Devils Secure 2 Crucial Points in 3-1 Win vs. Utah HC
The New Jersey Devils needed those 2 points with the standings tightening up in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
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Every game matters now. With the Columbus Blue Jackets on a four-game winning streak and gaining ground in the standings, the New Jersey Devils won't take any two points for granted. They secured two crucial ones against Utah HC last night, defeating them 3-1.
Timo Meier scored the game-winning goal early in the third period, and Nico Daws was excellent again en route to the Devils beating Utah HC for the second time this season.
Devils Capitalized on Enough Chances
Every game will be a chore until the Devils get more scoring ahead of this week's trade deadline, but they got enough last night. It didn't come until late, but they broke through in the third period with goals from Meier and Curtis Lazar to secure the 3-1 win.
The lack of finishing was a story last night, though not to the extent it's been for most of the season. The Devils had plenty of chances, especially early in the game. They just couldn't convert.
Meier and Nathan Bastian had breakaways in the first period, but Karel Vejmelka made saves on both. Dawson Mercer had a quality chance on the power play, as did Brett Pesce, but Vejmelka made saves on them, too.
In the second period, Ondřej Palát had a point-blank chance when Vejmelka was down and out and sprawled out on the ice. All he had to do was lift the puck into an open net, but he shot it straight into Vejmelka. That about summed up the Devils' finishing woes this season, and Mikhail Sergachev tied it just a few minutes later.
The Devils had six high-danger chances at five-on-five in the first and 11 for the game. For the most part, they are creating opportunities. That's why I'll be less concerned once they acquire a finisher, whether it's Jared McCann or whoever else they're pursuing. Fortunately, it didn't come back to bite the Devils in this one, but the need for a scorer is obvious by now.
Daws Was Excellent Again
Jacob Markström is nearing a return from an MCL sprain he suffered in late March, but there aren't enough good words to describe how well Nico Daws has played backing up Jake Allen in that time.
The Devils didn't give up as many quality chances as they did in the 5-0 shutout win over the Nashville Predators in Daws' last start, but he was still excellent.
Most of Daws' best saves came later in the game, specifically in the third period when Utah was trying to mount a comeback after Meier scored about 15 seconds into the final frame.
Daws made a point-blank save on a Jack McBain redirect to keep the Devils' lead at 2-1, and he robbed Logan Cooley with a post-to-post glove save that would've been a sure Utah goal. That would have made it a 3-2 game, and had that gone in, perhaps Utah would have at least tied it.
Daws finished the night making 24 saves on 25 shots while saving 1.81 goals above expected. He was also 7/7 on high-danger shots and did not allow a low-danger goal.
The Devils have gone 3-0-0 in Daws' starts since Markstrom's injury, with him posting a .966 save percentage and saving 6.9 goals above expected in five appearances. It's a small sample, but it looks like he might be ready to take over the backup role from Allen next season if the Devils can't afford to re-sign Allen this summer.
Luke Hughes Was Outstanding
The Devils will have to lean on their young defensemen until Jonas Siegenthaler returns from an injury. They got a scare when Luke Hughes left the game in the second after an awkward sequence that made it look like he hurt his shoulder. But he returned to start the third period and didn't miss a beat.
Hughes was outstanding last night, and he played in all situations. Sheldon Keefe used him on the penalty kill, with Hughes playing all two minutes of a penalty kill at the end of the first and leading into the second.
Hughes was also dancing around in the offensive zone at the blue line. Nico Hischier's goal that opened the scoring wouldn't have happened without Hughes' play at the blue line. He made a similar move early in the second that resulted in a quality chance, but Vejmelka made the save.
Hughes finished with the best Game Score among Devils skaters and looked solid in his first game as Dougie Hamilton's full-time defense partner. We'll see if they can form chemistry and help the Devils create some offense from the back end while staying sound defensively.
Quick Hits
It wasn't a perfect game from Šimon Nemec, but it was a step in the right direction. He had some lapses on defense, but he was involved offensively and jumped into the rush at the right moments. And even though there were some defensive miscues, he also made some plays, like when he pickpocketed Nick Bjugstad behind the net early in the first period and helped the Devils gain possession. He and Brenden Dillon will give up chances as a pair, but they should be fine if they can limit the goalie-killing chances.
The Devils' third line did improve as the game progressed, but the first two periods were not pretty; all three players were well underwater in expected goals. It's safe to say they will acquire a center over the next week to push Erik Haula down the lineup. Maybe it's Jake Evans. Maybe it's someone else, but a third-line center will go a long way in helping stabilize that unit.
Mercer had one of his better games in recent memory. He made a great stretch pass on Meier's breakaway in the first and set up Meier for the game-winning goal to open the third. Mercer had a couple of quality scoring chances himself, too. The only blip was he came somewhat close to scoring an own goal when the Devils pulled Daws for an extra attacker on a delayed penalty, but otherwise, he played well. The Devils need more of that from him.
Game Score Chart
Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Stat Cards