On Tuesday evening, the New Jersey Devils began their final back-to-back of the year on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs, on the hunt to snap their three-game losing skid. This marked the second time head coach Sheldon Keefe faced his former club this season, following a 5-2 win for the Devils in October. The result of the Scotiabank Arena showdown was a 4-0 victory for the Leafs, as the Devils’ frustrations continue to pile up.
Costly, Careless Penalties
Despite having the momentum early on, the Devils once again fell behind, giving up the first goal 14:21 into the opening period. The cause of their breakdown? A tripping penalty, courtesy of Stefan Noesen. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom made some incredible stops on the penalty kill — including a few highlight-worthy sprawling saves — but it wasn’t enough to keep the Maple Leafs off the board.
Related: Woll Shines as Maple Leafs Shut Out Devils 4-0
It certainly doesn’t help that the Devils have also been having issues on the man advantage. Within their last four games, they’ve been awarded six power plays, but have only capitalized on one of them. Their struggles came to a head during their first power play against the Maple Leafs. After John Tavares took a slashing penalty, the Devils visibly struggled, only firing three shots on goal.
While trying to score the equalizer in the second period, the Devils headed to the penalty kill for a third time, after Arseny Gritsyuk went to the box for a slash. The team fell apart again one second after the penalty expired, as Nicolas Roy gave the Maple Leafs a 2-0 lead with less than six minutes left in the period.
As of right now, the Devils have been handed quite a few losses after their special teams struggled, and their once-dominant penalty kill is quickly falling to the bottom of the league’s standings.
Offense Driven by Defense
Even though the Devils struggled to get on the scoreboard, their blue line contributed a significant amount of offense. Out of their 33 shots on goal, nearly a third of them came from defensemen, including a combined six from Dougie Hamilton and Luke Hughes. It was all hands on deck as they tried to get the puck past Joseph Woll, to no avail.
Colton White continues to be an unexpected bright point in the Devils’ current wave of inconsistencies. He was on the ice for a total of 10 shot attempts, six shots on goal, and four high-danger chances. White’s defensive consistency has been a welcome relief, especially in the absence of Simon Nemec and Johnathan Kovacevic.
Nonetheless, the Devils’ current formula isn’t working. Their game has become shaky and volatile, unable to generate offense while also struggling to suppress opposing scoring chances. They’ve now given up the first goal 22 times this season, and last night marked their third shutout loss in December alone.
Frustrations Continue to Mount
Disappointment and frustration are running rampant throughout the Devils’ lineup. Despite outshooting the Maple Leafs 33-30 and generating 18 high-danger scoring opportunities compared to Toronto’s 10, they continue to struggle with finishing.
But we must give credit where credit is due. Nico Hischier attempted to breathe new life into the team halfway through the third period, not backing down after Matthew Knies shoved and challenged him during the faceoff. The two dropped their gloves and traded punches before being separated by officials. Even though the exchange resulted in stick taps and a five-minute major for both players, the Devils once again dropped the ball. An unlucky deflection off Jonas Siegenthaler’s stick gave the Maple Leafs a 3-0 lead, which was the final nail in the Devils’ coffin.
In his postgame interview, Hischier was despondent, blaming their rough patch on a combination of not scoring goals and not having the right mindset. The Devils’ captain went on to explain how, moving forward, the team has to band together and convert on more scoring chances.
“Obviously, our confidence is not very high, but we have to battle through that…There are other ways to win games. You have to score goals, but we can’t have that in our head going into a game,” said Hischier.
Looking Ahead
The Devils will be back in action tonight, facing the Columbus Blue Jackets in a New Year’s Eve road matchup at Nationwide Arena.
