From Snakebitten To Predator: Haula’s Production Helps Devils Take Series Lead
During the Devils’ surprisingly roaring start over the first third of the season, one player was conspicuously absent from participating in the fun.
Erik Haula recorded just one goal over New Jersey’s first 30 games despite sharing the ice with the electric Jack Hughes for the majority of his minutes. It wasn’t for a lack of trying—Haula was averaging 15.73 shot attempts per 60 minutes, the sixth-most on the team, per NHL.com. The puck just wouldn’t go in, even off the most glorious scoring chances. “Oh, Haula” became a familiar refrain on Devils Twitter.
But there was a reason why Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald wanted Haula from the Bruins when he offloaded underperforming former No. 6 overall pick Pavel Zacha last summer. Haula brought 61 career playoff games to New Jersey, a young team whose core included many players who had limited or no such experience.
And when the Devils got down. 2-0 in their best-of-seven first round series to the Rangers, they needed the veterans they acquired in the offseason—Ondrej Palat, John Marino, and Haula—to lead them out of the hole by example.
Haula, whose stick got hot towards the end of the regular season to finish with 14 goals, has been front and center in contributing to New Jersey’s three consecutive wins, including Thursday’s 4-0 domination at Prudential Center, the first home team victory of the series. Reunited with Hughes, Haula is now up to five points in the postseason after notching two goals and an assist against Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin, who probably played his best game of the series even though it was the first time he was responsible for as many as three goals against (Haula’s second goal of the night was on a 150-footer into an empty net).
With New Jersey up, 1-0, early in the second period on a fluky Palat goal in the game’s first minute, the Devils were given a power play. After the first unit continued its series-long struggles, Haula jumped on the ice as the man advantage was winding down. Devils defenseman Damon Severson did a masterful job holding the puck along the blue line before backhanding a pass to Dawson Mercer at the bumper spot. As Mercer turned to shoot, Haula already knew where he had to be—taking Shesterkin’s eyes away at the net front. Mercer’s shot was deflected by Haula and, in another bit of puck luck, squeezed past Shesterkin and into the net. It was Haula’s second power play goal of the series, both from the dirty areas.
Ten minutes later, Haula helped take the life out of the Rangers while the Devils were shorthanded. He picked up a mishandled puck at his own blue line and led a 2-on-1 rush with Dawson Mercer. As savvy Rangers defenseman Adam Fox moved over to him, Haula perfectly saucered the puck to Mercer, who buried it with a wicked one-timer for his first-ever playoff goal.
The game was pretty one-sided thereafter, with Shesterkin keeping the score at 3-0 with a half dozen or so dazzling saves during a third period where New Jersey owned a 20-2 shots on goal advantage. On New York’s best scoring chance, Haula dove into the crease after Rangers star forward Artemi Panarin’s slot shot caromed off the left post and rolled across the goal line. Haula’s extra effort preserved the shutout for Devils rookie goalie Akira Schmid.
It was that kind of heads-up play in the defensive zone that motivated Devils Head Coach Lindy Ruff to pair Haula with Hughes in the first place. Having Haula on the line relieves Hughes from such coverage chores as well as faceoff responsibilities (Haula is winning 54.3% of his draws in this series, which was his regular season rate, while Hughes has gone from a dreadful 35.3% win percentage to a more respectable 46.2% on 26 postseason draws).
The odd thing about having a snakebitten Haula play in a top six role was that Hughes’ lines actually had better offensive numbers with Haula than without, according to NaturalStatTrick.com, both in terms of expected goals for percentage and actual on-ice goals differential at five-on-five. The duo shared the ice for just 48:16 in the Devils’ 33 games after the All-Star game, during which Hughes experienced a mini-slump (for him).
The only goal on Thursday where both players were involved was on Palat’s, and that occurred after Haula was kicked out of the offensive zone faceoff circle. Hughes lost the draw so badly that the puck went directly into Shesterkin, who was forced to give up a juicy rebound right to the stick of Palat. Fox blocked Palat’s shot, but it went up and over Shesterkin to give New Jersey the early lead.
Haula’s value, though, comes from being able to play in all situations. He was on the ice for all four New Jersey scores—one each at even strength, on the power play, while shorthanded, and the 5-on-6 empty-netter.
So while Zacha finally started to live up to his potential in Boston this season, posting career highs in goals, assists, and points, something that didn’t seem like it would ever happen in New Jersey, the Devils have been getting what they needed out of their return piece—a player who has been instrumental in showing his younger teammates the way at this new time of year.