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Five observations from New Jersey vs Edmonton:
1. The Devils played well
One point and a moral victory is tough to swallow when three losses were already banked. It’s hard to isolate last night’s game and be upset with the performance, though. The Devils did a lot of good things and, in my opinion, were the much better side.
In nearly 53 minutes of 5v5 play the Devils conceded 29 attempts and 11 scoring chances, only one of which was graded as high-danger. Compare that to the 44 attempts, 20 chances, and six high-danger looks they generated and it’s hardly surprising the Devils beat the Oilers 3-1 at full-strength. They were really good.
Perhaps most impressive was the job they did against Connor McDavid – in a back-to-back situation, at that. When he was on the ice, the Devils out-attempted the Oilers 19-12 (~62 CF%) and out-chanced them 10-6 (~63SCF%). It’s hard to do much – any? – better than that against the league’s best player.
Unfortunately, the penalty kill once again struggled to get the job done and opened the door for an Oilers comeback. That brings me to my next point…
2. Enough with the BS penalties
You can debate whether Miles Wood’s penalty was soft or not. Either way, those kinds of plays are almost always penalties and have been called as such for years now. Wood was already late for the play – Leon Draisaitl had his look in front – so tying him up after the fact was completely useless. I get Wood not wanting to take chances when given such a tough assignment but, man, the needless penalties just have to stop. They hurt at the best of times and, with the PK struggling, they absolutely kill right now.
Between Wood and Blake Coleman alone, the Devils can seemingly count on a bad penalty every game. It has to stop.
3. Jack Hughes played his best game
Hughes wasn’t perfect in Philadelphia but he made some plays and was one of the team’s more dangerous players throughout. It was more of the same against Edmonton. I thought he was (mostly) effective carrying the mail through the neutral zone, although there were a couple turnovers. In the final third, Hughes really threatened. He distributed the puck well, generated a few good looks around the net – he finished 2nd on the team with three 5v5 chances – and was the driver on a line that finished with a game-high 71.43 CF%. He didn’t get his 1st point, as I predicted he would prior to the game, but he easily could have. At any rate, last night’s performance was another step in the right direction for the 18-year-old.
4. Jesper Bratt was underutilized
I can see what John Hynes and co. were thinking with Bratt on L4. They wanted defensive minded and/or physical players to help offset Hughes’ weaknesses. Fair enough. I don’t think they wanted offense-first players on the shutdown line. But – but! – here is the thing: Bratt is very clearly one of the most talented players on the team and he looked like he had his fastball last night. His speed was a factor, and the play he made to create Nikita Gusev’s goal was fantastic. Even if he didn’t permanently move up, I don’t see why he couldn’t get a few extra shifts in favorable situations. Offensive zone faceoff with Hughes’ line out there against any Edmonton line not featuring McDavid and Draisaitl? Put him in Pavel Zacha’s spot. The Hughes line had as many offensive zone starts as any Devils unit so they surely could have found Bratt a shift or two. Simply put, he should not be *checks notes* 18th on the Devils, and 35th overall, in 5v5 ice time.
5. Time for a PP1 swap
A successful power play starts with clean zone entries. That’s something the top unit has had a miserable time with. Given that, changes might be necessary. In particular, I think PP1 could use another puck transporter. Beyond Taylor Hall, there isn’t a lot there. PP2 has Nico Hischier, Hughes, and Bratt. Perhaps moving one of them up would help. There certainly wouldn’t be harm in testing it out. I mean, the Devils haven’t potted a single power play marker in nearly 23 minutes.
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