|
Tragedy in Dallas. What was the icing on the cake? By Chris. |
|
|
|
|
|
Beware of the ides of March
In a fashion so tragic that it could inspire a Shakespearean play, the Devils had their hearts ripped…oh wait…No, their hearts were ripped out Sunday when Jack Hughes was injured. Let’s try again…
In a fashion so tragic that it could inspire a Shakespearean play, the Devils had their barely beating hearts stomped on by the Stars in Dallas. An undermanned Jersey team battled back to tie the game late after trailing 3-1 to start the third period, only to have the improbable occur.
With just 15 seconds remaining in regulation Jonathan Kovacevic’s flick of the puck from just behind the red line, was conveniently whiffed on by a Dallas defender, causing a phantom icing call. The faceoff would then come all the way down into the Devils end; where of course, Erik Haula lost the draw, and of course Thomas Harley’s point shot went directly past a screened Jacob Markstrom with just five seconds to go.
The Devils did their part in this tragedy, giving a phenomenal performance as Julius Caesar, where the officials (another terrible “slashing call” on a Luke Hughes love tap that lead to a 5 on 3 goal) and a very flawed NHL icing rule played the part of the backstabbing, Brutus. As the final buzzer sounded in the third, it appears the hockey Gods have called “curtain,” on the 2025 New Jersey Devils.
With just a six point lead on the 9th place Red Wings, for what was a very comfortable playoff spot the entire year, the Devils must act quick or beware of the ides of March. Playing the role of the soothsayer, yours truly, Chris Shaleesh.
Quick Hits:
Jack Hughes
No official word on Jack Hughes as of Tuesday night. Several reports say official status will not be revealed until after Fridays trade deadline.
Dougie Hamilton
Already missing Jonas Siegenthaler, the Devils defense corps took another blow as Dougie Hamilton left the game late in the first period with what appeared to be a lower body injury. He did not return.
Trade Deadline
Tom Fitzgerald will have his hands full the next few days as the Devils are in major need of a roster infusion. With so many net-zero minute eaters on offense, help will be needed in the form of a center man and or depth scorer. Adding some depth on Defense(especially if Hamilton is expected to miss time) would be nice, but the way the season is heading, I’m not sure any of this can even make a difference.
MAKE POWER PLAYS SHOOT AGAIN!
Just two days ago I wrote about how I marveled at how quickly the Vegas Knights shot and scored on their power plays, and urged the Devils to do the same. Well, I guess they read my blog! Or in the more likely scenario, saw exactly what I saw and implemented it into this Dallas game plan. The Devils had two huge PPGs, one just six seconds into a man advantage, and another just 25 seconds in. Way to keep it simple!
Gutsy Effort
The short staffed Jersey team showed a ton of guts on Tuesday, but were punched right in them. Can they recover and rally around this? Or will it deflate the floundering Devils even further? I have a strong feeling, and I hope I’m wrong.
Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»