Devils Scrape Out a Point in 3-2 OT Loss to Rangers
It wasn't their best performance, but the New Jersey Devils managed to earn a point in a game where they probably didn't deserve one.
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There have been some good moments from the New Jersey Devils over their last two games. Even in a 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Rangers last night, they did some things well, but they did just a little bit more to lose the game.
Jack Hughes had a two-point game, but made careless decisions in overtime. The Devils, as a team, had a poor third period, but Jacob Markström bailed them out. Here are three takeaways from the loss.
Devils Doing Just a Bit More to Lose Games
The Devils have had the Rangers' number this season, outscoring them 10-1 coming into last night's matchup. But you knew things wouldn't be as lopsided the third time around.
Adam Fox opened the scoring on the power play after Kurtis MacDermid took an offensive zone penalty. Fox's shot took a deflection off Johnathan Kovacevic's stick, so he got a bit lucky. Still, the Rangers got out to a 1-0 lead, something they hadn't done against the Devils this season.
To the Devils' credit, they responded with goals from Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt to make it 2-1. But the Rangers answered with another power-play goal to tie it at 2-2.
The Devils' penalty kill has been excellent this season, but an unfortunate bounce and a perfect rebound opportunity on both kills led to Rangers goals. Sometimes, that's how it goes, especially when you take an inopportune penalty.
However, the Devils couldn't shift the tides after giving up that second power-play goal. The Rangers were the better team in the third period, and it wasn't close. Had it not been for Markström, they wouldn't have secured a point.
In overtime, Jack Hughes made a couple of poor decisions, one of which led to Sam Carrick's game-winning goal. Hughes admitted after the game that he made a couple of bad plays, but that's what happens when the team is in a slump. They will get out of it at some point, but they're doing just a little more to lose games right now.
Markström Was Excellent
Markström got off to a slow start with the Devils, but boy, has he been awesome lately. The Devils played a pretty solid game in a 3-2 win against the Seattle Kraken, but Markström made plenty of high-danger saves, three of which made it to the NHL's official Twitter account.
Markström didn't rack up the highlight-reel saves against the Rangers as he did against the Kraken, but he was still excellent. That was especially true in the third period when the ice was mostly tilted in favor of the Rangers.
Vincent Trocheck had a couple of grade-A chances in the third, but Markström denied him on both. Even in overtime, Markström robbed Artemi Panarin on a breakaway by flashing the leather and denied Mika Zibanejad on another breakaway before Carrick eventually scored the winner.
Even though Markström gave up three goals, he still saved 0.86 goals above expected while going 10/11 on high-danger shots. There wasn't anything he could have done about the goals he gave up, and he kept the Devils in that game.
Last season, there's probably zero chance the Devils steal a point from a game like that with their goaltending. Markström has been a difference-maker, especially as of late, and stealing points — even if it's just one — could make a difference when playoff races begin heating up in about a month.
Mercer Should Be With Hischier & Meier
The Devils need to add a scorer or two ahead of the trade deadline, but for now, head coach Sheldon Keefe should maybe consider making a change to his top six.
You may have thought I'd suggest something around Timo Meier based on what I tweeted yesterday, but that's not entirely the case. While Keefe should make a change to that line, it should be swapping Dawson Mercer and Stefan Noesen.
It's a bit of a predicament because Mercer has looked good with Paul Cotter and Justin Dowling the last two games, but the Devils' top six could use more scoring pop. And of their options, Mercer is the only player who makes sense.
For starters, Mercer seems to finish his chances when he's on the ice with Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes; his goal against the Kraken came when he was on the ice with Hischier and Meier. He's also been playing well since the Christmas break and seems deserving of a promotion up the lineup.
Stefan Noesen has two points and no goals in his last seven games. I'm sure Keefe likes what he brings to the top line, but Mercer has a bit more scoring upside. Plus, I'm sure Noesen would do just fine on a line with Cotter and Dowling.
The Devils need more goals, and giving Mercer an opportunity with better scorers may be their best and only option until they make a trade, especially since the lack of top-six scoring is part of why they're 1-4-1 in their last six games.
Quick Hits
Teams seem to have figured out the Devils' power play. The Rangers were applying heavy pressure on whoever had the puck yesterday, and it appears other teams are doing the same to stop the motion-based activity. Jeremy Colliton and Keefe will need to make adjustments and help the power play get going again because the Devils don't score enough at five-on-five to have a power play that’s four for its last 22.
I'm not about breaking up the Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce pairing yet, but they had another rough outing. Pesce finished with the worst expected goals share (xG%) among Devils skaters at 27.54 percent, while Hughes was at 46.89 percent. As a pair, they had a 29.7 xG% and were on the ice for 11 scoring chances against. Their struggles since the Christmas break are a significant reason the team hasn't looked the same, so they need to get going.
While the Devils could use another bottom-six forward, Cotter has seemingly come alive. He was one of the team's best players last night and did great work on the forecheck and behind the net; he led Devils skaters in xG% at 85.04 percent. The third line has looked better in the last two games, so hopefully they can sustain it.
Devils Game Score Chart
Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick