Devils' 4-1 Loss to Blues: 3 Takeaways

The New Jersey Devils played a solid game in defeat, even without Jack Hughes, who left the game early in the first after going hard into the boards

The New Jersey Devils have struggled to get wins in the second half of back-to-backs this season, going 0-2-1 after a 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues. 

The score line was deceiving, as the Blues added two empty-net goals in the final minutes. Otherwise, it was a good effort from the Devils, especially after losing their star player. Here are three takeaways as they look to regroup before taking on the Chicago Blackhawks tomorrow night. 

Devils Played Well Without Hughes

It was a sight no one wanted to see. Jack Hughes lost an edge and went hard into the boards early in the first period. He tried to play a couple of shifts, but he ultimately went down the tunnel a couple of minutes later and did not return to the game. 

The Devils were clearly deflated after Hughes' injury; Curtis Lazar said as much to the press after the game. But the team still played well, even after Hughes' injury, and specifically after Lazar's goal to make it a 2-1 game. 

The Blues have struggled at five-on-five all season long, and it showed against the Devils. New Jersey finished controlling 60.97 percent of the expected goals (xG%), with most of that coming without Hughes. 

The Devils created plenty of quality opportunities at five-on-five, finishing with 17 high-danger chances. They just couldn't find the back of the net and missed a few glorious chances. Dawson Mercer shot a puck above the crossbar in the second period, while Tyler Toffoli missed a wide-open net late in the third that would've tied the game. 

Even when the Devils weren't firing at will, they sustained plenty of pressure in the Blues' end. There were a couple of instances in the third period where the Blues couldn't get out of the defensive zone because the Devils kept possession by cycling the puck. 

It's clear the team has Lindy Ruff's system down to a tee, which helps when a player like Hughes goes down. Obviously, you don't want that to be a long-term injury. But the process is there to suggest the Devils can still at least carry play at five-on-five. 

Meier Coming Along

He didn't score a goal last night, but Timo Meier had one of his best games of the season. I know what you might be thinking. Alex, Meier had eight points in six games coming into last night's tilt. What are you talking about?