Devils' 3-2 Win vs. Kraken: Markström Stops the Bleeding
Jacob Markström only faced 24 shots, but the New Jersey Devils don't defeat the Seattle Kraken without his performance.
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Everyone, breathe. It wasn't the prettiest game, but the New Jersey Devils put an end to their four-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Seattle Kraken to conclude their trip out west.
The Devils played better than they had in their previous three games, but Jacob Markström was the story with multiple highlight-reel saves. He only faced 24 shots, but many were of the high-danger variety. Without his performance, the Devils likely don't end their losing streak.
Markström: the High-Danger Save God
It was a late night, so I can't blame you if you didn't watch yesterday’s game. If you're waking up this morning and looking at the box score, you'll probably think Markström didn't have to do much since he only faced 24 shots, but that was not the case.
The Devils got off to a good start, going up 1-0 via a Dawson Mercer goal. They had fallen behind in every game during their four-game losing streak, so getting out to a lead was crucial. Still, the Devils couldn't build on it, with the Kraken tilting the ice over the final 8-10 minutes of the first.
That's when the work began for Markström. The first highlight-reel save came on Oliver Bjorkstrand in the first. The Kraken executed a 3-on-1 close to perfection. It seemed as if they pulled Markström out of position, but he made a great read and cut back across the crease to rob Bjorkstrand of a sure goal with his glove.
Soon afterward, Markström stopped Andre Burakovsky on a breakaway. Had it not been for some of those saves, the Devils would have been trailing entering the second period.
Sheldon Keefe mentioned it after the game, but there were long stretches where the Devils didn't give up much of anything, which was particularly true of the second period. The Kraken generated just 0.13 expected goals in the second, making for one of the Devils' better defensive periods of this road trip.
However, that didn't last in the third. The Kraken knotted the game up at 2-2 on the power play and started to generate some high-danger looks again. The Devils didn't give up much in the third again, but what they did allow was of the high-danger variety.
Once again, Markström stood up to the task. His highway robbery of Eeli Tolvanen on the doorstep may have been the save of the year in the NHL, and he made another dazzling save on Matty Beniers when he sprawled out and batted the puck out of mid-air.
Markström finished the game 9/10 on high-danger shots while saving 0.11 goals above expected. That latter number might seem insanely low, given some of his saves, but aside from some flurries here and there, the Kraken didn't generate much; they had just 13 grade-B chances as opposed to 30 for the Devils.
Still, it doesn't take away from Markström's game. He was outstanding, and the Devils probably return to New Jersey on a five-game losing streak without his performance.
Palát, Hughes & Bratt Carried the Way Offensively
Ondřej Palát scored the game-winning goal for the Devils, but he, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt could have had more. They were the team's best line last night, accounting for many of the Devils' best chances.
Hughes hasn't scored a goal since the team returned from the Christmas break (neither has Jesper Bratt), but you can feel it coming for Hughes. He finished with five shots on goal and six scoring chances, though none were of the high-danger variety.
And even though Hughes didn't score, he made a great pass on Palát's game-winning goal early in the third period. You have to think with the New York Rangers coming up on Thursday that Hughes will break his scoring drought.
Overall, the Palát, Hughes and Bratt line finished with an expected goals share (xG%) of 77.21 percent and out-chanced the Kraken 9-1; they also had a 2-0 edge on high-danger chances.
The Devils could use another scorer, perhaps alongside Hughes and Bratt, but it's hard to deny that Palát, Hughes and Bratt don't work. They control most of the expected goals, and it closely matches their actual goals share (just over 60 percent).
Devils Got Some Depth Scoring
Depth scoring will likely remain a concern until the Devils make a trade, but getting goals from Paul Cotter and Mercer went a long way last night.
Mercer scored a vintage Mercer goal by getting to the net front and cleaning up a Philip Grubauer rebound. Mercer is at his best when he's scoring dirty goals such as those, so he needs to do it more consistently.
It's also worth noting that Mercer was on the ice with Timo Meier and Nico Hischier when he scored that goal. Mercer seemingly needs to be with Hischier or Hughes to be productive, so it's something for Keefe to consider.
As for Cotter, he has three goals in his last five games. He got a bit of a lucky break on his tally, but if there's anyone who could use some puck luck, it's him. He played a solid game, finishing with an xG% of 62.75 percent. The Devils need him to play like that more consistently and not disappear for long stretches because it makes their bottom six that much better.
Quick Hits
Jonas Siegenthaler doesn't play a flashy game, but that's a good thing for a defensive defenseman like him. He was excellent last night, consistently breaking up plays in the neutral zone and standing up at the blue line. He finished with a Game Score of 2.26, fourth among Devils skaters.
Brenden Dillon and Dougie Hamilton have their moments, but not in a good way. Yet, they finished xG shares above 75 percent; Dillon led the team with an 81.58 xG%. I'll be honest, I was surprised to see how good their numbers were based on what I saw from them last night. Hamilton had a couple of defensive breakdowns, and their breakouts weren't always the cleanest. But it goes to show your eyes can deceive you at times.
The Devils played better defensively last night, but there's still work to do. They only gave up 24 shots on goal but still allowed 13 high-danger chances at all strengths. One reason for that last night was because the Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce pair struggled. It was not a great road trip for them, so hopefully returning to the East Coast can help them find a spark.
Devils Game Score Chart
Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Stat Cards