Take one step forward, two steps back. That has been the theme of the New Jersey Devils season so far, and a season of inconsistency continued on Thursday night when the Devils fell short to the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 2-1. The Devils had built a lot of momentum going into this game, and they dropped the ball.
The Power Play Woes Continue
The Devils' power play has been hard to watch. In their last 11 games, the Devils are a dreadful 2-for-34 on the man advantage. After having one of the best power plays in the National Hockey League to begin the season, it seems like it has all gone south.
Many issues stem from the power play. The Devils make it hard on themselves with their zone entries on the Power Play. They constantly have defenseman Luke Hughes take the puck to the far blue line and perform a drop-back pass to his brother, Jack Hughes. It doesn't make much sense when looking at it, and it kills valuable power play time.
A big issue is that they also need more pucks to the net on the power play. The Devils often pass the puck around in the opposing team's zone and look for the perfect opportunity, but all it takes is getting pucks to the net and burying rebounds. That is the sole reason the Devils got a power play goal in Thursday's game from former L.A. King Tyler Toffoli on a rebound in front. They need to do more of that going forward.
The Devils have given up six shorthanded goals this season, one of the worst ranks among all NHL teams. That issue continued last night. In the second period, Kings forward Anze Kopitar flipped the puck down the ice, which passed Luke Hughes, who was flat-footed. Then, Kings forward Adrian Kempe was able to get past Hughes and had a prime scoring chance, which Devils goalie Nico Daws denied, but Anze Kopitar was there to bury the rebound for the shorthanded goal. This was an inexcusable occurrence that happened.
New Jersey need to adjust and figure out how to start capitalizing on their power play opportunities again. The power play was a big reason why the Devils won games earlier in the season. The Power Play is now a big reason why the Devils are losing games.
Nico Daws Looked Stellar
Devils Goaltender Nico Daws has stepped up in the absence of Vitek Vanecek, who is dealing with a lower-body injury. Daws looked terrific in Thursday night's game against the Kings, stopping 27 out of 29 shots. Daws finished the game with an outstanding +2.1 goals saved, which was above expected, according to MoneyPuck.
It seemed like he was the only Devils player that came to play in this game. Without him, this game could've gotten out of hand as Daws made big save after big save. He bailed the Devils countless times throughout the game.
Something that stands out about Daws is how strong his glove is. Daws' ability to use his glove to make saves is very noticeable and he continued to prove that in this game. Some of the biggest saves Daws made in this game were with his glove. His rebound control has also been strong, and that is due to his ability to catch the puck with his glove.
Daws has a .944 save percentage in his last three games and a 1.70 goals-against average. Daws has looked almost flawless ever since taking over for Vanecek. The Devils must feel good to be getting quality goaltending for a change.
The Devils Find Ways to Lose
It feels like it is a new excuse whenever the Devils lose. Thursday night, it was because of the power play. Another night could be goaltending, poor defensive play, taking too many penalties, or not finishing scoring chances.
That's what this season has been for Jersey's team. They are one of the best teams on paper, no doubt. But they more often find ways to shoot themselves in the foot and lose games rather than finding ways to win games.
The Devils have lost nine games this season by one goal. The Devils need to be able to finish out more of these games.
Just when the Devils are getting great goaltending, there has to be some other issue holding them back. It seems like there always has to be a problem with this team. The Devils can't afford to deal with these problems much longer, as they are in the mix for a playoff spot. They have to figure it out and win as a team.
It was a diminishing loss that the Devils had Thursday night to the Kings, but they have to move on. The Devils are just two points out of a playoff spot. They need to start putting points together.
"...at the end of the day, you need points and you need to climb the standings," Devils Forward Tyler Toffoli said after Thursday night's loss to the Kings.
The Stadium Series is NEXT!
The Devils have potentially the biggest game in front of them coming this Saturday. It is the NHL Stadium Series game where the Devils will take on the Philadelphia Flyers at MetLife Stadium. It is not just a big game because it takes place outdoors in front of 60,000+ fans, but it is also crucial that the Devils take this game to climb up the standings and gain some ground on the Flyers, who have been playing well.
A win Saturday night at MetLife Stadium could do wonders for this Devils team going forward this season.
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