On today’s New Jersey Devils Daily, recapping another loss to the St. Louis Blues, Brian Boyle scoring his first point since return from cancer diagnosis and John Quenneville’s non-call-up call up.
The New Jersey Devils added another one to the loss column last night, being stymied by the St. Louis Blues in a 3-1 effort. Todd Correll with Hockey Buzz gives five observations on the night. His first observation may be the most important. The Devils were downright sloppy in the final two minutes of the game, where they pulled the goalie and had the extra man. The passes didn’t look crisp. There were no handles from the offense.
Devils fall to Blues, lose third consecutive game: Five takeaways
After this loss, Pucks and Pitchforks chronicles what this latest loss means. The Devils are at an important step in the season. It’s make or break time for such a young team. Losing three straight games could snowball into an avalanche, ruining all the progress made at the start of the season. It isn’t so bad. Despite the losing streak, the Devils are one point behind the Penguins for tops in the Metropolitan Division with three games at hand. This can be turned around easily, but a win is necessary.
New Jersey Devils: Approaching Make-Or-Break Point
Despite the loss, there was a positive to take out of the game. Center Brian Boyle played his best game since returning from his chronic myeloid leukemia diagnosis. He took four shots, and even recorded his first assist of the season. He was very good in the faceoff dot, while also getting a +1 rating. Boyle looked as comfortable on the ice as he has all season.
Devils’ Brian Boyle: Gets first point with New Jersey
Before the game, the Devils made the surprising move to healthy scratch Damon Severson. Chris Ryan with NJ.com tells why. Severson has not been good to start the year. After signing a brand new six-year deal, he hasn’t shown the top-pairing defensive talent that made him a $25 million dollar man. The Devils are holding eight defensemen in the lineup, so anyone could be rotated at any time. Severson will likely be back in the lineup on Thursday, but he needs to prove he deserves to stay there.
Why Devils’ Damon Severson was healthy scratch vs. Blues
We all thought a revelation showed that the Devils were getting a new body in the locker room. While that may be true, he won’t be joining them on the ice. John Quenneville was “called up” from the AHL, but it wasn’t to help them in New Jersey. He’s rehabbing a shoulder injury. The news is unfortunate, and a bummer for fans.
New Jersey Devils: John Quenneville May Not Be Getting Called Up After All