Devils Live Up To ESPN’s Billing In Beating Defending Cup Champs
ESPN went all out in attempting to portray Tuesday’s matchup between the Devils and defending Stanley Cup champion Florida as a battle of equals. The broadcast pointed to New Jersey’s first place standing in the Metropolitan Division as evidence.
Um, were they not aware that the Devils, thanks to their early trip to Prague, have now played five more games than their closest division rivals, which explains their heightened point total? Or that if they went by points percentage, New Jersey would merely sneak into the playoffs as the last Wild Card? Or how about the fact that of the Devils’ 10 wins coming into the contest, just three were against teams with a better than real .500 record?
In games versus the expected elite like Toronto, Carolina, and Tampa Bay, the Devils have mostly folded. Making matters worse, they also coughed up some bankable points by dropping games to Detroit, Calgary, and, most recently, to then league-worst San Jose at home.
To suggest that the Devils had more than a puncher’s chance on the road against a Panthers squad that had won seven straight was a hard-core hype job. During the second period, with New Jersey nursing a fragile 1-0 lead, ESPN analyst Ray Ferraro accused the Devils of employing a rope-a-dope boxing strategy.
Of course, after Florida tied the score midway through the second period, the Devils went on to play their best spurt of hockey in their season to date, escaping with a 4-1 victory. Since the contest had a playoff feel, it’s only fair that the two clubs will get a day off and go at it again on Thursday.
The Devils (11-5-2) needed to win a game like that, where they weren’t the dominant possession team. They had to learn how to defend with rigor and ensure they cleared the zone when under heavy attack. Florida won over 60% of the draws, including 58% in their offensive zone. They’re a heavy forecheck team that takes away time and space in a nanosecond. This was a hard game, one where you hold onto pucks at your own peril.
For the most part, the Devils executed their exit passes with precision, which isn’t something Head Coach Sheldon Keefe could count on in many games this season. The Brett Pesce/Luke Hughes defense pair was fantastic, with Hughes leading the team with a 72.5% expected goals for percentage in 17:28 of five-on-five ice time, per NaturalStatTrick.com. Considering the Panthers owned the various even strength Corsi metrics for the game, that was a major growth effort by the younger Hughes brother.
Obviously, the Devils best defender was their goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who stopped 34 of 35 Florida shots on goal and posted a plus-1.8 goals saved above average, per NST. Since his desultory outing in Detroit on October 24, he’s been one of the NHL’s hottest goalies, ranking third in GSAA among the 48 goalies who have played at least three games in that span.
I get that the Panthers hit iron three or four times and Markstrom received help from his defensemen’s timely blocks (the Devils’ 21 blocks were their third-highest total of the season, per NHL.com), but Markstrom got to every golden chance that went on net other than a Sam Reinhart power play redirection.
The Devils, on the other hand, were more opportunistic, aside from a couple of chances from in close off the stick of Dawson Mercer that were denied by Florida goalie Spencer Knight. All of New Jersey’s goals came off the rush/zone entry, where their top end skill delivered. Jack Hughes, off a marvelous pass from Jesper Bratt, opened the scoring, and then Timo Meier quieted the Sunrise crowd by taking a Mercer feed in on a semi breakaway for the game-winner near the end of the second period. Paul Cotter’s roof job off a Nico Hischier carry and Ondrej Palat’s empty netter sealed the deal.
As noted above, consistency hasn’t been the hallmark of this Devils’ first quarter of the season. The possibility exists that Tuesday’ performance won’t be a springboard, but a momentary high tide with the potential to come crashing down through the next 10 days, where games at Tampa Bay, at home versus Carolina, and at Washington loom following Thursday’s rematch.
For the Devils to live up to ESPN’s lofty prediction of being a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, they can’t afford to let one excellent win be a one-hit wonder.