Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
Five observations from New Jersey vs Philadelphia:
1. Again!
Death, taxes, and the Devils blowing 3rd period leads on home soil. It’s truly a tradition like no other. Every single night they find the most puzzling way to throw games away. Half the time – more than that, actually – it isn’t a massive breakdown. They’ll just score on their own net, a stick will break, the starter will allow a weak goal, the opposition will bang it in after a whistle and it’ll count, whatever. They’re finding new ways to shoot themselves in the foot each time out. It might be more impressive than it is frustrating, which is saying something. Earlier in the year they were legitimately playing garbage hockey. Now? They’re playing opponents even, or out-playing them, and it is still happening over and over. We’re getting to the point where the season is dangerously close to being a lost cause. Not exactly ideal when you’re heading out for a five-game road trip in which four of the teams are currently holding down playoff spots.
2. Another letdown in goal
Was Mackenzie Blackwood absolutely terrible? No. Was he good? Again, no. One or two flashy glove saves aside, he wasn’t tested. At all. The Devils gave up just 18 scoring chances (two high-danger!) in 65 minutes of action. That resulted in an expected goal total of 1.44, bested by the Devils only in the Arizona game. And he conceded three times. I know everyone likes to point to the one or two eye-popping breakdowns and shout to the hills about how bad the team’s defense sucks but, honestly, they mostly defended well last night. You’re not going to play 65 minutes of hockey against Sean Couturier, Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, and co. without giving up a few good looks. It’s just not realistic. Realistically speaking, the Devils couldn’t have defended the Flyers much better. Luck or otherwise, they just couldn’t get a save when they needed it. Again. Last night marks the 9th time in 11 games the Devils’ goaltender has conceded more goals than expected based on the volume and location of the shots.
3. The power play is clicking
The Devils converted twice in 6:45 of work, marking the fifth consecutive game they’ve buried at least one goal on the man advantage. Sami Vatanen is meshing surprisingly well with the top unit – all these points will help come contract time – and the new-look 2nd unit is holding its own, too. They’re getting into the offensive zone with the puck relatively consistently and whipping it around pretty good once they’re in. Some nights they’ve actually looked sharper than the top unit. Not much has gone right for the Devils this season but the power play has sure been a positive of late.
4. Taylor Hall stepped up
I thought No. 9 was a little slow coming out of the gate but, in aggregate, played one of his better games of the season. He scored a goal, assisted on another, led the team in 5v5 shot contributions, posted a ~60 xGF%, and was dynamic carrying the puck through the neutral zone. Not scoring in the shootout was basically his lone blemish. He was really good.
5. Damon Severson looked good
People gave him a rough ride early in the season – understandably so, everything possible went wrong – so it’s only fair he gets recognized when playing well. I thought he was one of the better players on the ice last night. He led Devils defenders with seven shot contributions at 5v5. He finished with a team-leading 73.28 Expected Goals For%. His overall positioning was mostly solid and he was more aggressive in the corners and around the net than usual. His pairing was the only one not out for a goal against, too. More of that please.
Shot Contributions
Recent Posts
Goaltending sinks Devils in wild game against Lightning
The Devils should change the way they play
Are the Devils after Mark Pysyk?
Predicting the 2019-20 Stanley Cup Final
Predicting the Metro Division standings in 2019-20
Bold Metro Division predictions for 2019-20
Who will win the Hart Trophy in 2019-20?
Who will win the Calder Trophy in 2019-20?
New Jersey Devils Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»