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Pesce, Nemec, Put The “D” In “Depth” Scoring From Chris. |
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Despite a late surge by the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday nightin Newark, the Devils were able to batten down the hatches and emerge victorious. Enormous third period goals by Jesper Bratt and Simon Nemec gave the Devils a lead they would not relinquish, further anchoring themselves in the third place slot in the Metro Division.
Devils Defense Adds Much Needed Depth Scoring
Brett Pesce’s third goal of the season opened the scoring and Simon Nemec’s first tally of the campaign paced New Jersey to their third straight win. While the Devils have been struggling to find goals outside of their top six, it was clear Coach Keefe and his staff have encouraged the defensemen to be a bit more active. On several occasions last night Brian Dumoulin, Luke Hughes, Simon Nemec and Brett Pesce dipped down low to pressure Edmonton.
Redemption For Nemec
Returning to the lineup for the first time after a disastrous third period of puck watching against Winnipeg, the former 2nd overall draft pick was solid.
In an interview prior to Thursday’s game Nemec discussed being scratched for the last few games, “I’m way more mentally stronger than I was last year,” said the young defenseman. The level-headed and poised Nemec played a solid game defensively and added a GWG halfway through the third period on a perfectly placed point shot around traffic. Nemec’s resilience is a very positive sign for the 21 year old, Devils management, and fans alike.
Stuart Skinner and The Oilers Goaltending Woes
While the need for upgraded goaltending has been a topic of discussion all season for the Oilers, the trade deadline came and went without solidifying the position. Thursday night at the Rock saw a dialed in Stuart Skinner for nearly the entire game. Then, in the third period with the Oilers up 2-1, Skinner surrendered goals on consecutive Devils shots, to take the loss. Even with the heavy traffic in front, Edmonton would have liked to see at least one of those shots stopped.
While the quality and quantity of saves are important, the situation and timing of which those saves come is what makes a winning goaltender.
Similar to Skinner, we have seen this type play out of Jake Allen at times this year. Allen has finally moved on from a stretch in which he had lost 10 of 14 starts. During that span his numbers were very impressive, however a few blunders at key times would deflate NJ.
Devilish In Front
All three Devils goals last night came from heavy pressure and traffic in front of the Oilers net. In the absence of Jack Hughes, it seems NJ has returned to the basics. Putting pucks deep, getting traffic in front, and throwing pucks at the net are essential as this depleted lineup looks to make noise in April and beyond.
Next Up: Pittsburgh Saturday 3PMon ABC
A nationally televised, Saturday matinee is next for the Devils. They’ll travel to Pittsburgh to face Sidney Crosby and a suddenly hot Penguins club. Both teams have won three in a row heading into the matchup at PPG Paints Arena. Expect Jacob Markstrom in net for New Jersey. The Devils need to feast on these weaker opponents if the positive momentum is going to continue. I have a 4-2 Devils win on my Bingo card. How about you?
Hey Siri, play “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen…
As always drop any questions, comments and suggestions below. I love to hear from you all!
@Samuel_popailo Thank you! Appreciate you! LGD!
@Crushers68 Appreciate the support! Three in a row! LGD!
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