Good evening Devils fans. In a back and forth matchup on the tailend of a back-to-back, the Devils lost in a shootout to the Arizona Coyotes. The first period was relatively quiet, save an Arizona goal by Matt Dumba and a penalty serve each time. The Dumba goal was a pretty setup, with Clayton Keller leaving the puck behind him for the finisher. For the most part, it was another slow start for the Devils, who seem to have trouble breaking out of the habit of 1st period efforts getting stuck in 1st gear.
Things picked up dramatically in the 2nd period as scoring opened up. Logan Cooley would get his first point as he assisted Sean Durzi on a power play blueliner slapper. Going down to a two goal deficit, the Devils woke up and unleashed a re-energized Jesper Bratt. The young Swede would notch two goals before the end of the period and remain looking dangerous throughout the rest of the game. His first goal, set up by Jack Hughes, was a beautiful slapshot finish on a 2-on-1. Following this, Dougie Hamilton would wind up his vicious power play shot to tie the game. Bratt would find the back of the net again with an efficient multi-player puck movement play, capitalizing on a 5-on-3 power play. Hughes nearly skated through the entire Coyotes team for another goal if it wasn’t for the strong play of netminder Karel Vejmelka.
The third period saw relatively strong 2-way play for the Black and Red, who had to shut down multiple power plays. Unfortunately, the Coyotes were able sneak one past Akira Schmid towards the end of one of those man advantages following poor mixed up clearance attempts. The 3-on-3 overtime was a back and forth affair, with solid chances from either side. The Devils shootout pair of Bratt and Timo Meier were stopped at the doorstep while Arizona’s Nick Bjugstad and Nick Schmaltz were able to finish their chances.
In lieu of player ratings, I’ll give 3 general takeaways since I missed the 1st period and wasn’t able to take notes.
1. The First Line and Power Play Unit is Electric
Despite issues finding depth scoring, the Devils have no problem getting results from Jack Hughes and company at the top of the line list this season so far. Whether it is even strength or man advantage, they are incredibly dangerous. If Hughes plays 82 games this season, Jack Hughes could end up getting well over 120 points this season. He already has 5 points in two games. Bratt has found his scoring touch following a lackluster season opener. His speed, puck handling, and finishing looked dynamite last night. Don’t be fooled by a relatively quiet start; newcomer Tyler Toffoli looks to be gelling well with the group. Dougie Hamilton’s power play shot may end up netting him a career high goals this season.
2. When is Timo Time?
One constant from both games so far was the quiet presence of Timo Meier. HC Lindy Ruff may have noticed and hoped that a shootout goal could shake off the jitters. The Swiss winger can use his physical presence to grab the puck and drive into possession. However, he has issues avoiding being double teamed and isolated by the defense. It could be because of usual obstacles at the beginning of the season or he may have to adjust his game a bit to work better in Ruff and Green’s system this season.
3. Improvements on the 3rd Defensive Line
They may not have been perfect, but I thought from what I saw, Brendan Smith and Luke Hughes looked much more comfortable last night, particularly on the defensive side. While the young prospect worked better moving the puck around attackers and clearing, the veteran had an overall much better game than we’ve seen in a while. He was active on offense, made the neutral zone dangerous, and helped to close out chances on his own end. I’m the first to criticize Smith but he didn’t do too badly last night.
The Devils will take on the reigning Eastern Conference champs Florida Panthers this Monday at the Rock. Puck drops at 7 PM. I’ll do a pregame write up once I see lines released Monday afternoon.
What are your thoughts? What adjustments would you have made during the game and shootout? Thoughts on the Devils getting 3 out of 4 points in the first two games?
Leave your thoughts and comments below. Raise Hell,
New Jersey Devils Blogger • 
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