The New Jersey Devils traveled to Manitoba to take on the Winnipeg Jets for the first time in the 2023-24 season. New Jersey was looking to rebound from a loss to the Washington Capitals and break a two-game losing streak. The Jets were coming into the game off of a 3-2 loss against the Dallas Stars.
The Devils continued without their top centers Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. For Winnipeg, Gabriel Vilardi did not play after he sustained a knee injury early in the season, though he did skate on Thursday for the first time. Rasmus Kupari was injured in the first period, leaving the Jets with 10 forwards because of their initial decision to use seven defensemen.
Akira Schmid got his first start since the game against the St. Louis Blues. The young goaltender entered the previous game against the Capitals and posted a strong .952 save percentage (SV%). Connor Hellebuyck made his second straight start against New Jersey after allowing three goals against Dallas.
With Alexander Holtz a part of the top-six and the defensive lines being shaken up, New Jersey was looking for rhythm while dealing with key injuries.
5 on 5 Offense Continues to Struggle
After the Devils went down 2-0 in the second period, they were awarded a power play where Timo Meier scored his third goal in three games. Only 1:52 later, John Marino would tie the game at even strength. With the lack of Hischier and Hughes, the offense has to find rebounds and get into dirty areas to score goals. Furthermore, it forces the team to find chemistry with an extremely shaken-up lineup. Coming into the game, New Jersey was 30th in 5-on-5 goals with 21. Marino’s goal moved them into a tie for 28th place with the New York Islanders and Anaheim Ducks. In first place with 39 5-on-5 goals are the Vancouver Canucks.
The power-play has been able to score 16 goals which slots them into second place in the league. Though it is always a positive to have a lethal power play, the Devils will have to improve their 5-on-5 play to have consistent success. The lack of their two best players does not help, but the roster has enough talent to show more effort on even-strength offense.
Devils Allowing Multiple Goals Every Night
In four out of the six games in November, the Devils have allowed three or more goals. This trend has hurt especially in November because the team has not been able to respond on offense. The defense had a much better effort in their game against Winnipeg, but still allowed four goals. Along with the poor defensive play, the Devils have not had much help from their goaltenders. Schmid had an average game against the Jets but did not give the team a chance to win. He ended the night with minus-2.64 goals saved above expected.
Despite the improved defensive effort, the team did not play a full 60 minutes again. The first half of the game was tight-checking and both teams saw little opportunities. However, the Devils then allowed three goals in 4:16 and entered the third period down a goal. Halfway through the third, Kyle Connor scored his second of the game to make it 4-2. Shortly after, Kevin Bahl made a defensive zone mistake that ended up behind Schmid.
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Any ounce of momentum that the Devils had evaporated with a sloppy goal against. It was also another game where New Jersey was in it until the third period, and poor defensive mistakes let the game get out of hand.
Devils Fighting for Momentum
New Jersey has had an unlucky and sloppy string of games. Momentum, effort, and luck have been on the low for the entire team. All of the blame cannot fall on the lack of their two top centers. Instead, the team is making the same mistakes game after game. Despite Lindy Ruff putting the offensive and defensive lines in a blender, the team was not able to overtake the game and use the small amount of momentum they gained to push them through the game.
In November, the Devils have a record of 2-4-0 so far. Everything seems to be going against the team and there are not many signs that suggest the trends will change any time soon. The hopeful addition of Hughes will bring an undeniable spark to the lineup, but the team will still have to work to correct their glaring problems.
Quick Takeaways
- The Devils have allowed their opponent to score first in 11 out of 14 games this season.
- Colin Miller was activated off of injury reserve before puck drop and there is a high chance that he will draw into the lineup soon.
- Schmid’s record drops to 1-3-0 when he starts a game. The only win was against the Islanders on Oct. 20.
- There is potential that Hughes will meet the team in Pittsburgh, but ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports that there is a high chance he will make his return against the Rangers on Saturday.
- Hischier was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Oct. 27. Therefore, once Hischier is ready, he will be able to be activated whenever the time comes.
