Well, Devils fans, it’s no secret that this was a tough Game 1 for everyone to digest. There was a lot to dislike about this game, especially in the 2nd period. In that middle frame, the Devils’ breakouts were nowhere near good enough, and they spent way too much time defending in their own zone as a result. From CAR’s perspective, a 2nd period like that was no surprise to them as they scored the fifth most 2nd period goals in the regular season. Still, you simply cannot afford to let them have almost two more minutes of OZ puck possession time like they did in this period.
Big picture, though, it’s really important to understand in that room that this is only one game and you have to move on from it. No, it wasn’t nearly good enough, but you showed some moments of playing to your identity at the tail end of the 2nd period and throughout most of the 3rd. Whether you want to say it was score effects or not, the Devils found some of their footing and dictated play in the 3rd, and if not for Andersen making a 10-beller save on Timo, they would have been right there within one of tying the game. This is the period you have to bottle up and take into Game 2 tonight.
If there's one major positive from Game 1 that everyone can feel good about inside that locker room, it's that Marky was outstanding in Game 1. Look, Sheldon Keefe has talked about the fact that this is a series where, realistically, you’re expecting to probably be outshot by CAR every game. No, you don’t want to give up 45 shots again like you did in Game 1, but it’s always a confidence boost to see your goaltender back there making saves and not rattled at all by the onslaught he’s facing. That said, the Devils are going to have to do a much better job preventing those east-west passes that CAR was too easily executing on, which forced Marky into constant lateral movement to reestablish his angles.
As for the negatives, what really stood out to me in Game 1 was that the special teams failed to serve as a positive factor for the Devils, and that’s going to need to change in Game 2. I look back to the start of the game, specifically, when the Nico line draws you a PP just two minutes after Chatfield’s 1-0 goal. This moment was a perfect opportunity to immediately tie the game, strike some positive momentum in your favor, and also a chance to tear down that #1 PK narrative that CAR built up over the regular season. Instead, CAR outshoots you 2-1 in your 1:42 of PP time, and you ultimately take a too-many-men penalty to send CAR to the PP themselves. Granted, you killed off that penalty, plus the ensuing one in the final 5 minutes of the period, but these two penalties you took negated all the momentum you were building beforehand and fueled the CAR surge we saw take full effect in the 2nd period.
Now, should you find yourself with a couple more PP opportunities again tonight, it is an absolute must that you capitalize. Generating some positive momentum if you don’t score has to be the consistent standard, at the very least, especially if you are being blitzed 5v5.
If you're inside that Devils locker room right now preparing for this game, you have to know that you don't win or lose any series in Game 1, so you can't overreact to Sunday's loss. For me, Game 2 tonight is about winning different moments within the game that can lead to you stealing a game out of CAR. Whether it's winning the physicality aspect, the emotion, the rush game, the special teams... You have to win something within the game to pull out the W.
Regarding the injury updates from Sheldon this morning, yes, not having Luke and Dillon available tonight is an extremely tough blow to the lineup. I’m just hoping that the thinking is precautionary so that they are both ready to go this Friday back at the Rock! On the flip side, it's great to see that Glass will be good to go tonight because Marky can move on mentally from that unfortunate situation and no longer have to dwell on it. Lastly, I’m looking forward to seeing Cholowski and Nemec get their first cracks at playoff hockey.
And look, the message remains the same inside that room - You have to dig deep and find a way to get the job done. The Devils should have a better feel of what to expect, so I’m optimistic that CAR won’t be able to replicate the dominant level of hockey they played in Game 1.
Be sure to join Rachel and me for our pregame show tonight as we recap Game 1 and break down the 2nd and 3rd periods specifically. It all starts at 5:30 p.m. on MSGSN!
Let's Go Devils!
-Sal
Here are some graphics from our Game 1 broadcast!
