At the time of this writing, Taylor Hall is still a New Jersey Devil. Rumors are swirling, but all we can focus on right now is the boys who skate out onto the ice wearing the red and black.
Last night was a strong showing for our Devils although we did not achieve the result we wanted. Playing the top team in the West with the best goal differential in the league at +31, many fans and I expected a lot worse than a 3-1 loss (2-1 with an empty netter).
The New Jersey Devils looked re-energized following the announcement of Taylor Hall being scratched and seemed as though they were playing for each other. Puck movement was very strong. The passes were crisp, and it led to the Devils outplaying the Avalanche in the first and third periods.
The Devils liked their effort, but as Nico Hischier said in the postgame interviews, they didn’t like the result.
"“It’s a tough one tonight. Same result, but if you look at the game, I think we deserve better. We were right there. I think we had like 10 minutes where we were not dialed in. But I think the rest of the game we could play with them, and that shows us that we don’t have to hide.”More from Pucks and PitchforksShould New Jersey Devils Try Load Management With Vitek Vanecek?New Jersey Devils Will Prove That Last Year Wasn’t A FlukeNew Jersey Devils: Luke Hughes’ Playmaking Will Outshine His MistakesNew Jersey Devils: Chase Stillman’s Performance Causes ConcernCan Devils Fans Separate Zach Parise Heartbreak From Achievements?"
At 5v5, Travis Zajac, Blake Coleman, and Nikita Gusev again proved to be our strongest line with a Corsi For% of 63.16, relative CF% of 22.19. This line has been on fire the past few weeks, and the chemistry continues to grow. Gusev is becoming responsible defensively and the chances are flowing. The only complaint I can have is the amount of penalties our best penalty killer, Blake Coleman, continues to take on a nightly basis. That could be a coaching problem, but all in all, these three are our true first line now with Hall out of the mix.
Due to Hall being scratched at the last minute, our lineup was scrambled and I was disappointed in interim coach Alain Nasreddine’s decisions. The line of Jack Hughes, Pavel Zacha, and Wayne Simmonds was disappointing at least, but it could have been avoided. Jack Hughes’s strength is going 150 mph and making plays at high speeds. Simmonds and Zacha have never been known for their speed and legitimately cannot keep up with Hughes on the ice. I hope for some changes tonight in Arizona such as possibly playing Hughes and Jesper Boqvist together with Kyle Palmieri and playing Nico Hischier with Jesper Bratt and Zacha. Let the boys loose Coach Nas! What do we have to lose?
All in all, it was a strong game for the Devils as well as their powerplay, but Pavel Francouz and the brick wall he built in front of the goal were too much for us to break through. A couple different bounces and this could have easily been a win for the Devils. Let’s hope for a nice return for Hall and turn our attention to Arizona.