New Jersey Devils Coast Past Fledging Vancouver Canucks
The New Jersey Devils played a slow game looking like they were suffering from jet lag, but fortunately for them, they were playing the awful Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks outshot the Devils rather severely early on, but eventually, the Devils picked up the pace. They turned things around and ended the night on the positive side of the score, outshooting their opponents 37-23. They will have to perform better in Alberta; as both teams in the province are top-tier. We should be happy that the team got two easy points on Tuesday night.
The Good
Jack Hughes wasn’t as dominant as he could be and might have had the quietest eight-shot night ever seen. He got a lot through the defense and had a goal and an assist. He is very close to having a breakthrough game, and with some luck, he will be competing in points with Jesper Bratt.
Yegor Sharangovich had two massive points, and while he hasn’t put up big numbers on the season, his role is growing, and his penalty-kill ability remains phenomenal. He led all players with 3:30 on the penalty kill and is playing a massive defensive role on this team. He should be given some powerplay time, and he can show that scoring prowess.
The BMW line struck again, giving the Devils a cushion right before the end of the first period. On top of that, Miles Wood had a short but big fight, one that needed to happen as Luke Schenn somehow got away with two dirty hits right in the numbers that were not called within about a ten-second span. The Devils need guys who stand up for teammates; Wood has always been that guy.
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Mackenzie Blackwood had a solid game and made some good saves early, keeping the team from falling behind. While it might be obvious to say it could have been a very different night had he not come up big when the team needed him. Hopefully, this is something he can build on and get comfortable in a backup role with the team.