Unfortunately, the stat that I discussed in the last article came to fruition, and the Devils fell victim to losing their first game coming back to North America after starting their season overseas.
“Whether it’s jet lag, the time off between games, coincidence, emotional letdown, or a combination of all four, NHL teams have only won 9 (I repeat 9!) of the now 34 total GP when returning to North America after starting the season in a different continent.”
And yes, Buffalo lost their first game back as well.
But Sal?! You said no excuses! Yes, you are right. I’m not making any excuses for the Devils; instead, I’m stating that this was expected to be a challenging game for them, which proved to be true. Having said that, they were not good in this game at all. There was no excuse for that effort, especially considering they came out flat and didn’t start on time in their home opener.
As I mentioned in Friday’s postgame show, one thing I don’t want to do is immediately swing 180 degrees emotionally and assume the world is now falling after one bad effort. Instead, I am intrigued to see what response we get from this team after they laid an egg in their home opener. Their focus now should be on spoiling the Capitals’ home opener in DC!
The message inside a locker room of a team looking to move into their “winning window” is “We don’t lose two in a row, boys!” - nonnegotiable! Show everyone that you can turn the page and move on.
One area that has been very impressive through all three games so far has been the Devils’ PK, killing off all eight opposing power play opportunities. The numerous combinations of FWs being used in short durations have allowed the Devils’ FWs to apply tremendous pressure all over the ice, which is disrupting the flow of the opposition’s PP. Their up-ice pressure, followed by their 1-3 neutral zone structure, has been highly effective, as well.
Lastly, two critical elements of a successful PK have been effective so far: DZ faceoff wins with exits and dump-out success rates. After the first 3 GP, NJD PK's DZ FO Win% with exits is the 3rd highest success rate in the league, while their rate of dump-out attempts clearing the zone is sitting at 92.0%! Well done!
Focus: Start on Time
It’s the home/season opener at Capital One Arena tonight, and this is a WSH team that only lost once in regulation (14-1-4) when scoring first on home ice last season. So, I expect the Caps to come out flying right from the opening puck drop. Combine this with the Devils' sluggish start on Friday vs TOR; the focus for tonight should be to look no further than the first 20 minutes — Start on time and rediscover that same brand of hockey you played in Prague. And yes, we all know Ovechkin will be looking to shoot whenever he gets a chance!
Tough Debut for Marky
No, it wasn’t the start we all expected from Markstrom, allowing 3 goals on 8 shots before finally finding his grove. Again, I don’t want to over-analyze this one game and performance right now, so he, too, gets the “first game back from North America” pass. ;-)
Marky is getting the start tonight, and I expect him to have a bounce-back game!
PP1
The Devils’ top PP unit still seems a bit off, although they did score an important, timely goal to keep the game within reach on Friday night. Dougie is getting his looks on the PP, but the crisp, seamless passing and shooting that we usually see from him isn't quite there yet, in my opinion. I hope to see NJD#7 show up on the score sheet vs. WSH, as the last time Dougie went without a point through the first four games of the season was back in the 2016-17 season.
Casey - Nemec
The Casey/Nemec pairing is starting to get exposed. At 5v5, their percentage generation shares (32.0% SAT & 10.0% HD Chances) are scary sights to see, and with 3 of the Devils’ next 4 games being on the road, it’ll be tough for HC Keefe to shelter their minutes. Nemec didn’t have a very strong training camp, and unfortunately, it’s still bleeding into the first 3 games of the season. If Pesce isn’t expected to return soon, this pairing will potentially become a major concern for the Devils.
Be sure to join Rachel and me for our pregame show as we recap the Devils' home opener, further break down the PK, and chat about Ovi's chase to Gr8ness. It all starts at 6:30 p.m. on MSGSN!
Let's Go Devils!
-Sal
