Pucks and Pitchforks
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New Jersey Devils: 3 Observations Against The Islanders

By Dave Browne

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JANUARY 24: Scott Wedgewood #41 of the New Jersey Devils prepares to play against the New York Islanders at the Prudential Center on January 24, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - JANUARY 24: Scott Wedgewood #41 of the New Jersey Devils prepares to play against the New York Islanders at the Prudential Center on January 24, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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New Jersey Devils
Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils (R). (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Jack Hughes

Jack Hughes continues to impress. He looks confident in every aspect of the game. He is skating well with and without the puck, making good decisions and has been playing with the type of zest that made everyone fall in love with him as a prospect. He scored on a beautiful snipe on the power play. Last season, Hughes would have passed up on the shot and passed the puck. He has a deceptive shot, and we’re glad to see he wasn’t afraid to unleash it on that power play goal.

This is the Jack Hughes that we all wanted last season but are lucky enough to have right now. The season is young, but the sky is the limit if he continues to play with this much confidence.

Special Teams

Through the first four games of the season, the special teams have been a let down. Last night, the special teams was anything but. They only committed two penalties in the game. The Devils killed off both Islanders power plays (even if one came with six shots against). Plus, they scored on one of their two power play opportunities.

They made the simple plays on special teams. Hughes sniped a goal when he had a clear cut opportunity to shoot the puck on the power play, instead of one too many passes that has always plagued them. They minimized risk on the penalty kill by keeping shots outside and rebound opportunities.

This is the type of special teams performance that could give the team confidence moving forward.

The Devils rebounded from Thursday’s lackluster performance by playing nearly a complete game. They competed from start to finish. They were able to out Islander the Islanders with their stingy defense and elite goaltending from Wedgewood.

Nikita Gusev and Pavel Zacha made their presence felt after doing their best Houdini impression the first couple games of the season. Gusev’s nifty move and shot on goal created a goal for Zacha who pounced on the rebound.

Next. 3 Things To Expect From Devils This Season. dark

Ty Smith continues to shine as he assisted on another two goals. The season is only a few games old, but it is encouraging to see them play the way they are. They are holding leads, Hughes is scoring and they compete from start to finish. It won’t always be pretty, but let’s enjoy the ride.

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