On today’s New Jersey Devils Daily, we are almost exclusively talking about the matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The two undefeated teams have been better than advertised, and Jersey’s team faces its first true test of the season.
The New Jersey Devils started their Wednesday with good news. Kyle Palmieri will be back in the lineup tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Chris Ryan with NJ.com goes through tonight’s lineup, which includes Palmieri taking his spot on the top line with Pavel Zacha and Taylor Hall. Miles Wood gets another shot to make an impression with Drew Stafford injured, playing on the third line. Super rookie Jesper Bratt will sit next to first-overall pick Nico Hischier on the second line. Also great news, Ben Lovejoy is back to being a healthy scratch.
Devils’ lines, pairings vs. Maple Leafs (10/11/17) | Kyle Palmieri returns
Tyler Kelley with Pucks and Pitchforks chronicles this early test against the Maple Leafs. The Devils will have trouble with the Leafs depth. The team is much more than just Auston Matthews. Their third line boasts James Van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Mitch Marner. That shows the immense skill up and down this lineup. I think Cory Schneider is the X factor for the Devils tonight. If he is able to stand on his head like he did against Colorado, he can steal a win on the road.
New Jersey Devils Face Major Test Against Maple Leafs
Now let’s look at this from the other side. Elseldo with Pension Plan Puppets previews this game from the Maple Leafs side. It’s very confusing to get the pulse of their fanbase. At one point, it seems like they are looking past the game after a win against the Chicago Blackhawks, but on the other hand the author says to get prepared for a loss. Anyway, some of the stats are very interesting. The Maple Leafs and Devils are tied for the NHL lead in power play percentage (37.5%). The numbers actually skew towards the Devils, but the Maple Leafs have player better competition.
Toronto Maple Leafs game preview: Fighting the Devils at home
Chris Ryan returns to pinpoint the one moment that captures what this new Devils team is all about. The Devils allowed a power play goal to Evander Kane, while also getting another penalty. This cut the lead in half, and last year’s team would have fallen apart at this point. This team scored a shorthanded goal and then three more on the way to a 6-2 win. The players have a different feel to their game. They are more confident. This is a different team, as shown by that moment.
1 moment that captured the new vibe of the Devils
John Schweibacher with CBS New York gives the Devils some love after their hot start. Obviously, the talk surrounds Jesper Bratt. Did you know he is the first Devil to score five points in the first two games since 1991-92 season? Not rookie, first player since Stephan Richer. The Devils have a surprising amount of firsts this season, and the team hopes this can continue tonight.
Schwei’s Devils Notes: Beginning With A Bang, Thanks To The Kids