Well, Sunday’s loss was a tough one for everyone to digest, as the Devils now find themselves trailing 3-1 in the series and facing elimination tonight. For me, the real killer in this game was that first shot, first goal against, just 52 seconds into this game. Everyone was riding high from the 2OT winner in Game 3, and the Nico line came out and had a strong first shift of the game in the OZ. Then, all of a sudden, you turn the puck over, it winds up in the back of your net, and you’re down 1-0 in the game.
At this point, you could sense some deflation in the Devils' game and on the bench, as all that pent-up energy from Game 3 was completely negated before most guys could even touch the ice. From that point forward in the first period, the Devils found themselves scrambling in the DZ. Their exits were sloppy, their forecheck was off, and they ultimately gave CAR far too much traction in this game. And look, I’m not taking anything away from the Devils’ pushback, especially in that 2nd period. The fact that they were able to will themselves back in this game and force CAR to defend a one-goal lead is commendable, but spotting a team like CAR a 3-0 lead in the playoffs proved to be an insurmountable task.
Power Play
I know, we’re all tired of talking about special teams, but the unfortunate reality is that it continues to decimate the Devils in this series. Talking about the PP specifically, it’s been an extreme challenge to solve CAR’s #1 PK when you’re without both of the Hughes brothers. By no means are these excuses, but the main struggle for the NJD PP (0/12), has been the challenge of establishing puck possession against CAR's high-pressure PK that suffocates you by sending three guys at you up high. As I explain in the clip below, that's where the Devils are desperately missing the Hughes brothers. This is especially the case when you consider they have the worst PP OZ FOW% in the playoffs to this point, which has made the task of establishing puck possession and creating time and space that much more difficult. It appears Seamus Casey may draw into the lineup tonight for his first career playoff game, so if the first PP opportunity does not go well, we may see the Devils utilize Casey's poise and skating ability on the point on PP1.
Penalty Kill
Unfortunately, the PK has generally been the same story as the PP. The effect of losing your top two PKers in terms of TOI, Dillon and Kovacevic, has been evident. Since the Devils have been without both Dilly and Kovy, the PK has conceded 3 PPGs on CAR’s 6 opportunities (50% PK%). Again, these are not excuses by any means, but as I talk about in the clip below from our postgame show, it’s a very large ask for your other PKers to go out there and get the job done while simultaneously making reads off of a D partner you’re not necessarily used to playing with. It’s no coincidence that we saw an experienced, skilled team like CAR capitalize on this by scoring on each of their first three PP opportunities in this situation, but I’m hopeful that the trend of three straight successful NJD kills since those goals is indicative of the chemistry and confidence of the PK coming together going forward.
As the Captain said, the last win for the Canes will be the hardest. I expect the Devils to come out extremely desperate, but also with belief in their process. If you happen to concede the first goal again, you have to reset mentally, remain focused on the present moment, and manage those emotional swings better than you did in Game 4.
But look, speaking from experience, the biggest "must" in an elimination game like tonight is that every single guy in that lineup needs to bring their absolute best. For this team to build some confidence and regain life in this series, they’re going to need some of the guys who don’t have a point yet in the series to stamp their names on the scoresheet. I’m not implying that they're not playing well or contributing in other ways, but you need guys other than just Nico, Timo, and Bratter to find the back of the net tonight if you want to force a Game 6 back at the Rock. Maybe it’s another unsung hero like Nemec in Game 3, or maybe it’s a greasy goal off a hard forechecking shift from Dowling’s line. Whatever it is, the Devils need that type of magic from every guy and every line tonight!
Be sure to join Rachel and me for our pregame show tonight, as we break down what went wrong in Game 4 as well as our adjustments and keys to a win in Game 5. It all starts at 7 p.m. on MSGSN!
Let’s Go Devils!
-Sal
