Hey, Devils Fans.
Two games to go 'til the Olympic break and a much-needed mental reset for this team – Let's chat about it.
MENTAL RESET CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH
Boy, this break can't come soon enough for the Devils. To me, it felt like the way Saturday night's game ended in OTT perfectly summed up the season – Brownie and the Devils think they've tied the game late, only to see the call on the ice overturned for a hand pass, and the Devils fail to get points out of another game that was right there for the taking, tied 1-1 entering the third.
The amount of injuries, off-ice distractions/trade rumors, bad losses, snakebitten stretches of hockey, inconsistent goaltending, and unfortunate mental and emotional blows that this team has had to endure to this point is unprecedented, quite frankly, and this game was just another example of that.
So, look, everyone knows that this team needs to win these next two games before the Olympic break. That’s stating the obvious. But what might not be as obvious is how important this upcoming break will be in the long term. Every player needs a full mental reset during the three weeks away from the team. If the Devils are going to go on a historical run and push for a playoff spot, it's going to have to feel like October again when they regroup after the Olympics, because the physical, mental, and emotional state of the Devils is not even close to strong enough right now to expect that. As the saying goes, when you are hot and winning, you don’t want a break, but when you are struggling and losing, the break can't come fast enough!
JACKLESS POWER PLAY
The PP failed the Devils in OTT, and there is never a valid excuse for going 0/5 in a game, regardless of personnel or if you had a goal called back.
But with that said, Jack's PP importance can’t be understated. Before going down, the Devils had scored 5 PPGs in their previous 3 games, and Jack had a point on four of those goals.
Now, with the PP 0/8 since he left the NSH game injured, the challenge of executing without your QB in these situations is becoming extremely evident. Everyone is tasked to do someone else's job, and those split seconds of indecisiveness that come as a result of that are the difference in the NHL. Passes don’t connect, entries are off, the chemistry isn't the same, and ultimately, you can't get set up in your formations at nearly the same rate as you do when Jack is leading the way. It’s going to be tough sledding without Jack again tonight.
JACKLESS ISN'T AN EXCUSE
Despite Jack not playing in the OTT game, the underlying differentials that we saw in that game were inexcusable. With over two more minutes of OZ Possession Time than the Sens, this Devils team is too good to only score once, especially in a game that they desperately needed points out of. Hungry, winning teams find a way to bury pucks in the big moments regardless of their skill, and again, the amount of talent the Devils have should be a luxury in addition to desperation (that they’ve been lacking) around the net. Glasser’s play to outwork multiple Sens behind the net, and will the puck to Timo from his knees, was a perfect example of the standard this team has to hold itself to moving forward. Every game is practically a “must-win,” and the effort, urgency, and refusal to let plays die need to reflect that down the stretch if the Devils want to go on a run to push for the playoffs. 
NICO & BRATTER HOME COOKIN'
Speaking of needing clutch goals, I hope Nico and Bratter pick right back up from where they left off here at the Rock in these final two games before the break. 🔥💪
TOUGH TIMING TO PLAY CBJ
On the opposite end of the spectrum, this is a CBJ team that probably wishes the Olympic break was not coming up at the end of this week. You wanna talk about the ultimate coaching bump, well, look at the way Columbus has been able to turn their season around lately. They are the hottest team in the league, and have shot up from the bottom half of the league to the top-10 in every category listed below.
And rarely do I see a player publicly call out that the coach was the problem after the change, like Elvis Merzlikins did, but even the Team Sv% has gone from .897 (#15) to .910 (#7) under Rick Bowness. He has this team bought into playing a heavier, more structure-oriented defensive game, and it's no surprise he’s had success in doing so, considering he took DAL to the Cup Finals in 2020 as an interim coach after a mid-season change that year. It’s all coming at a dangerous time for the Devils, who need at least a point out of this game to avoid falling 5 points behind them in the standings. 
I'm looking forward to our pregame show tonight, as Schneids will join Rachel and me to chat Olympic goaltending and the goalie fights this season. Be sure to tune in at 6:30 p.m. LGD!
-Sal
