Jack's best game back, Siegs and Kovy's performance as a pair yesterday, and our keys to 2 PTS tonight in MIN. LGD.
-Sal
