Rock Solid Defending Has Devils Making Home Ice A Sweet Place To Play
Last season, the Devils held their opponent to fewer than 20 shots on goal five times.
New Jersey’s 4-1 come-from-behind victory over Chicago in Saturday’s matinee marked the fourth game they accomplished that feat in their just-concluded five-game homestand.
I’d say new Head Coach Sheldon Keefe’s system has kicked into high gear.
Now, Saturday’s defensive effort wasn’t their most pure. As the Devils were practically sleepwalking on ice for two-plus periods, the lowly Blackhawks were creating odd-man rushes by the bushel. Only a few friendly caroms off the iron behind goalie Jacob Markstrom, besides the one that bounced off the face of Devils defenseman Luke Hughes and into the net, kept the deficit to 1-0.
Of course, those attempts don’t count as shots on goal.
Eventually, the Devils found their game and overwhelmed the Hawks in the third period with four unanswered goals. It started when defenseman Brett Pesce, a wonderful free agent acquisition by General Manager Tom Fitzgerald, ate up a Hawks entry and Dawson Mercer ended the transition sequence with a slam dunk from the doorstep off a brilliant cross crease pass from Pesce’s defense partner Luke Hughes.
New Jersey then took the lead midway through the frame after the Nico Hischier line pinned Chicago in their own zone for nearly two minutes. Jesper Bratt came on a line change to deliver a big hit that dispossessed the puck from defenseman Wyatt Kaiser along the right wing wall. The puck moved to Pesce, who found Jack Hughes open in the slot and the rout was on. Chicago registered just four shots on goal thereafter. In his postgame press conference, Keefe said it was perhaps his favorite goal of the year.
Even in the games against stiffer competition, including the two defeats, New Jersey defended with purpose. Colorado, with supreme skating Nathan McKinnon darting around the ice, generated just five high danger scoring chances at all strengths last Sunday. Unfortunately, three of them beat Devils goalie Jake Allen and an empty netter sealed the 4-0 loss. The Devils then owned a 64.6% share of the expected goals two nights later, per NaturalStatTrick.com, holding Atlantic Division leader Toronto to just one shot on net in the first period, but dropped a 2-1 decision in overtime.
Remember when the Devils needed a new alarm clock because they struggled to synch their starts with the actual opening puck drop? Here are the first period shots on goal for the last five games:
Devils Opponent
Seattle 15 5
Colorado 10 8
Toronto 16 1
Los Angeles 9 1
Chicago 9 2
Cumulatively, the Devils outscored their last five opponents, 7-3, in the first period. The Kings effort on Thursday was particularly impressive because I don’t think I’ve seen another team play with that kind of suffocating defensive structure—L.A. closed gaps on the Devils’ speediest skaters through the neutral zone with ridiculous precision.
Yet even after they fell behind on a goal that Markstrom would undoubtedly want back late in the second period, the Devils’ resilience allowed them to tie the game up about two minutes later on an Ondrej Palat tip-in of a Jack Hughes shot. The game then reverted to its previous low event form until Hughes got loose in front for the game winner 12:58 into the third period.
Patience and discipline at home. Who would have thunk it? Thanks to limiting the egregious puck management gaffes and other mistakes arising from trying to cheat the game in front of Prudential Center crowds they may have once figured needed to be entertained, the Devils dominated the NST advanced metrics over the homestand span, posting a third-best 62.7% expected goals for share, including 60.2% of the danger chances.
I’m well aware that this isn’t quite a Stanley Cup contender at the moment—the Devils are getting nothing from their bottom six forwards and the goaltending, while improved over the past dreck, hasn’t yet been certified as solid—but If Keefe can get them to consistently play their more disciplined road games at The Rock, that will give them a chance to earn a top seed in the postseason, where home ice will finally be a sweet place to skate.