A few notes from New Jersey vs Dallas:
1) Though there were some very ugly moments, I don't think the Devils played all that bad of a game vs the Stars. There were extended periods where the Devils were able to tilt the ice and generate chances on a consistent basis. They just shot themselves in the foot any time it felt like they were really starting to take the game over. Sometimes you can get away with it, but not against a team like Dallas that possesses so much firepower. If you make a big mistake, you're going to pay for it and that's what we saw last night. There were some positives, no doubt, but an otherwise solid effort was completely wasted by a few inexcusable mistakes.
2) Everyone needs to slow their roll with the healthy scratch train. Seriously. Last night my timeline was completely filled with people suggesting several players – headlined by Andy Greene and Sami Vatanen – should be sitting for their performances. I disagree. Just because Damon Severson has been held to a ridiculously strict standard, which I am not at all on board with, doesn't make it right and mean everybody should be. For one, off nights happen to everybody. Greene was bad but does anyone think the team would be better off dressing Ben Lovejoy on the top pairing instead and going with two left-handed defensemen? No. Vatanen also struggled but, for the most part, he's been quite good playing alongside John Moore over the last few weeks. He shouldn't be scratched because he had a really tough night. Regardless if Vatanen has lived up to your expectations, there's no doubt he is one of the better defensemen on the roster and the Devils are much better off with him playing. Dress the best players and if they make a mistake, they make a mistake. None of them will be very effective if they think they're going to be benched anytime something goes wrong. Just ask Adam Larsson how that worked during his time with the Devils.
3) On a positive note, Taylor Hall was absolutely fantastic once again. He played 22:13 and I'm pretty sure he had the puck on his stick for 22:12 of it. The Devils were almost always on the attack when he was out there so it was certainly no surprise to see he finished with a game-high eight scoring chances to go along with his goal and two assists. If he ends up tallying the ~85 points or so he's on pace for, finishes as a top-10 chance generator, and helps the Devils place at or near the top of the Metro, I think he should at least be in the conversation for the Hart.
4) In my preview, I mentioned the Devils needed more from Kyle Palmieri and he definitely stepped up last night. He was a one-man shooting gallery firing pucks on at the net from anywhere and everywhere – he finished with seven shots on goal and nine attempts – and had a goal to show for it. He also helped his line stay above ground in possession, which hasn't happened all that often of late.
5) It's time to make some changes on defense. First and foremost, get Damon Severson back into the lineup. Give him consistent ice time, too. On the top pairing. With Andy Greene.
Here's what I'd like to see:
Greene - Severson Moore - Vatanen Butcher - Santini
My top pairing has much better underlying numbers than the one the Devils are trotting out, Moore and Vatanen have mostly been good together, and I think Santini would fare better against softer competition with a puck mover by his side.