3 Takeaways From the Devils’ 7-2 Loss to the Bruins

On Tuesday, April 8, the New Jersey Devils hosted the Boston Bruins. This was a big game for the Devils, as they just needed one point to clinch their spot in the playoffs. The Bruins took this personally and won 7-2.

Devils Scored 2 Goals in 29 Seconds

While the Devils were trailing by three goals late into the second period, they scored two big ones to cut Boston’s lead considerably.

On a delayed penalty for Boston, the Devils brought an extra attacker onto the ice. Keeping the puck in the Devils’ offensive zone, Jesper Bratt had the puck at the blue line. He passed to Nico Hischer by the boards. Spotting Daniel Sprong near the net, Hischier passed the puck up to him. Sprong took the shot, which was saved by Jeremy Swayman. Stefan Noesen was also in front of the net on the other side. Noesen picked up the rebound and took the shot to put the Devils on the board.

Shortly after Noesen’s goal, Dawson Mercer was tied up near the boards as Boston tried to steal the puck. In the middle of the scrum, the puck bounced loose and found Erik Haula. Haula took a shot but it deflected off Timo Meier’s stick. With two quick goals, the Devils were making a comeback.

Unfortunately, the comeback was short-lived. These two goals were the only two the Devils scored in the entire game. Boston scored another one to close out the second period, bringing the Devils to a two-goal deficit. The Bruins scored three more in the third period, leaving the Devils with no chance of catching up.

Hughes Gave Up 3 Goals

While it is hard to deny that Luke Hughes has had a stellar performance in the past few weeks, sadly, he didn’t have a great one in this game.

On the first goal of the night for the Bruins, Hughes stole the puck away from Boston. As he tried to skate it into the neutral zone, he attempted a pass to Jesper Bratt. The puck flew off Bratt’s stick and David Pastrnak picked up the loose biscuit. With no one defending him, he skated towards the net and scored. 

In the second period, Hughes received the puck from around the boards. He didn’t hold onto it, though, and Jakub Lauko skated up to Hughes and stole it. On a breakaway, Lauko sent the puck past Jacob Markstrom for the third time that night. 

Related: Bruins Dominate Devils, Ruin Their Potential Clinch in 7-2 Victory

With nine minutes left in the game, the Devils looked desperate as they tried to catch up. The Bruins sent the puck through the neutral zone, and Hughes caught it to try and keep it in the Devils’ offensive zone. He lost control of the puck quickly, and Cole Kopeke skated up to the net to score the seventh goal of the night for Boston. 

With Dougie Hamilton still out due to injury, Hughes has continuously played on the first pairing. He has been racking up the points, earning seven points in his last five games before this one. In this game, he was a minus-3. Hughes took 24 shifts and earned a total time on ice (TOI) of 19:29, which is low for him. 

Hughes has been solid for the Devils in the last month, but everyone has off days.

Devils Should Have Played Allen Sooner

Speaking of off days, Markstrom also had an off performance here. Coming off the shutout victory against the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon, Markstrom looked the best he had since returning from injury. This victory resulted in his fourth win in a row, and it appeared he was gaining his confidence back. Perhaps that all slipped away here. Markstrom let in seven goals last night, for a save percentage (SV%) of .696, resulting in his lowest SV% all season. 

With nine minutes left to go in the game, Jake Allen entered the crease in place of Markstrom. Allen only made two saves in these final minutes of the game. If he had entered the crease earlier, the game might have been a lot closer. 

Devils Staying at Home

The Devils will host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday, April 11 at the Prudential Center. New Jersey will need to be on their A-game as they once again look to clinch a playoff spot.