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Five observations from New Jersey vs Winnipeg:
1. The Devils deserved better
Yes, it has been a common theme of late. Yes, you're probably sick of reading it. That doesn't make it any less true, though.
The Jets were playing without some key pieces (most notably Mark Scheifele and Jacob Trouba) against a desperate team and it showed.
The Devils controlled play for the vast majority of the game. They came out flying in the 1st period and generated nine more chances than the Jets. They trailed after 20.
In the 2nd period it was pretty back and forth with neither team generating a whole lot. They trailed after 40.
Then the 3rd period came around and the Devils ramped it up to extreme levels. They peppered Connor Hellebuyck with 18 shots, many of which were of high quality, and all they managed to do was tie the period.
When all was said and done, the Devils had a 38-15 advantage in Grade B chances, if you will, and a 18-8 advantage in Grade A chances.
They were clearly the better team. They just couldn't capitalize on their chances – again.
2. Cory Schneider needs to step up
Schneider was not good enough. That was the case last night and has been the case for 10 games now. He's allowed at least three goals in every single one of them and hasn't posted a save percentage of even .900, which is well below league average, once.
I don't know if he has lost his confidence or still isn't 100% health wise but he's becoming a problem for the Devils. It's not as if he is a complete disaster getting lit up like a Christmas tree. He shows signs of his old self but makes one or two noticeable mistakes on a nightly basis and more often than not it's turning out to be the difference. Even he knows it.
Despite this poor spell – especially given Schneider's standards – he still has better numbers than Keith Kinkaid at 5v5 and overall.
I say go right back to him and show him some confidence. If the Devils are going to get in the playoffs, and have even a 1% chance of advancing, they need Schneider to be on his game.
With all due respect, Keith Kinkaid isn't winning a playoff series against, say, Tampa Bay or Pittsburgh. Schneider probably isn't, either, but if he's on his game, he's the kind of guy who could at least keep it close. They have to get him going.
3. Crashing the crease
For the second game in a row, the Devils did a good job of getting to the net. A really good job.
Doing that against Montreal is one thing. Doing it against a true contender, albeit a banged up one, like Winnipeg is a whole different animal.
With the way Connor Hellebuyck is playing this year, you have to get to the paint and have traffic in front to beat him. The Devils only managed get two pucks by him but it's no coincidence those goals came from on the doorstep.
Over the last two games, seven of eight goals have come from just outside the crease. They're doing the right things.
4. Kyle Palmieri stood out
He went through a quiet spell while dealing with and/or recovering from injury but he sure looks at full-strength right now. He was arguably the best player and biggest offensive threat on the ice vs Winnipeg. Palmieri showed good burst while driving to the net and was regularly able to find soft spots in the defense in order to use his patented one-timer.
Palmieri finished with game highs in scoring chances (6), shots on goal (7), shot attempts (13) and also scored a breakaway goal on a beautiful feed from Nico Hischier. He was great.
5. Sami Vatanen's usage
If it felt like Vatanen never left the ice, especially as the game wore on, it's probably because that was the case.
Take a look at the ice time for the defense:
Ben Lovejoy - 15:11
Andy Greene - 17:50
John Moore - 18:10
Damon Severson - 18:18
Will Butcher - 18:21
Vatanen - 27:46(!!)
He logged almost 10 minutes more than the closest defenseman. I thought he handled it well, too.
With the season slowly slipping away, I think the coaching staff is really going to lean on the guys they trust down the stretch. Vatanen is clearly at or near the top of that list.
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