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Five observations from New Jersey vs Detroit:
1. The Devils deserved better
Blowing a two-goal lead at home is not something that should happen, especially to a bad Red Wings team. It's easy to be frustrated by the end result. I don't think the same can be said of the overall performance. Despite playing without Nico Hischier and Sami Vatanen, the Devils won the chance battle 25-10 at 5v5. Their best period – in terms of high-danger chance differential, anyway – was the 3rd while defending the lead. It's not as if the Devils sat back and essentially handed the game away. They kept attacking and just couldn't get anything to go. Sometimes that happens. If the Devils continue to put forth comparable efforts, they'll come out on top more often than not.
2. Damon Severson was dominant
During the MSG broadcast, Ken Daneyko praised Severson's play and commented on how we're starting to see dominant performances from him. That was certainly the case vs the Red Wings.
At 5v5, the Devils out-attempted the Wings 30-15 (66.66 CF%) and out-chanced them 14-5 (73.68 SCF%) with Severson on the ice. They didn't concede a single high-danger chance in those 23+ minutes.
Severson was excellent breaking out of the zone and helping the Devils transition up ice. He made an impact in the offensive zone, too, leading the defense with nine shot contributions.
3. The 4th line was impactful
Miles Wood, J.S. Dea, and Stefan Noesen played fantastic games. They wreaked havoc on Detroit's breakouts with their quickness and relentless hustle on the forecheck. That led to quite a few turnovers, which resulted in plenty of sustained offensive zone time. The Devils out-chanced the Red Wings 9-1 with their 4th line on the ice. Miles Wood and Stefan Noesen were among the team leaders in shot contributions, too. They generated a lot of quality scoring opportunities and were unlucky not to be rewarded.
4. A long time coming for Blake Coleman
It feels like every night Coleman generates a quality chance on the penalty kill. Realistically, that is a stretch. He does, however, create a lot. He ranks 1st in the NHL in shots on goal, tied with Michael Grabner for 1st in attempts, and tied for 1st with Brandon Saad and Bryan Rust in scoring chances. He is legitimately as big of a shorthanded threat as there is in the league so it was only a matter of time before he was rewarded. It's fitting he was the one to break New Jersey's shorthanded scoreless streak.
5. Missing Nico Hischier
Hischier's absence is really being felt right now. Beyond all the offense he provides, the Devils are really missing his ability to draw penalties.
He leads the team in drawn penalties (11), drawn penalties per 60 (2.50), and penalty differential (+11). For perspective, Brett Seney ranks 2nd on the team with a +2 differential. Hischier is by far the team's most valuable player in terms of creating opportunities for the power play to go to work, which is why it's hardly surprising they've had only four PPs over the last three games. They really need him back.
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