Lots to dive into as we get set here in OTT, where the Devils desperately need a W tonight to stop the bleeding!!! 🙏
NEED TO BEAR DOWN
With the Devils struggling to put pucks in the back of the net right now, the mentality has to be to get gritty, dirty, and inside early and often in tonight’s game.
Taking a look at the graphic below, over 27% of their SATs are getting blocked, which is the fourth-highest rate of any team, and a big reason for that is the amount of time they’re spending on the perimeter. I know, it’s easier said than done without Jack, but we need to see the Devils find a way to get to the inside at a much higher rate to create a higher volume of slot shots and second and third-chance opportunities. Look no further than last game in BOS, as the Devils generated 6:33 of OZ Possession Time and 71 SATs, and only finished with 5 slot shots to show for it – their fewest in any game this season.
Whenever you see numbers like this, having a high % of your shots getting blocked, and aren’t paying the price for a high rate of rebound chances, you end up making every goalie look like a Vezina winner. That’s exactly why opposing goalies have a top-3 Sv% (.910) against the Devils this season compared to the rest of the league.
This can’t happen vs. Linus Ullmark tonight, who I will talk about more later on in this article. Encroach on his crease and make his life difficult!
GRITS THE DEFENSIVE GURU
We knew Arseny had the offensive skill, but he’s proving he’s the real deal with his commitment away from the puck.
For a first-year player coming over from the KHL, nobody knew what to expect with his 200-foot game, but his underlying defensive metrics are extremely impressive – and a pleasant surprise, to be quite frank. Rachel and I will break this down with some video examples in the pregame show!
SPECIAL PROGRAMMING ALERT ⚠️
Also during tonight's pregame show, Dano and I will make our NJD State of the Union Address... Don't miss it!!
STRUGGLING SINCE BRADY'S RETURN
OTT is not getting a bump from the return of their Captain, Brady Tkachuk (1-4-0 OTT record since his return), which is surprising — especially when you consider that he’s produced 1-3–4 PTS and is averaging over 4 shots & 3 hits in these five games.
It just seems that they are chasing games and getting goalie’d a bit right now, seeing that they have conceded the first goal in all five of these games, and are coming off a loss vs. STL in which Joel Hofer stopped 4.49 (!!) Goals Above Expected to steal the 2-1 W. Geez…
SHOULD BE A PHYSICAL GAME
OTT is averaging the 5th highest rate of 50/50 Puck Battles Won/GP and 5th most Hits/GP (23.8), so it is no surprise that they are, in turn, suffering the most Hits/GP (24.0) of any team in the league this season. Teams are coming ready to compete against this heavy, physical Sens team, and I am expecting no different from the Devils tonight, who rank 7th in 50/50 Pucks Won/GP and 14th in Hits/GP (20.3).
THE GOOD & THE BAD, HISTORICALLY SPEAKING
The Good: The Devils have won 4 straight games in Ottawa, and are 6-1-1 in their last 8 GP here.
The Bad: Since leaving BUF, Ullmark – who is starting between the pipes tonight for OTT – is 7-0-0 against the Devils with a .939 Sv% 😬… Hopefully, the Devils put this narrative to bed quickly tonight by scoring the first goal!
More Good: The Captain loves playing against the Sens — He has 9 Goals (9-10–19 PTS) in 20 career GP against OTT, and scored his first & second career goals in this building back on Oct. 19, 2017.
Join Rachel and me for tonight's pregame show as we deep dive into the Devils' scoring challenges and Arseny Grisyuk's complete 200-foot game, before Dano and I address the NJD State of the Union. It all starts at 6:30 p.m. on MSGSN!
-Sal
Here are a couple of additional graphics from Saturday night's broadcast!
