The New Jersey Devils’ solid start to the preseason continued last night against the New York Rangers, with a 3-2 win over their Hudson River rivals. The Devils rested many of their top players, especially up front. But despite the Rangers leading 41-27 in shots, they played a solid preseason game. Here are the main takeaways ahead of their tilt against the Philadelphia Flyers tomorrow night.
Schmid & Källgren Showed Well in Net
There were some question marks about the Devils’ goaltending heading into the 2023-24 season. Would Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid be enough to lead the team on a deep playoff run? While preseason games should always be taken with a grain of salt, Schmid may have started to answer some questions last night against the Rangers.
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The Devils got off to a solid start and had the run of play through the first half of the first period, thanks to an early power play that helped the team gain some momentum even though they didn’t score. But the Rangers soon dialed up the heat, peppering Schmid with plenty of quality scoring chances.
Schmid faced plenty of work during the second period in particular, as the Rangers generated 1.92 expected goals at all strengths. He stood up to the task, saving all 10 Rangers shots on goal during the frame and all 19 he faced before checking out of the game with 10:37 left in the second, as planned.
Schmid ended the night by stopping 2.31 goals above expected. He looked like he was in midseason form, making some of the acrobatic saves he became known for making a season ago. And he wasn’t the only Devils goalie who played well last night.
Erik Källgren, who the Devils signed to a one-year deal this offseason, played the second half of the game and made 19 saves on 21 shots. He gave up 0.61 more goals than expected but was still solid and made a few quality saves on Rangers’ scoring chances. He’ll likely be the Devils’ No. 3 option behind Schmid and Vitek Vanecek, but he’s been solid in his two preseason appearances.
Nemec Continues to Impress
Šimon Nemec played well in the Devils’ preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens and followed that up with another solid outing against the Rangers last night. He finished with one assist and made several plays that caught your attention in a good way.
On the Devils’ first goal, which Tyler Toffoli scored, Nemec made a quick cross-ice pass that Toffoli initially bobbled. But he eventually controlled the puck and put it past Igor Shesterkin:
Note Nemec’s patience on this pass. He waited until he had a seam to hit Toffoli with the puck, a nod to his impressive hockey IQ. Not only did Nemec show off some playmaking ability, but he wasn’t afraid to shoot the puck and even forced Shesterkin to make a flashy glove slave on a one-timer in the first period.
Nemec isn’t just an offensive defenseman, though. There weren’t many defensive lapses and plenty of good, like a play early in the second period when he stepped up in the neutral zone and forced a Rangers turnover. Colin Miller, who played last night, will likely start the season as the team’s third-pair defenseman on the right side over Nemec, but it appears he isn’t far off from being NHL-ready.
Bratt, Hughes & Toffoli Showed Chemistry
The Devils rested many of their top-nine forwards against the Rangers, but fans did get their first look at the Jesper Bratt, Jack Hughes and Toffoli line in a preseason game. As mentioned, Toffoli opened the scoring, but Bratt added the go-ahead goal just 26 seconds into the third period.
Of the Devils’ four lines last night, the Bratt, Hughes and Toffoli unit was the only one to finish above water in expected goals percentage (xG%), finishing at 61.15 percent. They generated six scoring chances and were really the only line to sustain some offense at five-on-five.
It may take some time for Toffoli, who the Devils acquired from the Calgary Flames this summer, to adjust to playing with Bratt and Hughes and getting used to their tendencies. But it’s easy to see the potential between the three. Expect head coach Lindy Ruff to give them more runway together for the rest of the preseason.
Devils Quick Hits
- Kevin Bahl’s solid start to the preseason also continued last night. He finished with a 50.61 xG% at five-on-five paired alongside John Marino and performed well defensively. He also showed a bit of offensive flair with a backhanded saucer pass that ended up being the primary assist on Bratt’s go-ahead goal. If he plays like that alongside Marino moving forward, there’s a chance Ruff could stick with them as a defense pair to start the regular season.
- Nolan Foote may have struggled defensively yesterday, but he showed some offensive pop. He made a nifty pass to spring Graeme Clarke in alone on Igor Shesterkin, who made a right-toe save on Clarke. Foote also had a few quality chances on the power play, but Shesterkin denied him each time as well. The defensive struggles aren’t much of a concern since his line of Clarke and McLeod operated as the second unit against a fairly talented Rangers lineup. But Foote’s offensive potential is the bigger takeaway heading into the rest of the preseason.
- After losing Andrew Brunette to the Nashville Predators, the Devils hired Travis Green to replace him as an assistant. He’ll oversee the power play, and so far, the returns have been positive. The Devils didn’t score a power-play goal last night, but their puck movement was crisp and sharp. They generated 0.76 expected goals, seven scoring chances, and five high-danger chances in just two power-play opportunities. We know the team has the talent to have a lethal power play, but it appears the system is in place too.
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