The New Jersey Devils know that their offense relies on the production they get from their top players, and the top line showed up against the Leafs.
The New Jersey Devils lose another game in a devastating fashion. It was a somewhat well-played game, but the end makes you forget all of that quickly. They lost because Damon Severson scored an own goal in overtime. He was trying to clear the puck away from the Toronto Maple Leafs attack, but it ended up beating MacKenzie Blackwood. The goal was credited to William Nylander who is no stranger to scoring in overtime against the Devils. It was a bad luck bounce for New Jersey, there is no doubt about it.
The own goal should not overshadow the greatness that was displayed by the team’s top line. Nico Hischier really is the number-one overall pick that he was drafted to be. He had one goal and two assists on the night while maintaining his elite play in all three zones. He is really blossoming into that legit two-way center that every championship-caliber team needs. Ever since Taylor Hall was traded, he has stepped up to the plate.
Nico has shown the world that he can lead this team. His linemates Jesper Bratt and Kyle Palmieri were there to support him in this one. Each of them had one goal and two assists as well. It was truly a group effort in this one and it gave the Devils a chance to win. If this trio can play like this every night then the Devils will win a lot more games. This should be the team’s top line the rest of the way.
Jack Hughes had another impressive game offensively. He didn’t have any points, but he was feeding his teammates all night long. The problem was that any time Miles Wood or Wayne Simmonds were fed for a chance they decided to make another pass and it never worked out. These guys need to start getting the puck on the net if they want to continue to play with a setup man like Hughes. The points are going to start coming in bunches for this young man real soon. He has an even higher offensive ceiling than Hischier.
Nikita Gusev was also really impressive in this game. He buried a power-play goal to tie the game at one point. He was also impressive when he had the puck and when he didn’t have it. Gusev was brought in with some decent expectations so seeing him round into form is really starting to become fun to watch. This is an important player for the Devils. Hopefully, he can be there for the long haul to see this thing through.
It was a devastating end to a game that some of the higher-end players on the team played extremely well in. They need to stop taking so many ridiculous penalties if they want to start winning more hockey games as well. As long as Hischier continues to develop like this along with Hughes, that could be the only light shined on an otherwise dark season. The Devils are back at it on Sunday when they travel north of the border to take on the Ottawa Senators.