For weeks, we’ve been watching as several Devils have been doing the little things that help win hockey games. Connor Brown has become a mongoose around the net, mixing it up with energy in close and being rewarded with goals. Cody Glass has been forechecking like a machine, forcing opposing defenders to move faster and causing turnovers that lead to Devils chances. Even Jack Hughes, the Devils’ most dangerous scoring threat, has been backchecking like his life depends on it. All over the ice, the Devils are
doing things that don’t necessarily end up on the scoresheet, but are some of the most critical things that contribute to wins.
Since the beginning of the season, the poster child for this kind of hockey has been Timo Meier. Timo has been using his big frame to cause havoc in front of opposing goalies, gotten his stick in passing lanes above the dots in the defensive zone, and taking the body on forwards in the neutral zone. That said, Timo has caught some flack this season for not getting on the scoresheet like some believe he should. He’s been firing away, but despite playing some damn good hockey, just hasn’t lit the lamp yet. Tonight, that changed.
Timo busted out tonight, potting two goals to go along with goals by Nico and the utility knife, Connor Brown. If he can use this game as a launching pad to start racking up goals while still playing a complete game like he has been, he will be a real… Swiss army knife.
I’m so sorry. I couldn’t help myself.
Onto the game.
First Period
The game started relatively slowly with neither team registering a shot on goal through the first four minutes of play. Even almost 14 minutes into the game, each team had only taken three shots on the opposing netminder. For their part, the Devils’ shots to this point had largely been kept to outside the faceoff dots, with Anthony Stolarz handling the long-range pucks with relative ease. Same in the Devils’ end, where most shots came from the point, and Hellebuyck kicked out most rubber with little drama.
Aside from a few weird bounces that led to shots in close at funky angles, everything was pretty even-keel throughout the opening period. Just a quiet beginning to the game.
The Devils outshot the Leafs 7-4 in the first, but both teams go scoreless. We go into the locker room knotted at 0.
Second Period
The second period began much faster than the first, with the Devils looking particularly energetic. I mention it in a little more detail below, but Jesper Bratt had a strong move to the net that started from the right point. When a player can start his drive to the net from where some players tee-up point shots, you know he has a strong stride. In any event, Bratt’s move inside was saved.
But soon thereafter… it was Timo time!
Off an offensive zone draw to Stolarz’s right, Nico wins the puck back to Declan Chisholm who sends a dart across toward the center of the ice. While the scrum at the dot was going on (including the Leafs’ McCabe and Nylander running into one another), Timo Meier quietly drifted toward the middle of the ice, between the hash marks. Chisholm’s dart made its way through some players to Meier who took one of the most “this-puck-better-go-into-the-back-of-the-frigging-net” follow-throughs I’ve ever seen. Timo absolutely unloaded on Chisholm’s pass, and it did indeed find the back of the net. Timo’s heating up! 1-0, Devils!
After the goal, the Devils started firing from everywhere, trying to test Stolarz. Timo started feeling it, shooting from outside the dot. Evan Rodrigues took a shot from just about on the boards. Just rubber flying from everywhere. I really liked seeing this; old Devils teams would sit back and grip their sticks a bit harder after getting a lead. This team seems to smell blood in the water when they get a lead.
This approach paid off at the 12:44 mark, when Jack Hughes took a drop pass from Jesper Bratt between the circles and made a quick move to the center of the ice where he took a quick, heavy shot on goal. Timo Meier, he of the big body, was camped in front of the net and managed to get a stick on Jack’s shot, deflecting it upward and into the net. After having only scored one goal to this point in the season, Timo is on the scoresheet with two! Devils lead, 2-0!
Although I’ve been talking up Timo in this recap, the latter minutes of the second period really went to Connor Hellebuyck, who did well to keep rebounds wide and kick the puck out when there was any danger. He only faced a handful of shots through two periods, but none of that handful felt truly dangerous. To this point in the game, Connor and Timo have the Devils looking firmly in control. Everyone goes into the intermission to get orange slices with the Devils up 2-0.
Third Period
Early in the third period, Jack Hughes snuck in behind the Toronto defense to collect a bouncing home-run pass and get a breakaway on Stolarz, who made an excellent glove save on Jack’s shot.
A few minutes later, Jack shows how much his game has grown in the last year. Of course, we expect him to get those breakaways and give fits to opposing goalies. Tonight, just after the five-minute mark in the third period while the Devils were on a power play, the Leafs had the opportunity to break up ice for a shorthanded try. Except there was one Devil back to responsibly cover for his defenders… Jack Hughes. I absolutely love seeing this from Jack. Although Toronto got the shot off, it was easily handled by Hellebuyck. Just a huge, responsible play by someone we’re seeing mature into a complete player.
Around the eight-minute mark, Hellebuyck makes one of his best saves of the night, robbing Auston Matthews with a quick glove. If Matthews scores there, it changes the entire complexion of the game. Instead, just over a minute later, Nico Hischier buries a rebound on a post-toe-drag shot by Jack Hughes to put the game out of reach. The Swiss-trick makes it 3-0, Devils!
To close out the game, Cody Glass absolutely outhustled Gavin McKenna to get to a loose puck along the boards, which he then dished to Connor Brown at the center of the ice. Brown made no mistake from long distance, burying the dagger for the final goal of the game. Brown will be on the scoresheet, but that goal was all Cody Glass and his hustle. Regardless, 4-0, Devils! Game!
Another two points for the Devils, and Connor Hellebuyck gets his first shutout in a Devils sweater.
Helle yes! Let’s keep it rolling!
Random Impressions
Zen and the Art of Goaltending, by Connor Hellebuyck
In my preview for this game, I wrote that one of the things that Connor Hellebuyck seems to bring to the Devils is a measure of confidence. Since he arrived in New Jersey, it looks to me like the Devils play with a bit more enthusiasm than they do in front of Jake Allen. This is not to say that Jake Allen is a bad goalie. As I noted in my preview, he’s served admirably in New Jersey. It’s just that Hellebuyck’s goaltending style seems so calm and measured, and that poise rubs off on his teammates in front of him.
Having played goal, I know how hard it can be to find the balance between cutting the angle on a shooter and being cognizant of players on your periphery that could score easily on a rebound. Goalies are in a constant state of trying to reduce the amount of net a shooter can see while also accounting for other potential threats. Hellebuyck’s movements in net are minimized because has mastered this balance. I can’t think of another goalie in recent memory that effectively plays the geometry of the position as well as he does.
This is where I think his effectiveness, and in turn his teammates’ confidence, comes from. He plays his angles perfectly and has fantastic rebound control. Because he doesn’t need to worry about easy rebounds falling to opponents, he can be more aggressive at the top of his crease and take away huge parts of the net for his opponents to shoot at. Because of that, he doesn’t need to move much to make saves.
Someone in the comments said that Hellebuyck makes difficult saves look easy by barely moving when he makes them. That’s the mark of a great goaltender. We already knew he was special, but now that I see him up close in the red and black, I think he has taken the Devils to another level.
Jesper Bratt is Really, Really Fast
I don’t want to spend too much time stating the obvious, but Jesper Bratt’s rush to the outside with his power move to the net during the second period showed the kind of jets he has. Jack gets most of the praise for his skill and speed, but I firmly believe that Bratt is nearly at his level.
Much like Timo, Bratt has caught some criticism about not scoring like he should (and passing much more often than he should), but even during a “slow” start to the season, his speed and stick-handling have him toward the top of the Devils roster in terms of points. It seems like only a matter of time before he breaks out as well.
And if the Devils can get simultaneous and consistent scoring from Jack, Nico, Timo, and Bratt… I’d take them against any team in the league.
This is Fun
Nothing profound here. I’m just really enjoying a sustained stretch of Devils hockey for the first time in what seems like a long time. It rules.
From Chris — An Incredible Photo of the Night
This is an inclusion from Chris: I really love these old-school style photos. Credit to Mark Blinch for a great photograph of Timo Meier and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. There were a few more shot in this style during the game, but this is probably the best action photo that Blinch got with it.
Up Next
Connor Hellebuyck returns to Winnipeg as the Devils take on the Jets on Tuesday at 7:00PM
Let’s go, Devils!
