The Devils have misplaced 4 in a row and don’t look almost as sharp as they did in November and December. A hunch is getting dangerously near a free fall.
Look, let’s not go into full panic mode but. Three in a row to inferior groups isn’t good, no matter the place the video games are performed. That being stated, it’s not unusual for Japanese Convention groups to wrestle throughout lengthy west coast journeys. Nonetheless, the Devils haven’t earned a degree within the standings since December twenty seventh and at this time is January 4th. That may be an entire catastrophe, if the Devils hadn’t constructed up a big distance within the standings between themselves and the underside 5 groups within the Metro. All issues thought of, the Devils nonetheless want to start out successful some video games once more.
Issues like this can not occur. Erik Haula and Luke Hughes each completely failed right here. Luke Hughes turned the puck over in his personal zone when he had two choices. Hughes may have both gotten the puck out to the impartial zone, which he tried to do and didn’t succeed. The Sharks had been bearing down on him with some velocity so getting the puck out proper by them isn’t a really excessive proportion play. His different possibility was to take the puck and retreat behind his personal internet with possession of the puck. Had Luke completed this, it will have given him extra time to seek out an open teammate to interrupt out, or discover area for himself to make use of his personal elite skating skill to interrupt out himself. That’s a great distance of claiming, Luke completely can not flip the puck over contained in the blue line there. As soon as the puck is turned over, Erik Haula did not do his job. Luke stays together with his man, and the puck service, into the nook. In the meantime, Kovalenko of the Sharks cuts to the center of the ice. Erik Haula, the middle, loses his man and leaves him large open in the course of the ice. Can’t try this and count on to win. Unhealthy play throughout put the Devils behind early, which appears to be turning into a pattern once more, just like the debacle that was final season.
Good energy play objective for the Devils first objective of the sport. However, it was within the second interval and the primary PPG shortly. That illustrates two massive points the Devils have had on this latest downturn. Sluggish begins and lack of success on the facility play. The Devils haven’t scored a primary interval objective since their final win, which got here on December twenty seventh. We noticed it final yr, taking part in from behind each night time isn’t a sustainable method to have success within the NHL. Neither is having a lifeless energy play. During the last 4 video games, the Devils are 1/12 on the facility play. Small pattern dimension certain, however nonetheless a foul pattern. The Devils have an excessive amount of expertise to be changing on simply 8.3% of the facility play probabilities. On the season, the Devils are nonetheless second within the NHL with a 28.9% success price on the facility play. I don’t suppose it’s a lot of a coincidence that losses are piling up as the facility play below performs.
Look, there’s by no means a foul time to be second in your division (third in factors proportion), just like the Devils are proper now. Even with these 4 straight losses, the Devils are nonetheless on tempo for 99 factors. With 40 video games to go, there’s greater than loads of time to get rolling once more, and there may even be some extra slumps between now and the playoffs too . I nonetheless think about this workforce. I nonetheless view the Devils as one of many high 5 contenders for the Stanley Cup. The Devils are struggling proper now, however nearly each workforce goes by a tough patch or two all year long. This workforce has greater than sufficient expertise to go on a severe run this yr, however rattling that is irritating proper now. Cease the slide now. Beat Seattle on Monday, then come again to the east coast and beat up on the final place workforce within the division but once more on Thursday. Don’t let issues get uncontrolled.
