Here are my quick hits following the Devils' 8-5 L vs. TBL heading into tonight's game in DET:
Let's start with the good news from morning skate today: Luke and Pesce will make their season debuts for the Devils tonight! Now, I want to preface this by saying we have to be mindful of the fact that neither of these guys has played in an NHL game in over six months. As a defenseman, when you go this long without a game due to injury, your timing reads, and conditioning takes some time to get back up to game speed, so the reality is that HC Keefe will likely need to limit their ice time in this back-to-back.
Does it surprise me to see both of them in tonight? Yes & no. Yes, because it is a road game that is the first game of a back-to-back, which typically is not the game in which you insert players back into the lineup, as you don’t have the last change to shelter them as needed. Then, you also have the added pressure to play them again tomorrow. And, no, I’m not surprised about this decision because the Devils just conceded 14 goals over the last two games!
With that being said, these are two top-end D-men who are competitors and pushing to play. I’ve been there; put me in coach!
Lightning Struck 8 Times in Newark
When it rains, it pours, and it was pouring goals in Newark on Tuesday night! The Devils conceded 8 eight goals to TBL on Tuesday night, the most goals against on home ice since Nov. 11, 1992. No, I didn’t see that coming! To concede 8 goals at home was a tough one. The Devils now find themselves facing two negative narratives.
The first narrative is that they can’t beat a true playoff team, as they are 1-3-1 against teams that made the playoffs last season and 4-0-0 against teams that missed. The second narrative is that it is “point night” for teams visiting the Prudential Center right now, as the Devils have given up 19 goals in their three losses at the Rock.
The Bratt Hit
Was the hit Bratt took behind the net 6:30 into the 2nd period a big deal? To me, yes, but only for the next 5 minutes or so of hockey. TBL scored two ensuing goals 1:53 apart, with the first goal occurring 1:34 after the hit. But, after that particular stretch of hockey, this moment became less of a factor in the game and, as Keefe said, was not the main reason the Devils gave up 8 goals. Here are some more detailed points I mentioned during the 2nd intermission regarding the Devils’ lack of response to this moment.
Keefe’s Spicy Presser
Furthering on Keefe and his animated postgame comments Tuesday night, I talked on the postgame show about how some of his other points told us a lot about A) how he will potentially manage his goaltending tandem this season and B) how he reacts to a performance like this.
Bleeding Goals at Home
In 3 of 4 games at Prudential Center, we have unfortunately seen a continuation of the same story from last season, as the Devils are already finding themselves in a situation where they are again having to consistently out-score their mistakes to stay in games on home ice. This is exactly the reason GM Fitzy made it very clear that he was “never worried about offense” with this team over the offseason. His checklist was heavily focused on bringing in guys that will keep pucks out of the net, and so far, we are seeing why a guy like Brett Pesce has been sorely missed. Now, to be fair, the Devils have done an excellent job of starting on time recently, having scored the first goal in the last three straight home games; they just need to protect those leads more consistently, as they are .500 (1-1-1) in those three games.
Marky for NJD (?)
While it is still unconfirmed, I expect that HC Keefe will turn to Jacob Markstrom for the first half of the back-to-back tonight. In 4 career starts in Detroit, Marky has a 3-0-1 record, .957 Sv%, and 1.23 GAA. His last start at Little Caesars Arena, which was Oct. 21, 2021 (almost three years ago to the date!), was a 33-save shutout with CGY. When you combine his resume in DET with his numbers on the road this season, it makes this a very promising and comfortable decision for Keefe.
Talbot for DET
On the other side of things, HC Derek Lalonde confirmed this morning that Cam Talbot will be between the pipes for the Red Wings tonight. Talbot is an all-time 8-2-0 in 10 career starts against the Devils, posting a .924 Sv% and 2.14 GAA in the process. Yikes. Hopefully, the Devils can drain his confidence early tonight, as he has a completely mixed sample set so far this season in his two starts, which were both at home. His first start was a 42-save shutout vs. NSH, while his second start ended 32 mins in, pulled after conceding 5 goals on 19 shots AG vs. NYR. For tonight, the Devils are hoping for a performance closer to the latter!!!
Join Bill and me on tonight's 6:30 p.m. MSGSN pregame show as we discuss Luke and Pesce's season debut, Timo and Noesen's respective strong starts, the Devils' defensive structure, and the importance of getting back on track tonight in DET!
Let's Go Devils!
-Sal
Here are some graphics from the TBL broadcast!
