New Jersey Devils Daily: Zacha Benching, Lightning Matchup, More

On today’s New Jersey Devils’ Daily, a big weekend comes up with just two points and the first Devils loss, Pavel Zacha is benched and a matchup for Eastern Conference supremacy.

The New Jersey Devils split a weekend back to back against the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers. Tyler Kelley with Pucks and Pitchforks looked into what we learned from the two matchups. For one, the Devils continue to take too many penalties. The Devils were in the game against the Caps until a double minor ended in two goals for Washington. Luckily, Kelley saw some statistics showing some very good play from the defense. That could help the Devils moving forward.

New Jersey Devils Weekend Wrap-up and Observations

During that weekend, head coach John Hynes benched Pavel Zacha, Marcus Johansson and Jimmy Hayes against the Rangers. A clear message was sent, especially to Zacha. After coming in with big expectations as the first line center, he’s failed to step up. He has two goals in one game, and no points in any other. Zacha needs to prove his worth, and fast, to keep in Hynes’ good graces.

New Jersey Devils: Pavel Zacha Needs To Step Up After Benching

Chris Ryan with NJ.com spoke with Nico Hischier, who after a stellar preseason has had trouble finding his offensive groove. Luckily, he’s played extremely well on other aspects of hockey, he just needs to light the lamp. He has nine shots, which is third on the team, but hasn’t scored yet. He has a great attitude about his lack of goals. He told Ryan that as long as the team is winning, he’s happy. The rest will come.

Why Nico Hischier, Devils expect offense to come

The Devils come into a huge early-season matchup tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Fox Sports previews the game tonight. The Lightning became the first team to double-digit points with a win over the Red Wings last night, while the Devils made up for the team’s first loss with a win against the Rangers. These two teams are in different camps. Many analysts picked the Lightning to win the Eastern Conference, while a majority of them picked the Devils to finish last. Once again, Hynes’ benchings become the story. How will the three players react to the move?

Preview: Nikita Kucherov, Lightning take streaks to New Jersey

So how does this matchup look from the Lightning’s perspective? Justin G. with SB Nation’s Raw Charge previews that matchup. He wants the Lightning to focus on rookies Will Butcher and Jesper Bratt, who have been marvelous to start the season. For some reason, despite being on national television, the Lightning are starting Peter Budaj in net. It’s another team starting their backup against the Devils. It shows, despite the hot start, the Devils aren’t getting the respect they’ve played for.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs New Jersey Devils: A Battle for Eastern Supremacy