SAL'S QUICK HITS: THE GRIND CONTINUES

Here are my quick hits following the Devils’ 3-2 W in WSH heading into tonight’s game vs. NSH:

Impressive stuff from the Devils to pull away from the CAR & WSH divisional set with two huge, gutsy regulation wins! It certainly wasn’t the prettiest win in WSH, as the Devils spent a lot of the game defending in their own zone, but they found a way to be opportunistic and get the job done once again. For me, it’s games like these last two that are starting to show us the major differences year over year between last season’s team and this season’s team. Yes, these are two games that last season's team likely would have conceded at least a point in, rather than coming up with a pushback to those mental test moments. Look no further than the way the Devils weathered the emotional swing of Svechnikov’s goal in the CAR game — and the fact that they didn't allow either opponent (CAR or WSH) to force OT, despite it being a two-goal game late vs. CAR and a one-goal game late vs. WSH. Successfully defending a 6v5 in both games, too, goes a long way in building confidence in these types of late-game situations, which the Devils will find themselves in many more times this season. 

All in all, lots of really strong takeaways from these games, but none greater than the "8 points" they swung in the standings!

• In tonight’s pregame show, Rachel and I are going to compare how the Devils have defended at 5v5 through the first 23 GP, relative to that of the historic 2022-23 season. Below is a preview of some of those numbers, which shows that the Devils are on pace to concede fewer Goals AG off the rush, off the forecheck, off the cycle, and off second chances than they did two seasons ago, in addition to some of the better defensive/PK averages through 23 GP, as seen in the second graphic. For me, I attribute a lot of the early defensive success that the Devils have had to the fact that this team has more grit, size, and maturity to be able to survive and not break in moments or stretches of games where they’re under siege. (...And, of course, it definitely helps that they’re getting timely goaltending night in and night out from both Marky and Allen!)
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• Now, yes, in 2022-23, everything went so smoothly... historically smooth, quite frankly. The Devils were 19-4-0 at this point in the season, finished with a franchise-record 52 wins, and everyone had career seasons individually. No, maybe the offensive production isn’t necessarily there from every guy at career rates right now like it was two seasons ago — but to see essentially every player buy in and consistently contribute on BOTH sides of the puck — it tells me that this group is different from the perspective that they’re built to go deep in the playoffs, compared to two seasons ago, when you could argue they were only built for success in the regular-season. 

• Moving forward, it’s going to be vital that the Devils continue to embrace that underdog mentality, that they still haven’t proven to anyone they are a true contending team again. Now is not the time to allow yourselves to get away from the fact there's still so much work to be done here. Mentally, it's all about understanding that you’re still in the grind, and you’re going to need to dig deep over the next 5 GP here in order to continue winning games/playing .600+ hockey before reaching another three-day break. 
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• Yes, at face value, NSH, STL, and DET are three opponents coming up that are below .500 and in the lower third of the standings, but that doesn't make them any less dangerous games if you're the Devils. Reason being, these are three opponents that are going to be looking at you as an opportunity to make a statement to themselves and to the rest of the league that they can beat a "top dog" like you are perceived as right now. Look no further than the Predators, a team that could use a big win against the Devils tonight to jumpstart a big run for them coming off a galvanizing win against the best team in the league on Saturday. This should be another great test for the Devils, and I'm excited to see how they come out emotionally in these next few games, starting tonight!
  
  
  
  • Be sure to tune in to our MSGSN pregame show tonight as I chat with Dougie during pregame skate, before Rachel and I break down the defensive comparisons in more detail, how it’s been leading to more offense from the backend, and preview tonight's game vs. NSH. It all starts at 6:30 p.m.! 
    Let's Go Devils!
    -Sal

Here are a few graphics from Saturday night's broadcast in WSH!