The New Jersey Devils’ first playoff game in five years did not go as hoped. Some early jitters plagued them, as the New York Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead and did not look back, winning by a final score of 5-1. The Devils will have to regroup quickly and make adjustments for Game 2 tomorrow night at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Here are four takeaways and some quick hits from the loss.
Devils Power Play Was a Disaster
The Devils’ jitters were noticeable early on when they had the game’s first power play just 75 seconds into the opening frame. They were tentative and had no shots on goal on that first man advantage. That was a sign of things to come, however, as they finished the night with zero shots on goal over four power plays. That’s right, zero shots on goal on four power plays.
The Devils generated only eight shot attempts and 0.41 expected goals while up a man. Meanwhile, the Rangers, who have one of the league’s top power plays, scored twice and had nine shot attempts and 0.49 expected goals in just 3:25 of ice time on the man advantage. It was ultimately the deciding factor in the game, which was one of the keys heading into the series. If the Devils can’t contain the Rangers’ power play and don’t get their own man advantage in order, it’ll likely be a quick Round 1 exit.
Devils Settled in at 5-on-5
While the Devils couldn’t shake the jitters on the power play, they did find their game at five-on-five, especially over the final two periods. They finished the game with a 58-31 shot attempt advantage over the Rangers at that game state while controlling 60.07 percent of the expected goals (xG%). The key will be generating more quality looks against Igor Shesterkin early in the game.
Related: 5 Devils Who Could Be X-Factors vs. Rangers
Hopefully with the Game 1 nerves out of the way, they can apply more pressure on Shesterkin and claim an early lead. The Devils have been the comeback kids this season, but that becomes more difficult in the playoffs when going against a goalie like Shesterkin. So starting on time and getting an early lead will be crucial. They can’t expect to win the series if they’re chasing the game every time.
Otherwise, there was a fair bit to like about the Devils’ performance when special teams weren’t on the ice. The process was there, and they used their speed more effectively as the game progressed. The Rangers couldn’t generate much of anything offensively at five-on-five, similar to how their four regular-season tilts went. That’s all the more reason for the Devils to stay disciplined and keep the minor penalties to a minimum.
Vanecek Needs a Bounce-Back Effort
Vitek Vanecek had a great regular season, his first with the Devils. But he only had three games of playoff experience to his name entering Game 1, and it showed, especially early on. Like the rest of the team, Vanecek looked jittery and was slow to react to the puck or put himself out of position. He did settle down a bit as the game went on, but it still wasn’t a great night for him.
Vanecek finished making just 18 saves on 22 shots while allowing 1.83 goals above expected. Head coach Lindy Ruff said in his post-game availability that Vanecek probably had a couple of goals that he would want back, which matches up with the 1.83 goals above expected he allowed.
Because it’s playoff time, there’s no margin for error, especially in net. Vanecek will get the nod for Game 2, but if he gets off to a poor start, Ruff should not hesitate to put in Akira Schmid in relief of Vanecek. The 22-year-old netminder finished the regular season with a .922 save percentage in 18 games and was excellent in four relief appearances for Vanecek or Mackenzie Blackwood. The playoffs are a different animal, but to this point, there hasn’t been a moment too big for Schmid. And if Vanecek has another clunker, he’s the Devils’ best option.
Hughes Won’t Have Trouble in the Playoffs
Jack Hughes had some nerves to start the game, just like the rest of the team. He was bobbling the puck and not connecting on passes, which led to some turnovers. But even with that, I thought Hughes was the team’s best player, along with Nico Hischier. He scored the team’s only goal on a penalty shot in the third period, but he was creating chances before then, especially in the second and third frames.
Hughes finished with a 76 Corsi for percentage (CF%) and 57.19 xG% at five-on-five with three shots on goal, six shot attempts, four scoring chances and one high-danger chance. He was even throwing the body around and did not seem timid about playing a more physical brand of hockey that comes during the playoffs.
With that said, Ruff needs to do a better job of getting more favorable matchups for Hughes in Game 2. Hughes spent most of his five-on-five ice time against the Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox pair, one of the best defense pairs in the NHL. Ruff should match Hughes against Jacob Trouba as often as possible, as Trouba has struggled defensively this season. That would give the Devils a better chance to find more offense at five-on-five.
Devils Quick Hits
- As mentioned above, Hischier was arguably the Devils’ best player along with Hughes. He finished the game with a team-high five shots on goal, seven shot attempts, five scoring chances and four high-danger chances. Timo Meier ended the game as his linemate alongside Dawson Mercer, so that could be a change Ruff makes to start Game 2 to spark the offense.
- The Devils acquired John Marino to be a shutdown defender, which he did to great effect during the regular season. But he had a rough Game 1, finishing with a game score of minus-0.96, the worst among all skaters between both teams. He’s going to log the most difficult minutes from Devils’ defensemen during this series, so they’ll need a rebound effort from him in Game 2.
- While it was Mercer’s first-career playoff game, he handled the minutes quite well after the team settled down in the second and third periods. He led the team with an 80.02 xG% and was second in CF% at 76.92 percent. He only had one shot on goal, but the opportunities will be there later in the series if he plays as he did in Game 1.
- The Devils lost Game 1 on home ice, but they weren’t the only team to do so to open up the playoffs. Home teams went 0-4 yesterday evening and 2-6 over the eight Game 1s of these playoffs. Wild stuff and a reminder that while the Devils have issues to address, it was only Game 1, and there’s still plenty of hockey to play.
The Devils have rebounded well from losses this season, but can they continue to do so in the playoffs? There are adjustments they have to make, especially on the power play. But their performance at five-on-five over the final two periods should have them feeling encouraged heading into a crucial Game 2 on home ice.
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Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Stat Cards
