Opponents Make Most of Scoring Opportunities Against New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils have lost four-straight games since firing their head coach, are winless in their last six contests and lost nine of their last 11. They’ve surrendered 41 goals over that span (3.72 goals against per game), during which their opponents scored four or more goals in seven of those matches. At the 30-game mark, the Devils have surrendered the third-most goals in the league (111) and brandish the second-lowest goal differential (-37).

As the numbers above portray, it is no secret the Devils are struggling mightily at keeping the puck out of their own net. It’s a crippling shortcoming that seems to have derived from a goaltending unit that’s been below subpar along with a passive, stiff and discombobulated playing style.

Something’s got to give, right? A closer look at some numbers pertaining to their implosive ineptitude when defending against other teams (at all strengths) might shed some light on their catastrophic struggles.

Astoundingly, the Devils are relatively decent in terms of shots faced. According to the data available at naturalstattrick.com, the Devils have faced the seventh-fewest of any shot attempts (CA) with 1669 (55.63 per game), eighth-fewest unblocked shot attempts (FA) with 1269 (42.30 per game) and eighth-fewest shot attempts on net (SA) with 926 (30.86 per game). As for scoring and high-danger chances, the Devils have respectively faced the eighth-fewest (777/25.90 per game) and fourth-fewest (269/8.96 per game).

It’s hard to believe a team with the third-highest goals against in the league has been so efficient at limiting their opponent’s offensive opportunities and may initially raise more questions than answers. A deeper breakdown of these stats and overview of precisely when they’re being scored on during games however, makes some frustrating revelations on how and why teams are triumphing over the Devils with great ease.

When you divide the 926 shot attempts on goal the Devils have faced by the 111 goals they’ve surrendered, it gives them an .880 save percentage. New Jersey’s save percentages among scoring chances (SCSV%) and high danger chances (HDSV%) are even worse, respectively ranking 30th (81.72) and 28th (75.48).

Another telling (and largely overlooked) aspect that’s attributing to the Devil’s woeful season have been exactly when they’re letting up goals during games and how often teams are scoring on them in bursts. Out of New Jersey’s 111 goals against this season, 47 (42 percent) were scored within the first five minutes of a period or the period’s last goal scored (for example, if the Devils or their opponent scored a goal at 10:00 of a period, their opponent would score again within the next five minutes).

When divided among their 30 games played this season, the New Jersey Devils are giving up an average of 1.62 goals per game within the first five minutes of a period, or after a goal was previously scored—essentially almost every other goal against.

The numbers get more cringeworthy once you dig deeper.

Of the 47 goals scored within the aforementioned five-minute intervals, 55 percent (26) occurred within the first two minutes of a period starting or after a previous goal was scored. When you break down this particular category of goals against minute-by-minute, the most New Jersey has given up were 16 (34 percent) within 1-2 minutes of a period starting or previous goal scored.

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Setting their high volume of goals against aside, New Jersey’s low numbers of shots faced is impressive and could be a facet of their game to potentially build upon moving forward. While New Jersey has been relatively marginal in terms of possession numbers at all strengths (10th-lowest CF%- 48.84, 16th-highest FF/SF%- 49.62/49.95) teams are prevailing so readily against them by getting goals early in periods, bunches, or answering right back after the Devils score.

For a young inexperienced team, these particular shifts in momentum—especially when set early in a period—are excruciatingly difficult to recover from and seemingly puts the players in a apprehensive mindset. Once they succumb to being flustered, they’ll completely lose focus of their game plan and default to the tentative reactive brand of hockey this team has exhibited all too often this season.

While these circumstances are certainly remediable, it’ll rely heavily on the maturation of this team’s young core, along with their ability at adapting to a more tenacious yet consistent and disciplinary playing style.