SAL'S QUICK HITS: HITTIN' THE ROAD

December 17, 2024

Bryce Salvador


Here are my quick hits following the Devils’ 4-1 W vs. CHI to close out the homestand, heading into tonight’s game vs. STL:

I, 4-1, Loved This Win!  
What a tremendous third-period effort it was against CHI on Saturday afternoon at the Rock, as the Devils rallied back from down 1-0 to win the game 4-1 in convincing fashion! It was great to see MercDAWG get back on the board to tie the game with his 7th goal of the season (off a beautiful play from Luke and Timo), and then it was the offensive explosion around the halfway point of this period that secured the 2 PTS, the Devils scoring 3 goals in the span of just 2:06! 

This offensive explosion was, of course, led by the highlight of this game, which HC Keefe referred to as potentially his favorite goal of the season. Yes, I’m talking about the absolutely remarkable shift by the Hischier line to out-change CHI after wearing them down for over a minute in the OZ, which set up Bratter’s heroic effort on the FC to extend OZ possession time and create Jack’s second GWG in as many games. As Rachel and I said in the postgame, this was a shift that will be archived and shown in the film room on repeat until the end of time. What a moment!


7 PTS In the Bank
Before the homestand, Rachel and I talked about the importance of playing .700 hockey on this 5-game stretch (acquiring at least 7 of the possible 10 PTS), as it would be critical that the Devils take this opportunity to set the tone at the Rock and let the rest of the league know that their building is not an easy place to come play in. Well, not only did the Devils execute exactly that message, but what we were especially impressed by was their defensive process over the last three games, specifically, holding the opposition to 17 or fewer shots in three consecutive games for just the second time in franchise history. No, maybe these historically low Shots AG rates we’re seeing (especially in the first period!) aren’t necessarily sustainable moving forward. But for me, it’s these types of efforts that will go a very long way in that room for the Devils’ understanding that this commitment to buying into that playoff-style defensive commitment — both on the road AND at home — is conducive to long-term success in this league.

St. Louis Tonight
One of the great benefits of closing out your homestand with a third-period performance like we saw vs. CHI is that it gets everyone feeling good about themselves heading into a tough road game tonight in STL, and you were able to get a day off and a hardworking, fun practice in before heading on the road. Now, the focus is all business tonight, as this is a Blues team that is not to be taken lightly right now, coming into this game 6-2-2 and scoring at a 3.10 G/GP clip in their first 10 games under new HC Jim Montgomery. Whenever you have a team like STL that just got that “new coach bump” and has guys like Thomas (7 games), Buchnevich (9 games), and Kyrou (11 games at home) all on extended point streaks, you already know it’s going to be a night you have to start on time and bring your “A Game” throughout the full 60/65 minutes in order to come away with points. I’m expecting to see the Devils come out extra hungry for a win in this one, too, considering A) how frustrating the first game against this team was for them and B) The fact that Curtis Lazar is returning to the lineup tonight after missing the last 21 games!

Be sure to join Rachel and me for our pregame show tonight as we further recap the homestand, break down Dawson Mercer’s first four NHL seasons, and preview the upcoming four games - starting with tonight’s matchup in STL. It all starts at 7:30 p.m. on MSGSN!

Let’s Go Devils!
-Sal


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