Here are my quick hits following the Devils’ OTL to NYI heading into tonight’s game vs. ANA:
Showed Heart in Key Moments
In the ongoing losing skid, I’ve been talking about the Devils lacking pushback after negative momentum-changing moments within games.
Well, what I really liked about the NYI game is that this was not the case. Even though the Devils found themselves trailing on three separate occasions, they had a response each time and ultimately banked themselves a critical point. Jake Allen made timely saves, they sustained momentum for stretches of time after key moments in the game, scored a game-tying goal after a huge PK, and initiated physical play as well throughout this game.
Prime example: 2:55 into the second period, MacDermid makes a clean hit on Romanov, then drops the mitts with Mayfield, and ultimately draws a roughing call to send the Devils to the PP. The Devils don’t score on the PP, but what happens 36 seconds after that PP? The Lazar line feeds off that momentum as Cotter goes to work below the goal line, Tatar wins a 50/50 puck battle, and the Devils tie the game. HUGE!
Grinded it Out
I again want to highlight the process of the third period from the Devils. It was their ability to get a big kill from their PK and survive the pressure from the Isles that allowed them to pull Jake Allen, leading to the 6v5 GTG from Bratter. When you combine this with the way they were able to weather the storm in the first period, seeing that the Isles had more energy than them, this was a very mature game from the Devils, in my opinion.
Once again, nobody is happy right now that the Devils have lost four straight, but you have to like the effort last night considering the cards the Devils have been dealt with their schedule. HC Keefe pointed out that this was the Devils’ 9th game in the last 16 days (with this particular game being in the second half of a back-to-back), with only two practice days in that span. Like he said, it’s an unheard-of schedule to have for the first month of a season, especially coming back from Prague.
Sal, Excuses?!
No, No excuses! The Devils still have a lot of issues ongoing that they need to address, especially on home ice. All HC Keefe is saying is that he gives his team a lot of credit for weathering the storm and finding ways to battle through a vigorous first month. They are fighting for every point they can, just as we saw them do vs. NYI.
In my first article of the regular season, I showed a graphic of teams historically in this situation (having 13+ games in October) and their playoff chances based on their resulting PTS%. The graphic below shows just how critical these last two games in October can end up being for the Devils, as they enter tonight’s game with a .545 PTS%.
The Goal?
…WIN both of these games and don’t tempt fate! Tonight’s game vs. ANA should and needs to be a W, which would guarantee you stay above .500.
In the end, let’s forget about all those historical stats, as you cannot afford to lose both games and find yourself on a 6-game losing streak heading into November.
Tune in to MSGSN tonight at 6:30 p.m. as I follow up on those momentum moments, break down the goaltending getting some tough breaks, discuss the captain's offensive impact, review the Hughes/Pesce pairing's first two games, and preview tonight's game vs. ANA.
Let's Go Devils!
-Sal
Here are some graphics from Friday night's broadcast!
