Though the Devils recorded just 20 shots and one goal in a losing effort to the Kings, there was some excitement in last night's game.
Arguably New Jersey's two best/most ready forward prospects Reid Boucher and Stefan Matteau were recalled, and surprisingly both found their way into the lineup.
Some thoughts:
1) Reid Boucher played just over 12 minutes, drew New Jersey's lone power play, and recorded two shots on goal. His possession numbers were a little below 50 - as was the case for most Devils - but I thought he played relatively well. He showed his quick release getting a couple good shots off throughout, and was regularly back in the defensive zone to help out. I recall one play on his first shift of the game where he chased down Mike Richards and pick pocketed the puck from him before moving the puck up ice the other way. That was good to see.
2) Stefan Matteau did a pretty good job in his nine minutes of work, too. He had a couple nice hits - notably putting Dustin Brown on his back - and also showed good power on a pair of shots, though they missed the net. Like Boucher, he wasn't given a lot of time to make an impact, but held his own seeing limited ice.
3) With New Jersey well out of the playoffs, I'd like to see the Devils give these two legitimate ice to make an impact. The team isn't playing for anything, so you may as well see what you have in, and find out if they're NHL ready, or just how far off they are. Boucher should see a couple more shifts per game - perhaps some PP time as well - and Matteau should at least get 11-12 minutes. This would be good experience for them.
4) I thought Damon Severson was one of New Jersey's best players in last night's game. He made a few nice passes, tallied an assist on the Devils' lone goal, and recorded three shots while posting the best possession numbers on the team. He's been a real bright spot this season.
5) It's no secret at this point, but the Devils desperately need some more offensive firepower. That Stephen Gionta and Jordin Tootoo were the only two players with a shot on goal after 20 minutes summarizes that up pretty well. It'll be interesting to see how Lamoriello addresses this in the summer, because the team isn't going anywhere without doing so.
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