On October 13, hopes were high as the Devils traveled down the Turnpike and across the Ben Franklin Bridge to open their season against the Flyers. Fresh off a spirited training camp and sterling preseason the Devils rode into Philadelphia with the weight of expectations and hope. The Flyers entered the season expected to be vying for the coveted first overall pick in the 2023 Draft mired in a cap-strapped rebuild and debuting the old school stylings of new coach John Tortorella harkening back to the Broad Street Bullies champions of the 70s.
That night, the Devils headed back across the Delaware River losers of a decisive 5-2 result and questioning whether, despite all the optimism and new additions, this year would be any different than most of the last decade, lacking in any meaningful hockey after the calendar turns to the New Year.
First games are often considered harbingers of what is to come, for the 22-23 Devils the season opener, and the home opening loss to Detroit two days later, were ultimately the catalysts for a transformation of a team that re-entered Philadelphia on December 3, having won 16 of its last 18 games (16-1-1) and riding a franchise tying road winning streak of 10 games.
In many ways, despite the meteoric rise in the standings the Devils still needed to avenge that opening night loss in Philadelphia to demonstrate that they could not be pushed around by a less talented, but heavier, physical team hell-bent on finishing every check in front of and behind the play. As with 19 other contests this year, the Devils answered the challenge and held on for a gritty 3-2 victory shepherded to the result by the spectacular play of backup goaltender Akira Schmid and a moment of brilliance from its superstar Jack Hughes.
Schmid tied Chris Terreri's Devils record for most consecutive wins to begin a season with 5, raising his record this year to 5-0-0 with a .949 save percentage and a 1.49 GAA. Schmid carried the team through a difficult first two periods when they were unable to generate any offense other than a quick Fabian Zetterlund strike of a broken play behind the goal line set up by the voracious forecheck of Miles Wood. (The first of two assists for Wood set up by his forecheck) After the game, the players took turns extolling the play of Schmid and giving him credit for the win.
Miles Wood put it succinctly, "Schmid played great and that was why we won."
Tied 1-1 but being outplayed (shots were 24-12 for the Flyers) the Devils knew that their first 40 minutes were not good enough.
"We were mad at ourselves...what was said after two, you know what we are in a good spot here, let's just try to put it together for 20 and get two here, which is what we did," coach Lindy Ruff said.
Recognizing this Coach Lindy Ruff mixed his lines and shortened his bench to using only three lines leaving the Boqvist, Holtz, Sharangovich, line as spectators for the final period. Energized heading into the third, the Devils struck twice, first when Dawson Mercer, now on the third line with McLeod and Wood, tucked a pass from Wood into a wide open net caused by Wood stripping the puck from Flyers Goalie Carter Hart behind the net.
MERCERRR nets one!
devs lead again 2-1 pic.twitter.com/0zONAS8f3X
— Devils on MSG (@DevilsMSGN) December 4, 2022
The lead grew to 3-1 minutes later on a play where Jack Hughes modeled all the skills that have put him on pace for 95 points. Hughes picked up the puck, skated around Defenseman Ivan Provorov, spinning past the defender and leaving him on the ground, then drove to the goal firing the initial shot off Hart's mask and tucking in the rebound to extend his point streak to five games. (5g 3a) Hughes' goal would end up being the game winner, his third, tying him for the team lead with Nico Hischier.
just give it to JACK HUGHES🔥
devs up 3-1 pic.twitter.com/pz7gxLDgoL
— Devils on MSG (@DevilsMSGN) December 4, 2022
Schmid took care of the rest, shutting down the Flyers in a frantic last minute scramble after he attempted to clear the puck towards the empty net himself. The puck ricocheted back at Schmid and led to a pile up in the crease as the puck squirted harmlessly out the side to the end walls as time expired. The wind was the Devils eleventh in a row on the road setting a franchise record and nearing the NHL record of 12 held by the Red Wings and Wild. The Devils will look to tie the mark when they head across the Hudson to play the Rangers on December 12.
Much of the credit for the win belongs to Ruff as his nimble coaching and ability to adjust on the fly has continued to work. He demonstrated this earlier in the week against the Predators when he was able to adjust to losing Miles Wood minutes before the game by starting the game in an 11/7 formation and then, after seeing how well Kevin Bahl was playing, shifting Brendan Smith to LW to allow the team to roll all four lines against the strong Predators. While the team did not win the game, that adjustment in the second led to the Devils storming back with three goals to take the lead in the first four minutes of the second period.
Throughout the season Ruff has preached to his players the benefits of limiting the length of shifts to allow for speed and durability throughout the game. This philosophy, to which the players have clearly bought in, has lead to the Devils often being the fresher and faster team in the second half of games. While other teams, like the neighboring Rangers, routinely deploy their top players for over 222-25 minutes, the Devils keep the majority of the forwards in the teens. This has manifested in the Devils being +17 in goals scored in the second period alone. The ice time distribution merits watching long term but it appears Ruff has his pulse on the team and they are responding.
NOTES
The Devils won their 20th game of the season in just 25 games, last season it took them 56 games to win 20.
With goals by Zetterlund, Mercer, and Hughes the Devils now have 37 goals by players aged 23 and under this season which puts them 3rd in the NHL behind Dallas and Montreal.
Miles Wood returned from a one game absence due to illness to gain the First Star with two primary assists, it was Wood's third multi-point game of the campaign.
Wood also set a season high with 6 hits on the night matching the aggressive play of the Flyers
Friday, the Devils recalled Andreas Johnsson from Utica as an insurance policy to give the team an extra Forward. It is not clear if he will be deployed but with the benching of Holtz in the third period it is likely to cross Ruff's mind.
The Devils return home to take on the surging Blackhawks on Tuesday night at the Rock. Puck drop at 7
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