Hey, everyone.
It is trying times right now for the Devils, but look, they have one more game tonight before a couple of rest days, and "only" 8 games left before the Christmas break. You gotta dig deep and get the job done tonight to stop the bleeding!
FRUSTRATING STRETCH OF HOCKEY
Whenever you find yourself in a situation where you are losing - and not scoring - it can become a vicious cycle to get out of as a team. That’s exactly what the Devils have found themselves in right now, and it’s not for a lack of effort or chances. The 2nd period last night, specifically, was one of the best periods in a long time, but you could sense the frustration setting in as they desperately needed a puck to find the back of the net so they could feel a sense of progress.
The worst thing that can happen to you when your team is struggling is not getting rewarded for playing the right way!
GETTIN' GOALIED?
Nobody's making any excuses for the lack of finish lately, but the reality is that opposing goalies are showing up and are dialed in against the Devils this season. In the Devils' 11 losses this season, opposing goalies have a combined Sv% of .940, which ranks 7th highest. And, when you isolate the Devils' 9 losses since Nov. 1, their Opp Sv% in those games is .955, which ranks 2nd. 😬
OPPOSING BLOCKED SHOTS
The Devils’ last two opponents, VGK & DAL, are the first two NJD opponents ever to consecutively shut the Devils out and block 23+ shots in each of those games. So, what gives, Sal?!
Well, I think when people see an unusually high volume of blocked shots like this, they immediately associate it with a higher commitment to blocking shots against the Devils. But the reality is that the commitment isn’t any higher than normal. The Devils just need to be much quicker with their decisions to shoot. As Sheldon said postgame last night, “Just let it fly!” Yes, easier said than done when you are gripping your sticks, especially when you’re now playing against a team like BOS that blocks the 3rd highest rate of shots this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS FAILED YOU
Now, there is some doubt within your special teams, too, as your PP had two glorious opportunities in the 3rd period to tie the game and failed to get the job done, with Noesen’s chance being the only shot on net in the 4 mins of PP time. Then, to add insult to injury, VGK goes out and scores B2B PPGs to stick the nail in the Devils’ coffin. This can’t be a storyline that creeps into tonight, because BOS’s special teams (along with their goaltending) have been their saving grace all season.
DOUGIE FOLLOW-UP
In my last article, I talked about Dougie's tough stretch and how he needs to find the back of the net again to get out of this uncharacteristic funk that he's in.
Well, he didn't score, but it was very encouraging to see Dougie intentional and assertive in his process, as we got a glimpse at that vintage Dougie shooting mentality we all know and love. Dougie finished with 15 SATs, 4 Scoring Chances (1 being HD), and 5 Shots – all top-3 of any individual game this season. Hopefully, we get the same process from Dougie in BOS tonight, but this time, he gets rewarded for it with his first goal since Oct. 28 @ COL!
PERFECT TIME TO GO ON THE ROAD
It’s good that the Devils are getting a change of scenery by going on the road tonight. This has been a bad stretch of home games, and hopefully, the Devils can build off their 5-0 road W in BUF last week to build some momentum.
JAKE ALLEN
The Devils desperately need Jake Allen to be their best player tonight. This team cannot afford to have Jake concede a soft goal early in this game, or any goal for that matter, quite frankly, because the Devils cannot afford to chase another game. The last thing you need on your mind when you haven’t scored a goal in multiple games is to know that you will need 2, 3 goals to win before even getting the first one out of the way.
PASTRNAK & MCAVOY OUT TONIGHT
Fortunately, the Devils caught the Bruins at a time when they are without both their franchise forward and their #1 defenseman.
But with that being said, the Bruins have won 2 of their first 4 games without Pasta, including 2 of 3 at home. Guys are embracing the next-man-up mentality right now, and one of those guys stepping up is former Devil, Pavel Zacha, who had 2 goals last game vs. STL.
MORGAN GEEKIE SURPRISE STORY
Arguably the biggest surprise story in the league this season has been Morgan Geekie, who has taken his game to another level this season after a career high in Goals (33) & PTS (57) last season.
Nobody could have predicted that we’d be sitting here on Dec. 6, prepping for the NJD/BOS game, and Morgan Geekie would be right behind Nathan MacKinnon, 2nd in the NHL in Goals with 21 in 29 GP. He has been outstanding right from Game #1 of the season, and hasn’t slowed down since. It has been impressive, to say the least, and the Devils have to find a way to keep him off the scoresheet tonight.
SWAYMAN REBOUNDS
Jeremy Swayman has been the other big story around BOS this season, as he is proving that last season was just a one-off bad year due to the contract holdout situation and first year as the true #1 without Ullmark. Of Swayman's 18 starts this season, 14 have been qualified as "quality" starts, which ranks 8th, and his 6 steals are the most of any goalie.
Join Rachel and me on tonight's pregame show as we break down the NJD goal drought, Angus Crookshank's Devils debut last night, and continue to pre-scout the Bruins. Let's get back in the W (and "Goals") column tonight in BOS!
-Sal
Here are some additional graphics from last night's broadcast!
