After suffering another underwhelming loss at the hands of the Blue Jackets the New Jersey Devils elected to change things up for Sunday's game.
A few lineup changes were made with the biggest of which coming in goal as Scott Wedgewood was recalled and given his first career NHL start.
Giving Wedgewood a shot turned out to be the right move as he made 27 saves in a 2-1 win.
The Good
- Wedgewood wasn't bombarded with shots (28) or high-danger scoring chances (just eight) but I thought he was very good in his NHL debut. His positioning was good, he was challenging shooters at the top of the crease and he seemed very confident. He also used a poke check effectively to prevent Dalton Prout from even getting a shot attempt on what was a clear cut breakaway.
- Kyle Palmieri found the scoresheet once again as he tallied an assist on Reid Boucher's 1st period goal. Palmieri tallied four points in the home-and-home against Columbus and now has 50 points on the year. What an addition he has been.
- Joseph Blandisi did not register a shot nor a point but I thought he played a solid game as he was very involved. He was aggressive on the forecheck, put his excellent speed on display numerous times, set up a few good chances for teammates, and finished positive in possession. Blandisi also managed to get under the skin of Blue Jackets players on a few occasions.
- Devante Smith-Pelly continues to make a living around the paint. He had a game-high four high-danger scoring chances and was rewarded with a goal for his efforts. His shooting percentage will drop at some point but he is legitimately playing very good hockey even without all the goal scoring.
- Saturday night vs Columbus the Devils allowed 28 scoring chances (18 high-danger). On Sunday they allowed 18 scoring chances (eight high-danger). They deserve a lot of credit for tightening up defensively with so many lineup changes.
The Bad
- The Devils managed just 22 shots against one of the worst defensive teams in the league. Much more often than not that won't be enough to get the job done.
- Travis Zajac's line accounted for one of New Jersey's goals but when the Boucher - Zajac - Palmieri trio was on the ice at 5 v 5 the Devils were out attempted 14-5.
Stat Of The Game
David Warsofsky tied Smith-Pelly for the team lead in scoring chances with four.
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