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The New Jersey Devils losing streak is over.
After 10 consecutive losses since Ilya Kovalchuk went down, the Devils finally managed to pick up a win without him as they shut out the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-0, at the Wells Fargo Center.
Game Notes
- As Devils Head Coach, Pete DeBoer, said after last night's game, the Devils aren't exactly right in the mix but they at least have a pulse now. Last night's game was an absolute must win and the Devils not only managed to score a few goals but they completely shut down Claude Giroux and the rest of the Flyers' top offensive guys.
- The Winnipeg Jets and New York Rangers both won last night so the Devils didn't get any help meaning they're still six points behind the Rangers for 8th. That said, they still play them twice so if they can manage two wins there the gap is two points with three games to make it up. Essentially the Devils have to win out. A tall order, yes, but not impossible and the Devils should now play with more confidence after scoring a few goals and winning a game.
- The Ryan Carter - Stephen Gionta - Steve Bernier line was exceptional against the Flyers. They were creating chances almost each and every shift and spent very little time in their own zone. Devils President and General Manager, Lou Lamoriello, made a great decision bringing these guys back and right now that line is the biggest reason why the Devils still have any chance at the playoffs. That line really got the ball rolling against Philadelphia and the rest of the team followed their lead.
- The Devils next game is certainly winnable as they take on the dead last Florida Panthers. Considering the Devils are at home, still have a shot at the playoffs and might have Ilya Kovalchuk back in the lineup they should be able to pick up two much needed points.
- Andy Greene led all Devils in ice time with 23:40, his lowest total since March 30th against the Panthers. That's a span of eight games. It really shows you how important Greene is to the team and how much DeBoer has relied on him.
- Martin Brodeur played the perfect game yesterday. While the Devils were pressing for a goal to break out of their horrendous slump, they allowed a few Grade A chances and Brodeur was up to the task each and every time. Had he allowed a goal on one of those chances and the Flyers had taken a lead, it would've been very hard for the Devils to come back considering the lack of confidence they were playing with. That wasn't the case, though, as Brodeur came up big early and continued to do so throughout the game en route to a 23 save shutout and win No. 667.
- Adam Larsson played pretty well last night. He had some nice zone exits, a few shots and a few blocked shots. DeBoer continues to baby him, though, as he played just 16:36. Larsson has played less than 20 minutes in 11 of his last 13 games.
- The best thing about the Carter - Gionta - Bernier line is they're all good in terms of offensive production at even strength.
5 vs. 5 points:
Patrik Elias - 15
David Clarkson - 12
Ilya Kovalchuk, Travis Zajac - 10
Carter, Gionta, Bernier - 9
Adam Henrique, Andrei Loktionov - 8
Alexei Ponikarovsky - 7
Steve Sullivan - 6
As you can see, Carter, Gionta and Bernier produce at a rate as good or better than Henrique, Loktionov, Ponikarovsky and Sullivan and at a rate just below Kovalchuk and Zajac. That's pretty impressive considering they play 10 minutes a night.
- Jacob Josefson didn't play too much (11:31), but he was effective. He won 64% of his faceoffs, had a blocked shot, takeaway and an assist - his 1st even strength point of the season. Fun fact: D'Agostini's goal marked the first time Josefson has been on for a 5 vs. 5 goal all year.
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Credentialed CHL writers Brendan Ross, Cody Nickolet and myself put together our collaborated top-30 rankings for the NHL Draft in June. Be sure to
check the rankings out.
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