The Devils are buzzin’! That’s five straight wins against some of the NHL’s elite for New Jersey. With a quick turnaround, the Devils are back home tonight to take on the Minnesota Wild. Let’s break down and discuss a few takeaways from the last few games..
Quick Hits:
Jack Hughes = Dynamo
When 86 returned from Four Nations last season he had seemed to unlock a new level of game speed. Never before was there a situation where Jack was around that much talent at this high of a level while actually playing for something of importance. Being in that elite and competitive environment forced Hughes to find another speed. While he received mixed reviews of his time with the USA, an accelerated growth in his game seemed to emerge. Upon returning from the tournament the middle Hughes brother had seemingly unlocked several upgrades in his play, getting even faster before the unfortunate injury ended his campaign.
Fast forward to this season where it may have taken a few games to get up to speed, Jack has been the most dynamic player on the ice in every game. Most notably the last two, where MacDavid, Draisaitl, Matthews and Nylander were all seemingly bystanders as Jumpin’ Jack Flash gave them all a show…
Worst challenge ever?
What did Craig Berube see on his second period challenge of the first Jack Hughes goal? Ondrej Palat was forced toward the paint but battled to stay out and at no point even made contact with Toronto Goaltender Anthony Stolarz. With the Leafs already on their heels, the Devils capitalized on the subsequent delay of game penalty from the bonehead Berube decision. Cody Glass’ power play tally further tilted the ice and the Devils rolled from there.
Momentum! Devils must keep the foot on the gas!
This is a classic scheduling trap game. If they had lost last night, I would be less concerned about a return back home and a fall off. With minimal rest, NJ comes back to The Rock riding high to face a the Mid-esota Wild. The Devils will need to be anything but mid in this game as the Wild are looking to climb over .500 in the win column.
A confident, high-flying Devils squad must not take this opponent lightly. No matter how often teams talk of this and are aware of the importance of not overlooking an opponent, it still happens far too often. If Sheldon Keefe’s men play near the level of the last few games, this should be light work. With that said, I'll be hammering the Wild ML as a bit of fan insurance. Let’s see…
Hey Siri, play “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen