In their last 25 games of hosting teams on the last leg of a back to back, the Colorado Avalanche won for the 20th time. Thats a win percentage of .800. While we'd all sign up for a split against a red hot Stars team and a hungry Avs team that was just called out by coach Jared Bednar, it's hard to imagine "what if?"
What if the Devils weren't on the back to back after a 2.5 hour flight and an emotional win against Dallas? Would the result have been different? Perhaps. What most certainly would've been different, the process and manner in which Jersey fell. A gassed Devils team, battling the elevation adjustments and tired legs, were merely hanging on for over 50 minutes of this game. The speed bursts were lessened, the lungs weren't there and even the sticks were slowed as NJ fumbled the few pucks they even touched all night.
It was clear these were not the Devils of the prior 12 games who had outshot all of their opponents quite handily. On this night it was the Avalanche, challenged by their coach earlier in the week, who dominated all of the categories Jersey had so frequently. 45-22 was the final in the shots department and a 5-2 score accompanied it. Despite an avalanche of Avalanche chances early and often, Sheldon Keefe and his men found a way to make me stay up and watch the entire game. The miraculous Jake Allen held the game even at 1-1 through forty minutes, however it was the failed power play attempts and two clusters of goals that would allow Colorado to run away with it late.
Overall there's not much to take out of this one, as this game was murder for hire by the NHL's scheduling department. On to Vegas it is, then home to face Edmonton...quite cruel.
Players of Note
Luke Hughes
What more can you say about the evolution of the youngest brother in the Devils' trio, yes, "Devils'." Hughes was again flying for most of the game although even a young guy with his motor looked haggard towards the end. Luke held down the 'turbo' button on the Devils first goal, forcing Makar into an awkward position and keeping Mackenzie Blackwood honest, as the threat of pass opened up the former Devils tender for a ricochet through his wickets. More impressive however was a mid game shut down of Nathan Mackinnon in the corner on the power play. One of the NHL's strongest and fastest was engulfed by a swarming Hughes, who stripped the superstar of the puck in order to clear the zone. Unfortunately, in the period of the long change, a winded Luke was stuck on the ice for the entire two minutes, hence a step slow back to his man on the Avs first goal.
Despite that blemish, its been nothing mostly elite skating, great sticks in the D-zone, body position and hockey IQ on display for LH43 who has dazzled early on. A player with his mind and ability(similar to Jack) will always have a few turnovers in him, but the good will begin to even further outweigh the bad as his game develops.
Jake Allen
An amazing two periods by Allen. The third goal may have been his only place of blame all night and like the rest of the team, the game definitely wore on Allen as it progressed. What has plagued his game over the last few years is the goals in quick succession. That reared it's ugly head again last night as Allen gave up two back breakers in a 1:02 span early in the third and another two in 30 seconds just past the mid way point of the stanza. While they weren't really his fault, this is something that needs to be cleaned up between himself and his teammates. After giving one up, NJ needs to be more conscious of the impact another quick surrender can lead to.
Connor Brown
Brown was one guy who didn't seem affected by the tight scheduling, altitude or travel. His line along with Amadeus Lombardi and Cody Glass generated for most of the night. The only thing keeping Brown from a hat trick was the final buzzer that went off just as #16 split through the D into a loose puck in the neutral zone for a would've been breakaway.