Devils' 4-1 Loss to Coyotes: Immaturity

Another slow start and sloppy play doomed the New Jersey Devils in a game they should have won.

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Welp, so much for avoiding a letdown. The New Jersey Devils had a golden opportunity to build off an impressive win against the Dallas Stars a couple of nights ago. But like so many times this season, they played down to their competition and lost a game they should have won. Here are three takeaways from the 4-1 loss to the Arizona Coyotes. 

Devils Need to Be Accountable for Immature Play

Interim coach Travis Green made a comment that caught my attention after the game. When asked why the team keeps starting slow, he noted that it's a bit of immaturity. It's a hard league, and if you're not ready to play, it'll come back to bite you. Here's the full quote:

Via Amanda Stein on Twitter

For the 49th time in 67 games, the Devils fell behind 1-0. They did not look like they were ready to play, either. The Coyotes had the better chances to start the first period, and they capitalized on them. Nor was it just one chance, either. 

As we've seen too many times this season, 1-0 turned to 2-0, and so on. They couldn't stop the bleeding, and some sloppy puck play was to blame. Nick DeSimone made a poor decision to try a breakout pass toward the middle of the ice, but a Coyotes skater intercepted the puck. Just like that, it was 3-0 for the home team. 

I don't know if the Devils take teams like the Coyotes for granted, but they have played down to their competition quite a bit this season. They've lost to the Anaheim Ducks and Coyotes twice, the Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks, and Columbus Blue Jackets. All those losses came in regulation, except for the shootout loss to the Coyotes in the second game of the season.  

That's 13 points lost in the standings. Let's say they grab 10 of those. They would be in a playoff spot, and that's without including three losses to the Washington Capitals. This Devils team is clearly not as good as thought to start 2023-24, but to lose 13 points in the standings to projected lottery teams? That's unacceptable.