Devils Suffocate a Smothering Kings Team in 3-1 Win
The New Jersey Devils beat the Los Angeles Kings at their own game in an impressive 3-1 win.
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The New Jersey Devils have been playing some great hockey lately, but the results haven't always followed. For a little while, it looked like that would be the case against the Los Angeles Kings last night. But the Devils stuck with their process and came away with an impressive 3-1 win.
It wasn't the easiest task, as the Kings play a smothering style of defensive hockey, leading to them emerging as one of the better teams in the Pacific Division. But it was the Devils who smothered the Kings en route to the win.
Devils Beat the Kings at Their Own Game
The start of yesterday's game looked similar to the Devils' 2-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. They weren't as dominant as in the Maple Leafs game, but they were better than the Kings over the first 20 minutes.
The Devils got off to a fast start, outshooting the Kings 5-2 through the first media timeout while controlling 86 percent of the expected goals. It would set the tone for the rest of the game, as the Devils dominated two ways at five-on-five.
It wasn't easy getting to the 3-1 final, though. Alex Turcotte had a penalty shot that he fired high and wide when the game was 0-0. And Jordan Spence did give the Kings a 1-0 lead.
A 1-0 lead against the Kings can be like crawling through barbwire with a wool jacket on, but the Devils responded quickly. After Jack Hughes opted to pass a 2-on-1 just seconds before the Kings went up 1-0, he did not pass up on the shot this time. Ondřej Palát redirected the shot and tied the game at one.
That was a big moment late in the second, as the Devils were heavily outshooting and out-chancing the Kings while limiting chances. They just had nothing to show for it. From there, the Devils took over. Palát made a beautiful play on Hughes' goal, which ended up as the game-winner, and Brett Pesce sealed it with a shorthanded tally late in the third.
After not getting rewarded for their efforts in recent games, the Devils finally got a deserved result. They finished with an expected goals share (xG%) of 74.96 percent, and what's most impressive is they did it by playing the Kings' game.
The Devils held the Kings to just 0.76 expected goals at five-on-five and 13 shots on goal at all strengths. The former was the second-lowest the Devils have held a team to this season; they held the St. Louis Blues to 0.67 expected goals in a 3-0 loss.
Sheldon Keefe mentioned the Devils' defense after the game, but their defense has emerged as one of the NHL's best. They held the Maple Leafs to just 14 shots on goal a couple of nights ago and have some of the best five-on-five defensive numbers in the league. That's the sign of a well-rounded team.
Hischier Line Dominated & Locked Down Kopitar
The Timo Meier, Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer line didn't find the scoresheet, but they had a whale of a game, especially in the first period.
Meier was buzzing in the opening frame and had some of the Devils' best chances, but that entire line created opportunities throughout the game. There was one shift early in the first period where the Hischier line, Jonas Siegenthaler and Johnathan Kovacevic got three to four grade-A chances on David Rittich, but he made all the saves.
Meier was particularly great, as he had his skating legs and gave the Kings plenty of trouble defensively, but that whole line finished with an xG% of 91.68 percent and out-chanced the Kings 9-1.
What's most impressive is that Keefe hard-matched Hischier and co. against the Anze Kopitar line. The Devils dominated that matchup, generating 1.19 expected goals and allowing just 0.09 when Hischier was on the ice against Kopitar (92.98 xG%).
Even when Mercer left the game after taking a puck to the face, the Devils still locked down Kopitar's line, with Stefan Noesen taking Mercer's spot. Hischier's unit against Kopitar was a significant reason they held the Kings to just 0.76 expected goals at five-on-five.
Palát Playing Some of His Best Hockey
You can say what you want about Palát's contract. You wouldn't be wrong saying he's not a $6 million player, but he's still a good player. He's shown that over the last couple of games, playing his role in helping the Devils secure three of four points.
Palát doesn't have much flash to his game, but he's complemented Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt well lately. Hughes and Bratt did the hard work on Palát's goal, but Palát went to the net front and cleaned up Hughes' great effort.
And even though Palát isn't flashy, he'll still make a pass as he did on Hughes' goal from time to time. He finished last night with a 69.11 xG% and has an xG% of 60.33 percent over his last ten games. The points are coming, as he has five in his previous six contests, including last night.
The Devils are better when Palát plays well because he improves their depth. We'll see if he can keep it up, but it's hard to complain about his play lately.
Quick Hits
Jacob Markström didn't face much work yesterday, but those games are sometimes harder to stay sharp. The lone goal he gave up was a bit questionable, but he made some timely saves, like the glove stop on Kevin Fiala in the second period. Markström gave up one goal on 1.93 expected goals and was 3/3 on high-danger shots. He was as solid as could be on a night where only 13 shots made it to him.
The Kings did everything they could to stop Jack Hughes, but he still ended up with a three-point night (1 goal, 2 assists). He danced around to find open space and a shooting lane on Palát's goal and went to a high-danger area on his goal. It says plenty that he can come away with three points against one of the stingiest defenses in the NHL.
Siegenthaler and Kovacevic continue to suffocate opponents' top players. Most of their ice time came with Hischier, which helped contribute to the Devils shutting down the Kopitar line. They outdueled Vladislav Gavrikov and Mikey Anderson, who have been one of the best shutdown pairs in the NHL.
Game Score Chart
Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick