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The New Jersey Devils picked up their second win of the preseason on Thursday night as they beat up on the Montreal Canadiens.
Six takeaways from the 4-1 victory:
1) Nico Hischier is really starting to look the part of an NHL player. He's taking care of his defensive responsibilities, he's making smart decisions with the puck, and he's becoming quite dangerous every time he touches the ice. I really liked John Hynes dangling the carrot in front of his face and giving him some time alongside Taylor Hall and Kyle Palmieri later in the game. It was a nice test drive to see how they mesh, but it was also a way of rewarding Hischier for his efforts and showing the opportunity in front of him if he continues to play well and do the right things.
Lucky or not, his goal will be the stat a lot of people focus on but he was also a positive player in possession and tied Marcus Johansson for the team lead in controlled entries at 5v5.
2) Credit where it's due: Dalton Prout played a hell of a game. Seriously. He looks slimmed down and a lot more mobile than he has been in previous years and the work he did in the off-season seems to be paying off. He's actually making plays with the puck and is playing with more confidence than I've ever seen. He may not make the team -- the Devils have some kids playing well and, quite frankly, giving them the ice is the better move given they are the future -- but he's playing well enough to earn an NHL job elsewhere if waived.
3) Based on his play at the Prospect Challenge and during the preseason, Jesper Bratt is miles ahead of Blake Speers, Michael McLeod and some other prospects competing for spots right now. He's making plays with the puck in tight spaces, wreaking havoc on the forecheck, and being used in all situations (like defending the lead late and on the penalty kill, where he was part of a spectacular sequence).
4) Mirco Mueller's play has been a pleasant surprise. Admittedly, he has been much better than I anticipated. He has used his skating effectively to keep tight gaps and defend, but he's also looked good breaking the puck out of the zone (and he's chipped in offensively with a pair of goals in as many games).
5) Michael Kapla's been okay but he hasn't done anything to separate himself from the pack thus far. If the final roster was being submitted today, I don't think he'd be on it. The guys he is competing with (Steve Santini, Will Butcher, Mueller, and even Prout) are all ahead of him, I think.
6) I wanted to touch on Joseph Blandisi's play because I think he's quietly had a very good preseason. He is working his ass off along the wall and in battles, and he's creating plenty of offense down low. He needs to play well to nail down a spot and right now he's doing just that.
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