What Went Right In New Jersey Devils Biggest Win So Far?
The New Jersey Devils played in their biggest test of the season Tuesday night and they were firing on all cylinders. They played one of their best games when they needed it the most. So what went right?
First and foremost you cannot talk about this game and start with anyone else other than the New Jersey Devil’s most important player, Cory Schneider. Schneider stood on his head all night, saving 41 of 42 shots by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Whenever the Devils seemed to be in trouble, they would be bailed out by Cory. In my opinion, Schneider does not get the credit around the league that he deserves. However, if he continues to play like he did last night in huge division match ups. the recognition will continue to grow.
Another thing that went right last night was the mid game adjustments. The Devils have lost some tough games in the past couple weeks. Part of the reason for that was the lack of in game adjustments. When things went wrong, they were barely addressed when the team would come out for the following period. This was different on Tuesday night.
The Devils first period was a mediocre one. They went into the locker room tied 1-1, but the period felt dominated by the Blue Jackets, with them accruing 16 shots. The puck was in the Devils end way too much. This changed in the second and the third period. The Devils controlled play a lot more and limited the chances of the Blue Jackets. They pushed the lead to two goals in the second, and scored an insurance goal in the final period.
This is key for the Devils to be able to continue their run. The team is very young, and they’re going to make mistakes and have off periods here and there. The ability to diagnose those problems and fix them as soon as possible will be necessary if the Devils want to stay in the playoff hunt.
Finally, what obviously went well for Devils was their offense. Everything clicked in the win. The first line was outstanding. Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier are the two most talented players on the team, and they played like it last night. They created plenty of scoring chances, and one of the prettiest goals of the season for the Devils so far. Nico showed off his incredible vision with a great pass to Taylor Hall to take back the lead in the second period.
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Despite the great play by the first line, offensively Stefan Noesen was the biggest story line. His rise to the second line had people scratching their heads as the game began. However, Noesen showed those people why Hynes made the right decision early with his part in the Travis Zajac goal.
Noesen might not be as skilled as some of the other guys on the team, but there is no denying he creates chances. He’s one of the hardest working guys on the ice. Last night it paid dividends in the offensive zone. His strong forecheck gave Zajac his opportunity for his goal and his effort to fight in front of the net set him up to clean up the rebound of Miles Wood’s shot in the second period. If Noesen maintains this offensive force along with his strong defensive ability, the Devils will be remain a hard team to beat.