Boy, what a gutsy 3rd period effort by the Devils in EDM, holding on for dear life in the second half of the B2B to pull off the W! Lots of positives to catch up on from the trip so far, so let’s get right into it!
THE RETURN OF THE OCTOBER DESPERATION & COMMITMENT
I love the fact that we are starting to see that same desperation and Wolfpack mentality from October build back up here on this road trip. Watching Pally, Siegs, and Pesh selling out and putting their bodies on line in front of Jaker reminded me of some of the wins the Devils gutted out on their 8-game win streak. Remember that win in Tampa, when the Devils set an NHL record with 11 blocks in the final 3:30?! Back then, we were encouraged by the fact that the Devils were in “playoff mode,” despite it being just two games into the season. Fast forward 50 games, now, with the Devils fighting for their lives in the playoff race and struggling to score goals, this “win a game 1-0 or 2-1 mentality” that Fitzy alluded to last week needs to be evident every night from here on out – Just like it has been in the first couple of games on this trip.
TAKE A BOW, JAKER
Jaker was unbelievable in this game. I can’t wait for Rachel and me to go through all the 10-beller saves he made during the pregame show tonight, starting with the save on Walman late in the 2nd period on the PK.
But the story of this game was the saves Jaker made in the 3rd period, stopping almost 3 (!!!) Goals Above Expected and 9 Slot Shots in the final 20 mins alone to hold the lead and secure the 2 PTS. Tremendous.
GLASS & GRITS
I don’t know about you fans, but watching Glass & Grits put up yet another outstanding performance — alongside both Brownie and Lenni (who Sheldon rotated on that line through the game) — had Dano, Rachel, Don, and myself fired up from the press box. This duo has been outstanding, and I can't wait for our pregame show tonight to pump their tires again!
LENNI'S FIRST TWO GAMES
Lenni‘s first two games have been very good. Since his first shift in Calgary, he has not looked out of place at all, which is especially impressive considering he hadn’t even practiced with the team until yesterday here in Vancouver. He’s been able to keep up with the pace and hockey IQ that Glass and Grits play with, and he’s been confident in his ability to understand when to shoot or defer a pass (such as when he had Jack Hughes open in the slot in Calgary).
Yes, it’s only been two games, but we can take a lot of positives from it because he is playing with two solid players and having success alongside them. In his 21:04 of 5v5 TOI so far, Shots are 16-5, Scoring Chances are 13-1, and Goals are 1-0, all in favor of the Devils when he’s been on the ice. Let’s see how these next two games go for Lenni.
GLASSER'S IMPACT
Now, I want to hone in on Cody Glass, specifically, for a moment.
Glasser has been an absolute beast for the Devils in ALL situations this season, but a trend I’m beginning to notice has been the consistent, dominant minutes and clutch goals he's providing with the game tied.
After his GWG in EDM, Glasser now has 4 Go-Ahead Goals in his last 6 GP (all at 5v5), the most of any player in the league in this span, while controlling over 90% of the HD Chances WOI.
But it hasn’t been just this stretch of games; it’s been all season that he's been elite in this situation. Take a look at just how dominant the Devils have been in Glasser’s 190+ minutes of 5v5 TOI with the game tied. 👀 Very few forwards in the league are providing better minutes and more clutch goals than NJD#12 is for Sheldon in these critical situations with the score even. 🔥
DANGEROUS GAME
At face value, it would be easy to sit here and say the Devils should go into Vancouver tonight, riding high off two wins and two days of rest, and steamroll the worst team in the league right now based on the standings. (And yes, I hope that happens!)
But let’s not forget, this is the same team that came into the Rock one day removed from the emotional trade of their Captain, Quinn Hughes, back in December and handed you a deflating regulation loss. They’re also the same team that finally lifted the heavy weight of their franchise-long 11-game winless streak off their shoulders on Wednesday vs. WSH, and can now get back to just playing fun, loose hockey again.
And on top of all of that, you're likely facing a hot goalie in Kevin Lankinen, who has been giving the Canucks a chance to win in all four games he’s started since Demko went down due to injury.
In those four starts, he has been credited with over 5 Goals Saved Above Expected, 4 Quality Starts (a positive GSAE), and a Steal against WSH (a GSAE greater than the number of goals the team won by).
There is no such thing as an “easy night” in the NHL, and a loss tonight would be a huge step backwards for this team, both mentally and emotionally. They’ve won 4 of their last 5 games, and they need to go on a heater to make up ground in the standings. Marky is beginning to find his rhythm, starting his 5th game of the Devils’ last 6, the most in a stretch of six games since last season, and you know he wants to follow up the shutout he had in this building last October. This team needs this W tonight!
Be sure to have your coffee ready by 9:30 p.m., as Rachel and I break down the gutsy win in EDM, Glasser's impact, and get you set for tonight's late start here in VAN. Let's make it three in a row!!!
-Sal
