Here are my quick hits following the Devils’ 6-0 W in Vancouver as they look to make it three in a row tonight in Calgary!
Set the Tone for the Trip
Tremendous start to the road trip in Vancouver! The Devils came out and set the tone for this trip right from the first 53 seconds of the game, when the Captain scored his 10th goal of the season and showed everyone that he has ARRIVED in Western Canada! I’ll give some more love to the Captain shortly, but from a team standpoint, what was not to like about this game?! You had all four lines, all six D, and your goaltender all leaving the building feeling good about the fact that they had a positive impact on this game, you had 11 players record at least a point, your PK went 100% and made timely kills, your PP went 50%, and you put six goals on the board for the second consecutive game. Like HC Keefe said in the postgame, this is the type of game you bottle up for the film room archives and talk about emulating when you find yourself in a tough stretch.
Captain Nico on Fire
Another article, another quick hit for Nico Hischier as he continues his incredible start to the season. I literally can't say enough good things right now about Nico, so I will just let this video I posted yesterday of the Captain's 10 October goals do the talking. Enjoy!!!
Marky's First SHO as a Devil
“Only” 20 saves, yes, but make no mistake about it, Marky stopped 2.25 goals above expected, made timely saves throughout the game, and secured a very important first shutout as a Devil. If you go back to Marky’s most recent shutout before this one, which was back on Jan. 27, 2024, vs. CHI, Marky went on a run of 7 wins in his next 9 starts, going 8-2-0 with a .928 Sv% and 2.21 GAA in that 10-game span. Marky would be the first to tell you that he didn’t have a great start to the season, but the hope is that these back-to-back wins and first shutout propel him on a nice winning stretch moving forward here.
Now, it’s time to see if he can complete the gauntlet of taking down both his former teams (VAN & CGY) just like the Devils did to their former coaches this season, going 3-0-0 so far against Ruff and Green!
Here is my conversation with Marky during the postgame show.
- The Maturation Process
A main theme in October was the Devils needing to better manage games and show heart in those key momentum moments. With October now in the books, I give the Devils a ton of credit for responding to Keefe's message on this and improving tremendously throughout the month in this area. Look no further than the VAN game, where the Devils negated three key momentum-changing opportunities for the Canucks: - 1. Bratter takes an unfortunate double minor four minutes into the game; the PK kills it off.
- 2. The Canucks get a PP opportunity to change the momentum of the game; the Devils instead score a shorthanded goal and kill off the penalty.
- 3. Garland challenges Haula and they drop the mitts; the Devils don't concede anything in the ensuing five minutes while they are in the box.
Equally as impressive in October was their ability to manage the fatigue and lack of practice time in their schedule, having the most games of any team in October and only having a few practice days. The fact that this team was able to weather the storm and stay above .500 and also take a .625 PTS% cushion into November will be invaluable going forward, just as it has proven to be for teams historically in this situation, making the playoffs 80% of the time with this result. Keep it rollin' in November!!!
Be sure to join us at 8:30 p.m. as Rachel and I recap the VAN game, the Devils’ PK gettin’ the job done, Marky’s shutout and return to CGY, Captain Nico, the fourth line, and Pally’s last two games. Let’s make it three in a row for the first time this season!
Let’s Go Devils!
-Sal
