The New Jersey Devils could have folded in their regular-season finale after going down 4-1 last night to the Capitals at Capital One Arena in Washington. But like they’ve done so many times in the 2022-23 regular season, they rallied to pull off a win in overtime, thanks to Luke Hughes’ winner and first career goal. Here are three takeaways and some quick hits from the thrilling 5-4 win as the regular season closes and the playoffs begin.
Luke Hughes Showed Why He’s a Top Prospect
Devils fans are already quite familiar with Jack Hughes. He finished the season with 43 goals and 99 points, making him the team’s leading scorer. But they’re getting familiar with his younger brother Luke rather quickly before the playoffs begin. Not only did Luke score the game-winner in thrilling fashion, but he was also one of the team’s best players.
The younger Hughes had a decent showing in the Devils’ 6-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres 48 hours earlier. But he took his game to another level against the Capitals and showed why he’s one of the top prospects in the hockey world. Hughes made some notable defensive plays early, displaying great instincts to cut off passing lanes in the defensive zone and defending the rush to kill any Capitals’ scoring threats.
In the neutral zone, Luke showed off his elite skating and ability to move the puck in transition. Once he got into the offensive zone, he used his stickhandling to create time and space to dish the puck to his teammates for scoring chances. He capped it off by scoring the game-winning goal, faking out Alex Ovechkin and the rest of the Capitals on the ice:
Luke’s advanced stats were also some of the best among Devils skaters. The team finished with a 25-8 shot attempt advantage with him on the ice at five-on-five — a Corsi for percentage (CF%) of 75.76 percent — plus a 73.18 expected goals percentage (xG%). His 19:34 in five-on-five ice time was third to Dougie Hamilton and Brendan Smith, so head coach Lindy Ruff clearly felt comfortable with his game to play him big minutes.
I don’t know if Ruff will play the younger Hughes in Game 1 of the playoffs against the New York Rangers, but he has to give it serious thought after that performance. And even if he doesn’t dress for Game 1, the odds of him getting into the lineup seem to be increasing by the day.
Schmid Should Be the Devils’ Backup in the Playoffs
With Vitek Vanecek getting a full night off ahead of the playoffs starting early next week, the Devils called up Akira Schmid from the Utica Comets to back up Mackenzie Blackwood. As it turns out, he played a decisive role in the Devils coming back and pulling off the 5-4 overtime victory.
Though the Devils were a bit sloppy with the puck in front of Blackwood, he certainly didn’t do himself any favors. He gave up four goals on 11 shots and allowed minus-2.86 goals above expected. He faced four high-danger chances yet only managed to stop two of them. That led to Ruff pulling Blackwood for Schmid after just 21 minutes of action.
It’s not the first time Ruff has used Schmid in relief of Blackwood or Vanecek. But whether it’s a relief appearance or a start, there doesn’t seem to be a moment too big for the 22-year-old Swiss netminder. Schmid stopped all 20 shots he faced while saving 1.93 goals above expected. Like Blackwood, he faced four high-danger shots. The difference is Schmid turned all of them aside, and he made a few timely saves in overtime to give the team a chance to score the winner.
The Devils don’t have a goalie controversy heading into Game 1 against the Rangers, at least not for a starter. That’s Vanecek’s role, but Ruff has to decide who backs up Vanecek. With his 20 saves against the Capitals, Schmid finishes the regular season with a .921 save percentage in 18 games compared to Blackwood’s .893 SV% in 22 games.
Schmid has been the definition of consistent, especially in relief appearances, while Blackwood has struggled to maintain consistency. If it’s a decision based on merit and who’s played better, there’s no doubt Schmid should be the Devils’ No. 2 netminder to open up the playoffs.
Devils Had Their Way Against the Capitals
Though the Devils fell behind 3-0 and 4-1 early in the game, it’s not as if they were playing poorly. Sure, they had some miscues, like Jack Hughes’ pass that went directly to Craig Smith, which gave the Capitals a 3-0 lead in the first period. But they were still controlling a majority of the shots and quality chances.
The Devils finished the first period with a 7-1 advantage in high-danger chances over the Capitals at five-on-five. They also had a 67.96 xG%, and that trend would continue over the final two periods. That wasn’t a surprise since the Capitals have been one of the worst defensive teams since the trade deadline, and the Devils eventually made them pay for it with a late-game rally.
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Before Miles Wood’s power-play goal to close the second period, the Devils had no trouble creating off the rush. Darcy Kuemper was dialed in, but it was only a matter of time before he let some get past him, given the quality he faced. In the end, the Devils generated 20 high-danger chances and had a 66.89 xG% at five-on-five. The lesson here is that they need to start on time because coming back from 3-0 or 4-1 down against the best of the best in playoffs is a tall task. But the team’s process has exactly been what you like to see heading into the postseason.
Devils Quick Hits
- Whatever curse the hockey gods bestowed on Erik Haula earlier in the season seems to be gone. He scored two goals against the Capitals to bring his total to 14 for the 2022-23 campaign. With the two tallies, he finished with six across his final seven regular-season contests. He led Devils skaters with 80 CF% against the Capitals to go along with an 81.08 xG%. His game is trending in the right direction heading into the playoffs.
- With the win, the Devils set a franchise record for most victories in a season with 52, and they set a record for most points with 112. Jack Hughes set the record for most points by a Devils skater with 99, breaking Patrik Elias’ mark of 96 set in 2000-01. Their swing from 63 points in 2021-22 to 112 this season (plus-49) is the biggest turnaround in NHL history, surpassing the Colorado Avalanche’s plus-47 set in 2017-18 and the Pittsburgh Penguins’ plus-47 in 2007-08. Now, it’s time for them to make it count in the playoffs.
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Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick