The Matchup: New Jersey Devils (12-5-0 overall, 4-3-0 away) at Toronto Maple Leafs (8-8-2 overall, 4-5-1 home)
The Time: 7:00 PM EDT
The Broadcast: Local TV — MSGSN; Out of Market — NHL Network, Fubo; Radio — Devils Hockey Network
Last Time Out
New Jersey Devils
It wasn’t looking good for the Devils for most of the game, but they managed to pull our an ugly win on the Island. This is one that I think the Devils probably should have had in hand most of the time, but suspect goaltending cursed them in the early periods. A strong showing
in the third period (and the skill of JH in overtime) gave us the win. 50 shots!
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Leafs made it interesting, but they failed to pull out the win against Montreal. More specifically, they were getting entirely bodied for the first two periods before making a game of it in the third, and ultimately folding to the Canadiens. They’re going to come out hungry against the Devils.
What to Watch For
Hughes vs. Matthews
Since he buried the golden goal in the Olympics, Jack Hughes has become a household name in the United States. Somehow, though, he still seems to get second billing to many of the bona fide stars in the NHL. Your McDavids. Your Kucherovs. Your Crosbys. Your Ovechkins. And yes, your Matthewses.
That’s not to say that Jack is an unknown entity in the NHL. The Olympics, coupled with ascension of the other Hughes brothers, has helped to make him more of a name. It just seems like being in Jersey makes him less of a darling than some of the other major names. Games like this help to change that. Whenever the Devils face off against a team with one of the bona fide NHL stars, it’s an opportunity to show that the Devils have arrived. I’ll look for Jack to have another big game against the Leafs. When the lights shine brightest, so does our guy. Look for it again tonight.
The Hellebuyck Factor
Let me be clear – I like Jake Allen. He has been a stalwart in the crease. He’s mentored our younger goalies coming up from Utica. He’s watched while Markstrom put up decent, but not world-beating numbers. He has performed admirably while he’s been in Jersey. That said, the distinction between Allen and clear #1 goalies could not be made more clear than what we’ve seen in the last several games. Watching Hellebuyck cut angles and react to shots with minimal movement and controlling rebounds has been a breath of fresh air. Compared to that, against the Islanders last night, Jake Allen gave up four goals on 23 shots for a .826 SV% against a 3.32 xGA (+0.68), according to Natural Stat Trick.
All I’m saying is watch Hellebuyck. He is providing a much-needed calm presence in the crease that not only saves more goals than expected, but also changes the way that the team plays in front of him. Watch the Devils play today relative to yesterday, and see if you notice them open up in front of the goaltender. To my eye, they seem to play more confidently in front of Hellebuyck compared to Allen.
Just watch them. Let me know what you think in the comments.
Professor K’s Brainy Quote for the Game
The Devils have been outstanding for the last several games. But, success in the NHL is short-lived. It’s very easy to win several games and then drop several. So, my Brainy Quote for the Game relates to the need for the Devils to keep up what they have been doing. I offer the following, then, from Walter Elliot:
“Perseverence is not one long race;
It is many short races, one after another.”
The Devils are on a hot streak, but they need to keep that streak going. As one of my best coaches said, hockey is won shift-by-shift. If you win the shifts, you win the periods. If you win the periods, you win the games. Win those shifts, Devils.
Your Thoughts
What do the Devils need to do to earn more complete wins? Are there any gaps in the Devils’ game that they need to address to keep winning? Have any Devils been falling short of expectations? Tell us in the comments.
Let’s go Devils!
