New Jersey Devils Week Two Grades After Adding Four More Points

Following up a good start to the season, the New Jersey Devils came out hot again beating their biggest rival the New York Rangers 4-3. Overall as a team, they were solid and pressured well and didn’t show the massive breakdowns they did all last season. Beating the Rangers is huge for fans and for the team as well, these are the types of games a team can and should build off of.

The Devils fell 4-1 to the New York Islanders in their worst showing of the season on Thursday. The Islanders used a strong structure and really stopped the team from getting much of any offensive time. The Devils stepped up big and learned from the first game and pulled out a shutout against those same Islanders on Sunday thanks to a strong overall showing from the team as a whole. They played like a solid unit again and showed a higher level of chemistry with flow in their game.

Line One

Sharangovich-Hughes-Palmieri

Jack Hughes was an absolute monster against the Rangers, scoring twice and adding an assist. Not to mention a second assist that was taken away on a disallowed goal. This was Hughes best game in the NHL by far and his puck position skills looked a lot more like pre-draft Hughes, which is fantastic to see. Game two as a whole was quiet for the line, like most of the team, but in the third game once again Hughes was Patrick Kane-esq in his movements and vision, this is the guy we all wanted first overall and the player we knew he would become. Hughes will be challenging Nico Hischier for #1 center sooner than most predicted if he can keep this up.

Kyle Palmieri has been offensively quiet but his physical play was strong overall and the goals will come for him. He just needs to keep playing his game and with four games next week expect a big week from him.

Yegor Sharangovich had a quiet week till Sunday’s game, but his hustle and chemistry withn Hughes is still easy to see. Having both of them on the ice late in the game and doing a fantastic job pressuring the Islanders and keeping them away from the defensive end is a great look. It shows the coach has absolute faith in them. This line needs to stay together or in the very least Hughes and Sharangovich need to stay together.

Week two grade: Sharangovich B : Hughes-A+ : Palmieri B