5 Reasons To Watch New Jersey Devils Hockey
Things are about as bad as they possibly can be thanks to the entire New Jersey Devils team being on the injury list. Despite the lackluster lineup night in and night out, there’s still plenty of reasons to throw on a Devils hockey game.
Injuries are getting out of hand for the New Jersey Devils. Now that Nico Hischier and Sami Vatanen are questionable going into their matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets, we might be headed into territory where Jesper Bratt and Travis Zajac are the biggest stars on this team.
It doesn’t equal the best hockey in the world. We learned from their game with the Boston Bruins over the weekend that this lineup isn’t putting together amazing performances. It’s the majority of an AHL team with a sprinkle of NHL players in the mix. One of those NHL players is Drew Stafford who was signed as a depth player, but now sees himself on the first line.
It’s a rough few weeks to be a Devils fan. Not only are most of their good players on the sidelines, but they traded a few others near the trade deadline. Now, Kenny Agostino is a second-line winger after the Devils got him off of waivers. The Devils are so short on forwards, they had to take Egor Yakovlev off the blue line and place him on the fourth line.
It’s rough. However, despite the lineup the team is forced to put out every night, there are reasons to watch Devils hockey every night. Besides the fact that we only have a months worth of games before the season is over, there are tangible reasons to check out this team.
5. Watch The Kids Grow Up
The first reason to watch this team is the most obvious in all rebuild years. We watch these games to see the future right in front of us. Michael McLeod is getting tested, and he’s shown some really nice flashes while also working out some kinks. Joey Anderson continues to get a chance to play with the second and third line, which might eventually help him thrive. Nathan Bastian was looking really good before that injury bug hit him too.
Obviously, these aren’t even the Devils best prospects. Ty Smith, Jesper Boqvist, Reilly Walsh and Jeremy Davies are playing elsewhere and aren’t eligible to play for New Jersey, at least not yet. The Devils could sign them when their respective seasons are over, and that would give fans another reasons to watch the young kids.
Kevin Rooney has been playing much better, showing why Ray Shero felt the need to give him a one-way contract starting next season. Blake Pietila is doing his best. Hopefully, we get Pavel Zacha and John Quenneville back soon so we can see how they play in this lineup.
4. Cory Schneider/Mackenzie Blackwood Combo
How long did we wait to see something, anything out of Cory Schneider to show he’s at least an NHL caliber goalie? This guy who was once an elite goaltender couldn’t stop shots. These weren’t even high-danger scoring chances, these were softies that were getting past him every single night.
Now, Schneider gives the Devils a chance to win on most nights. Sure, he still puts up a stinker now and then, but we are learning that’s just what happens to goalies over the age of 30. Jonathan Quick has nights where he’s terrible. Henrik Lunqvist plays in games where he’s the reason the New York Rangers lose. Nothing was as bad as what Schneider was, but it’s nice to finally see him playing competent hockey.
Then there is Mackenzie Blackwood. He’s reason by himself to watch Devils hockey. Not only does he keep the Devils in games, but he does everything in his power to win them. His side-to-side movement is insane, and he’s got the poise of a goalie 10 years his senior. He doesn’t let the craziness that is playing behind this defense change his game.
Cory and Mackenzie are the starting two goalies for the foreseeable future. Schneider is signed for three more seasons after this one. Blackwood has one year left on his entry-level deal, then he becomes a restricted free agent. Barring injury, buyout or Blackwood forgetting how to play, this will be the goalie tandem for the next three seasons. It’s nice to get a preview.
3. Milestones/Career Highs
This New Jersey Devils team has very few things to root for, but there are a few players that are going after some round numbers, and others going after career highs. You’d be surprised how excited it might be to root for these arbitrary numbers.
Kyle Palmieri comes to mind, even though he’s injured right now. He was well on his way to career highs, but his injury makes those numbers harder to reach. He’s four goals away from tying his career high with 30 on the season. If he can play the final two weeks of the season, he could easily break that high. He’s also nine points away from his career high, so that’s attainable.
Rooting for Blake Coleman to get to 20 goals is another fun wrinkle to end the season. He’s only two goals away, but it would be amazing to see him hit that plateau. Nobody thought he had this particular season in him, and while he’s falling off in a major way, he’s still going to hit those numbers hopefully.
Travis Zajac is 13 points away from hitting 50 on the season. It’s a long shot, but again it’s possible. Getting excited every time he puts a rebound in the net, or wins a faceoff that ends up in an assist gives you a little extra juice. It’s been nine seasons since he hit the 50 point mark. Have we ever seen a player with more seasons in between 50-point seasons?
Jesper Bratt is two points away from his career high, and he’s been playing the best hockey of his career. His passing is on point, and he’s back to scoring goals again. He hit 11 points in February, the first time he’s ever had an 11 point month. 50 seems impossible with this team around him (he’d need to be at a better than point-per-game pace). He could still get close, and it will be fun to watch him get better every game.
Damon Severson already has his career high in points this season, but he needs one more goal to break that career high. When we’ve come to this place in a bad season, it’s time to start rooting for defensemen to score.
2. Hard-Hitting Hockey
The kind of hits we saw from Kurtis Gabriel against the Phialdelphia Flyers have no place in hockey. We don’t want to have a Brad Marchand situation on our hands. Gabriel was actually playing better when he wasn’t acting like a goon.
Beyond his silly hits, the Devils are playing much harder hockey the past few weeks. Honestly, it’s more out of necessity than choice, but it’s always fun to watch teams trade hits.
Blake Coleman actually leads the Devils in hits by a long shot. He has 181 hits, while the next best player (it’s actually Kyle Palmieri on the current roster, Brian Boyle if you count the traded players) has less than 90. He’s been really getting into things lately, and working on getting under the opponent’s skin.
Before Gabriel’s hit on Nolan Patrick, he was actually hitting with a purpose, and picking the right spots. He has four hits per game, which leads the team.
Nathan Bastian has been hitting the other team. Joey Anderson throws his body around when given the opportunity. Michael McLeod lets his presence be known along the boards. Steve Santini makes sure the forwards don’t have all the fun.
It’s a little old school, but when the Devils are putting this lineup out, it’s fun to watch a little old school hockey. As long as the players are being smart about their hits and aren’t putting opposing players in danger, then this is a good watch. It’s even better seeing the other team get so frustrated by the constant hitting and focusing on revenge over scoring. It’s actually a useful strategy and probably why the Devils are in games with the likes of the Bruins and Calgary Flames.
1. Nico Flipping Hischier
It sounds like Nico Hischier’s injury is very minor, and he could be in the lineup this week. That allows him to continue his rise to becoming one of the most underrated players in the league.
In his second season, he’s three goals away and five assists away from eclipsing his rookie season numbers. We expected him to beat those numbers, but last season he was playing with the league MVP. He hasn’t player with Taylor Hall since Christmas. Despite missing all of his linemates at one point or another, he’s still thriving. He’s becoming clutch (he has all three Devils overtime goals), he can skate past defenders, and he’s becoming a great two-way player right before our eyes.
Watching him turn into a budding superstar is worth the price of admission in itself. That’s why his most recent injury felt like the last straw. Nico became the best part of Devils games, but without him on the ice things seemed bleak. Even more bleak than they usually are.
Hischier will be back soon, and we can continue to watch him take the star that’s available. With Hall out, he’s taken another step forward. When Hall returns, they will make an amazing one-two punch.