Devils' Lack of Finish the Story Again in Loss to Stars
The New Jersey Devils outplayed the Dallas Stars but couldn't find the back of the net often enough in the 4-2 loss
There are no moral victories this late into the season. The New Jersey Devils need to win a game where they outplay their opponent as they did last night against the Dallas Stars, but the process was certainly better than before the 4 Nations Break.
Jack Hughes nearly brought the Devils back with a masterful performance in the third period, but the lack of finish was the story of the night once again in the 4-2 loss.
Devils Need More From Players Not Named Hughes, Hischier or Bratt
It's beating a dead horse at this point, but when Hughes and Jesper Bratt don't score, the Devils don't get much scoring outside of Nico Hischier. There's too much deadweight on the roster, especially in the bottom six, but some players aren't performing up to par.
Timo Meier may be the unluckiest player in the NHL, but he needs to start converting the chances he's creating. He had a golden opportunity to get the Devils on the board in the second period, but he couldn't lift the puck off the ice, and Casey DeSmith made the save with his left pad.
Meier has 15 goals and 38 points in 56 games — a 22-goal, 56-point pace over 82 games. I know the underlying metrics are fantastic, but he ultimately needs to turn them into points. He has just one goal in his last 17 games. They need more from him.
The good news is that Meier is creating chances, and I can't imagine he continues shooting 2.5 percent as he is over his last 17 games. I'd like to tell you the dam bursts for him eventually, but I can't say that with 100 percent certainty this late into the season.
Dawson Mercer, on the other hand, is not creating the chances that Meier is. Not even close. Mercer had zero shots on goal last night, though I'll hear arguments playing him alongside Erik Haula and Paul Cotter will not optimize his talents.
Still, the Devils need more from Mercer. I'd trade him to Seattle for Jared McCann and not even think twice about it, but I imagine the Devils intend on keeping him past the trade deadline. If so, he needs to be much better.
The Devils can't rely on Hughes, Bratt and Hischier to score every goal. Other players need to contribute, and it starts with Meier and Mercer finding the scoresheet more consistently.
Jack Hughes Was Dynamite
If you thought Jack Hughes would be tired after playing for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-off, think again. If he was, he didn't show it, as he was dynamite all night long.
Even when the Devils weren't finishing their chances through the first two periods, Hughes was facilitating offense and creating grade-A opportunities. He was finally rewarded in the third period with two goals (one on the power play, one at five-on-five) to help get the Devils back in the game.
Overall, the Ondřej Palát, Hughes and Bratt line had a whale of a game, finishing with a 20-4 shot attempt advantage and an expected goals share (xG%) of 61.81 percent.
Sheldon Keefe stacked his top line in the third, placing Bratt, Hughes and Hischier together to look for some offense, and it worked. The Devils scored at five-on-five with those three as a unit, but it also speaks to the lack of depth on this team.
Imagine Hughes and Bratt with McCann or Rickard Rakell on their line. I imagine offense wouldn't be hard to come by, and pushing Palát down the lineup would, in theory, help the Devils' depth.
Luke Hughes & Nemec Struggled Again
Keefe was asked about the Luke Hughes and Šimon Nemec pairing last night, and his answer was, "Yeah, not very good."
Nemec was at fault for the Stars' first goal, as he got pulled well out of position along the wall and left Hughes by himself to defend two Stars forwards in the blue paint.
Keefe was clearly not a fan of Nemec's game, as Nemec took just one shift in the third period when the Devils were trailing and needing a goal. The strength of his game is offensively, and for Keefe to bench him in the third when the team was trailing and needing goals shows he doesn't have much confidence in Nemec.
Nemec finished with a woeful 26.09 xG%, and it would not shock me if Keefe turned to Seamus Casey against the Nashville Predators tonight. Nemec has not played well since Jonas Siegenthaler's injury, and it's hard to imagine Casey being worse.
Quick Hits
The Devils need to find an Erik Haula replacement, and soon. He was at fault for Matt Duchene's back-breaking goal that put the Stars up 3-1, and he was arguably the Devils' worst skater last night; his 15.21 xG% indicates as much. Overall, the third line was an abomination yesterday, and it starts with Haula being a liability at center. They need someone who can drive play better than him.
Dougie Hamilton had a vintage Dougie Hamilton game last night. He fired eight shots on goal, and the Devils finished with a 35-15 shot attempt advantage with him on the ice at five-on-five. He even had more shot attempts and scoring chances than Jack Hughes did at all strengths. If Hamilton plays like that more often, the Devils' offense should come alive a bit until they make some additions ahead of the trade deadline.
Jack Hughes and Keefe mentioned it post-game, but there was plenty to like about last night's contest. The process was much better than any game they played in the previous month before the 4 Nations Break. They will get better results if they play like that more consistently, even without some trade deadline help, though that's much-needed. Don't get me wrong.
Game Score Chart
Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick