I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! Time to get back in action today in BUF!! 🏒
TIMO THANKSGIVING 🦃
Timo DELIVERED on Thanksgiving Eve with a Turkey, striking first for the Devils not once, not twice, but now three games in a row. With 5 points in these last 3 GP, it is officially TIMO TIME!!! ⏰
THE CAPTAIN IS ON FIRE 🔥
We were all optimistic that the Captain would step up in Jack’s absence, and boy, has he ever delivered. Nico leads the team with 5-4–9 PTS in the 6 GP w/o Jack, and this should come as no surprise when you look at his body of work when Jack was out for the final 20 games last season, as Nico played in 19 of those games and led the team with 10-12–22 PTS.
The Captain’s 8 PTS in his last 3 GP, specifically, are the most of any three-game segment in his career… and this is the first time that multiple players (Timo & Nico) have had a 3+ Game Goal Streak at the same time since Nico & Mercer did so together back in the 2022-23 season 👀 
NEMO CLUTCH ⚡️
Nemo’s electric, CLUTCH stretch of games continued with another OT winner. Nemo now has 5-1–6 PTS in his last 8 GP, and when you break down these 8 games, you’re looking at a game where Nemo had three primary assists — including a beauty on Jack’s OTG — in the game vs. COL where Pesce went down, a GTG with less than five secs left to force OT vs. NYI, a hat trick that included a GTG & OTG in CHI, a shootout-clinching goal in WSH, and now, another OT winner vs. STL. I can't say it enough – CLUTCH!
2 OF 3 SHELDON’S THREE PHASES ✅
I would be remiss not to give MAJOR props to Marky & the NJD PK for even getting this game to OT in the first place, with their HUGE four-minute kill in the third, when Marky faced 10 SATs AG, including 4 shots on net and 3 shots from the slot 💪
For me, the fight and desperation we saw in that critical kill was enough to push them over the edge for two of three check marks on Sheldon’s Three Phases 🔥
SAL, THREE PUCKS BETWEEN THE BENCHES?! 🤨
Fortunately, I was able to give seemingly the entire section behind me a nice little Thanksgiving souvenir on Wednesday! 😂
TUCH HIM IN FOR A QUIET NIGHT 🛌
Alex Tuch (8-13–21 PTS in 23 GP) is doing it all for BUF this season. Entering tonight, he is one of only two FWDs in the NHL to have 17+ PTS, 22+ Blocked Shots, & 7+ Drawn Penalties.
…Oh, and that one other FWD meeting that criteria, you might ask? None other than the DAWG ON A BONE, Dawson Mercer 🐶🦴
TURN THE PAGE ON TAGE ❌
The narrative around Tage Thompson owning the Devils has to end tonight!!!
Tage has 11 Goals in his last 12 GP against the Devils, including his infamous four-goal game back on March 9, 2024. He is the only player to score four in a game against the Devils since 1992...
KEYS TO KEYBANK 🗝️
Similar to the Devils with the Rock, BUF have done a very good job establishing their barn, the KeyBank Center, as a tough building to come play in this season. Through 14 home games, they are 8-4-2, including a 3-1-0 stretch in their last 4, where they’ve been scoring at a rate of 5 GF/GP 😳
Get on 'em Early: BUF is 6-0-0 at home when scoring the first goal, which they've only done 8 total times this season, tied for the second fewest of any team. When you combine this with the fact that this team has protected leads very well (3 Blown Lead Ls; T-#5 Fewest), you just know that the Devils cannot afford to find themselves chasing this game.
Manage the 2nd Period: For me, the biggest task and continued challenge for the Devils tonight will be managing the second period. Not only have the Devils’ rates of PD2 goals dropped about 46% since Jack went down, but the middle frame is BUF’s bread and butter at home, as their +11 2nd Period Goal DIFF is the best of any team at home entering today’s games. (...And that DIFF is +7 in their L4 at home!)
Be sure to join Rachel and me at 3:30 p.m. as we recap the OTW vs. STL, break down the performance of Nico, Marky, & the NJD PK, and break down our keys to the game. Let's get back in the Road W column!
-Sal 
