|
Devils new additions are positively offensive |
|
|
|
|
|
By Gilles Moncour
The New Jersey Devils kicked off their 2019 season last night with more buzz around the team at any time since Brodeur’s final playoff run in the 2012 Cup Finals, and if the game vs the Winnipeg Jets is any indication, the Devils and their fans are in for a wild ride. That 2012 Devils team was a veteran unit riding the star power of Kovalchuk, Parise and Brodeur with only two regulars (Adam Henrique and Adam Larsson) under the age of 27. Contrast that with this year’s team, where only Travis Zajac, Andy Greene, goalie Cory Schneider, and newcomers PK Subban and Wayne Simmonds are over the age of 28. The Devils are very young…. And boy did it show as they blew a 4-0 lead to lose 5-4 in OT.
This was also a first look at four of the five new faces on the Devils — and one thing that can definitely be said about the four who played last night is that each of them contributes more on the offensive side of the ledger than on the defensive side. Now, Simmonds and Subban are solid vets who know how to play two-way hockey, and Subban especially was a tower of strength while playing with controlled aggression against the Jets.
As for Jack Hughes and Nikita Gusev… well, they each provided plenty of thrills to the crowd: Hughes was electrifying with his all-world acceleration and shiftiness, while Gusev (who skating style is akin to a ‘pocket’ Kovalchuk) scored a goal in the first period and added a shootout tally, showing an ability to finish off chances that has eluded others in the Devils’ youth movement.
What they did not do was play any defense. This is not a knock on them; it is simply a statement of fact that these two undersized players with no experience defending against the size, strength, and competitiveness of NHLers will need to be carefully shielded. Throwing them together on a line — even with the final change — was a coverage nightmare. Whether the third member of their line was flyweight Jesper Bratt or the physical John Hayden, there was just not enough of a presence to recapture the puck. When the line was paired along with the defensively-challenged duo of Mirco Mueller and Damon Severson, it was an unmitigated disaster that led to a two-minute siege and the game tying goal from Neal Pionk.
John Hynes, who probably didn’t get much sleep last night, must quickly find a way to balance the forward lines tonight against the Sabres — the two rookies cannot be trotted out in tandem on the road. Hughes cannot be the only centerman on his line, as he is currently so poor on coverage that any icing against him turns into an extended stay in the Devils’ zone. Having Pavel Zacha (who had an excellent game despite missing most of camp) play wing and take Hughes’ defensive assignments and faceoffs and might be the best option. Jesper Boqvist, who seemed defensively sound in the pre-season, will also surely find a way to draw into the lineup. John Hayden will probably pluck the short straw, but the possibility of sitting Hughes and letting him regroup is also a possibility.
As difficult as it will be to find balance with the team’s forward lines, the defensive problem of the third pair will probably be even tougher to solve. With the composition of the team’s forwards — including the fourth line — leaning so heavily toward the offensive, the Devils desperately need defensive acumen on the back end. As PK Subban is getting the bulk of the right side offensive work with the top lines, Damon Severson is being thrust into a role for which he has little aptitude. His lack of awareness, physicality, and propensity for huge gaffs — like not clearing the puck out of the zone when given ample time in the sequence leading to the Jets’ fourth goal — make him totally unsuited to play on the bottom pair, as evidenced by his minus four rating last night.
While Hynes can insert Connor Carick and try to stabilize the pairings tonight, the fact is that, with Subban getting 25 minutes a night with the team’s top six forwards, there is nowhere to shield Severson. GM Ray Shero must surely be looking to flip Severson to a more offensively challenged team for a less sexy defenseman who can keep forwards out of the crease and the puck out of the zone. Severson is certainly gifted offensively, and can be effective in the right situation; but the influx of talent to New Jersey this summer has offense pouring off the Devil’s bench, and with a top four of Subban, Greene, Vatanen, and Butcher that seemed to work pretty well, the bottom pair needs to be more steel than sizzle.
But those are headaches for another day; as for tonight, the message should be clear: just score six!
Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»