How A Fourth-Liner Has Been A Bastian Of Success For The Playoff-Bound Devils
11-7 = Suboptimal Lineup Configuration
When Devils fourth-line right wing Nathan Bastian missed 22 games earlier in the season with a shoulder injury, including all of December’s matches. the red-hot Devils cooled off a bit, going 11-8-3 after an 18-4-0 start.
Coincidence or schedule variance? Maybe.
Bastian unfortunately needed to be shelved again after suffering an upper body injury two weeks ago. New Jersey has won just two of their eight games since after a 5-1 loss at the Islanders on Monday night.
Hmm. Everyone knows that the Devils (46-20-8) go as All-Star center Jack Hughes goes, but the following record splits can’t simply be dismissed:
With Hughes: 44-19-7 (.679 points percentage)
Without Hughes: 2-1-1 (.625 points percentage)
With Bastian: 30-6-3 (.808 points percentage)
Without Bastian: 16-14-5 (.529 points percentage)
Hard to believe, but the Devils, who still boast the NHL’s third-best record, have lost more games than they have won over the not-so-small sample of 35 games that Bastian has been sidelined with an injury or has been a healthy scratch this season.
Not that the Devils would have reversed any of those specific outcomes, including Monday’s loss, had Bastian participated. However, it was clear that the Islanders heaviness advantage in his absence weighed on New Jersey’s remaining smallish skaters. New York finished checks hard, ran into goalie Vitek Vanecek without retribution, and, on their three goals before a pair of empty-netters made the final score look more one-sided than it was, used their physicality to initiate those opportunities.
The Devils did have chances to even the score in the third period—Tomas Tatar’s apparent goal was wiped out since he kicked it in—only to be stoned by Islanders stud goaltender Ilya Sorokin. Still, Sorokin didn’t really have to deal with many screens or deflections, since the Devils had difficulties gaining inside position around the blue paint. All hope ended with 4:35 remaining when Ondrej Palat put the puck on a platter for Islanders wing Kyle Palmieri with an awful backhand pass from below the goal line into the middle of the ice. It was the second tally of the game for the former Devil.
As I’ve written often, Bastian does so many little things that go unnoticed by the average fan. He wins puck battles, blocks shots, and knows how to use his 6-foot 4, 205-pound frame to screen opposing goalies. Sure, he’s not the most skilled with the puck on his stick, his skating can be a bit of a liability when you’re in a fast-paced game, and his production (6 goals and 6 assists) has been minimal. But in the tighter environments that is playoff hockey, he possesses certain ingredients that are necessary for teams to compete at that level.
The good news is that Bastian took part in Monday’s morning skate, so his return could come sooner rather than later. Whether that will be in time for Thursday’s marquee matchup versus the Rangers at the Rock in a game that could determine which team will get home ice advantage for what will almost certainly be a first-round playoff series is unknown.
Bastian may not be even in a top 10 discussion for New Jersey’s MVP, but he has been quite instrumental in their success, nonetheless.
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Ok, let’s stop with the 11/7 lineups.
Devils Head Coach Lindy Ruff has been jumping through hoops so he could keep giving defenseman Brendan Smith ice time over the last two games…and for what?
The Devils had sub-50% numbers in the key advanced metrics in both games with Smith on the ice for an aggregate of 19:01, including two goals against at five-on-five in Saturday’s 5-3 victory over Ottawa. Kevin Bahl, meanwhile, has been much improved over the last month, with the Devils posting a 63.09 expected goals for percentage when he’s been on the ice in his last 13 games.
Ruff has stated that he admires Smith’s intangible contributions in the locker room and on the bench. Great, then make him an assistant coach. His play doesn’t warrant a lineup spot that could otherwise be given to a forward who could help the club with playmaking (Jesper Boqvist) or heaviness on pucks (Nolan Foote).