Devils Stat Attack: An Unexpected Slump
Games 41-50 were not kind to the New Jersey Devils, as a surprise slump brought the team back down to Earth.
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Well, a lot has changed since our last written Stat Attack. The New Jersey Devils are not the wagon they were before the Christmas break, though they have won their two most recent games.
Still, they're only two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for second place in the Metropolitan Division. They've lost some ground on the Washington Capitals, but teams chasing the Devils haven't gained much ground. Where does the team stand after 50 games?
Devils' 5-on-5 Offense Has Regressed
We should start with the Devils' offense because that was their biggest struggle between games 41-50. They averaged just 2.17 expected goals per 60 minutes over that stretch, so it's not surprising they scored just around two goals per game.
Their five-on-five scoring was even worse, as they tallied just 1.67 goals per 60 minutes. So, if you're wondering how they won two out of ten games, there's your answer.
The good news is the Devils' offense may be turning it around. They scored five goals against the Boston Bruins and another four against the Montreal Canadiens. For what it's worth, all four goals against the Canadiens were at five-on-five/full strength. They averaged 3.86 expected goals per 60 across those two games, so there are some signs of life.
Devils Goaltending Doing Their Part
Though the Devils didn't score much between games 41-50, you can't complain about their goaltending. Jacob Markström had a .931 save percentage at five-on-five, while Jake Allen totaled a .932 SV% at that game state.
At all strengths, Markström had a .910 SV% while saving 0.37 goals above expected, and he had a sparkling high-danger save percentage of .882. Even though Allen only made three appearances from games 41-50, he had a .929 SV% and .850 high-danger SV%. Goaltending is holding up, so the Devils should be OK if their offense comes around.
Siegenthaler & Kovacevic Immune to the Slump
The Devils' five-on-five play has fallen off, but the Jonas Siegenthaler and Johnathan Kovacevic pair continues to hold their end of the bargain. Both players were one of only a few Devils skaters with expected goals percentages (xG%) above 50 percent between games 41-50.
It shouldn't be surprising that they remain one of the best shot-suppressing defense pairs in the league. Siegenthaler allowed 1.85 expected goals per 60 minutes, while Kovacevic allowed 1.88 expected goals per 60 from games 41-50.
