The New Jersey Devils took on the Winnipeg Jets for the pairs’ first matchup of the season on March 7. The best team in the league did what they did best, win. The Jets took the victory, 6-1.
Mercer Made Sure it Wasn’t a Shutout
The Devils began the third period down by three goals. Thirty-one seconds into the third, Dawson Mercer cut their lead by two. Ondrej Palat skated the puck into the Devils’ offensive zone. He saw Johnathan Kovacevic skating down the center of the ice and passed to him. He found Mercer to his left in the faceoff circle and passed to him. Mercer took a shot and finally sent a puck past Connor Hellebuyck and into the back of the net.
Related: Jets Breeze Past Devils 6-1 for 44th Victory
Unfortunately, this was the only goal the Devils could score against the Jets. They had some chances but were unable to capitalize on them. Winnipeg scored three more times in the third to take home the win.
Nemec Made an Embarrassing Pass
Halfway into the third period, the Devils still had time to catch up to the Jets but were still under the guise of Mercer’s goal cushion. Simon Nemec had other plans. The puck caught some air time and landed in front of Nemec. He appeared stunned as he gained control of it. He glanced to his right and saw Kovacevic up near the faceoff circle. He tried to pass up to him, but Adam Lowry was directly behind him. The puck immediately found Lowry’s stick and skated it up to the goal to put the puck behind Jacob Markstrom for their fourth goal of the night.
Nemec has played in 16 games with the Devils this season and has only one assist to his name. He currently has a plus-minus of minus-five, three of which were earned in tonight’s game.
The Devils are struggling on defense. Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler are still out due to injury. The Devils have just signed Brian Dumoulin, who is a good addition to their defense. They acquired him from the Anaheim Ducks, and he currently has a plus-minus of plus-two for the season. He has 16 points via two goals and 14 assists in 62 games. They have also signed Kovacevic to a five-year contract extension.
After Nemec’s slip-up, it is unclear if he will stay in the NHL or get sent back down to the Utica Comets, the Devils’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate team. Only time will tell.
Markstrom Dealt Another Hard Loss
Despite making 35 saves, Markstrom still let six goals slip past him. He earned a save percentage (SV%) of .829. Despite this lackluster performance, this was not his worst SV% of the season. His worst came much earlier in the season against the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 24, earning a SV% of .729.
While this loss does not completely fall on Markstrom’s shoulders, it is hard to deal with such a vicious one. He is still displaying a great deal of athleticism in the saves he does make.
Since Marktstrom returned from injury, he has played in three games. All three have resulted in a loss. This game was no different. It’s unfair to put this all on him, though, as the schedule has not been kind to the Devils. Although the Devils are strong, the teams they were playing against have been stronger. The Vegas Golden Knights are fourth in the league, the Dallas Stars are third, and the Jets are first. The Devils are in 12th place. Markstrom has played against all three of these teams since his return from injury; he can only do so much.
Markstrom is the clear starting goaltender for the Devils with Jake Allen as his backup. Hopefully, he can get back in the win column soon.
Hitting the Road
The Devils will hit the road and head one state over to play the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday, March 9.
