New Jersey Devils Win Streak Runs Through Calgary
The New Jersey Devils swept their western Canadian road trip, which hasn’t happened in 26 years. This has the Devils sitting atop the Metropolitan Division at the time of this writing. This team is for real, and by now, most hockey fans know that. It is well known that if a team is in the playoffs at American Thanksgiving, the odds of you making the playoffs are insanely high despite the time left in the season. Things look good for this team, and if they can keep up this type of play, they will be a lock.
The Good
The BMW line again got things going for the team, with Nathan Bastian and Miles Wood scoring in the first period. The little pass from Jack Hughes on the first goal was a high-IQ play, and passing on the backhand through the legs like that is not something many players can do. Bastian got it in the perfect spot and made no mistake, as he sits at six points in 11 games. Like the first goal, the second involving the fourth line started with a great pass. Michael McLeod has been amazing all year, and he got it to a streaking Miles Wood, who deftly put it over the Flames’ netminders arm.
Fabian Zetterlund had a pair of goals, including a massive one-timer for the overtime game winner. Last season, you could see the makings of an NHL player. Despite that, he didn’t make the opening-night lineup. Only through injury was he able to get back and secure a top spot, which he looks surprisingly comfortable in. With three goals and four points in seven games, he needs to find consistency moving forward because if this is his game with and away from the puck, he will be sticking with the team.
Next. Devils Are Getting The Respect They Deserve. dark
The Bad
Defensively the team needs to tie up the front of the net a little better and stop the big breakdowns. A little physicality will go a long way, and they could cut down on a goal in a game with this simple change and a bit more grit. The team is playing good defense overall, but they need to be a little more cautious on pinches at the blueline. They have given up way too many 2 in 1’s the last few games and have got some big saves that kept games close. They might have better goaltending than in past seasons, but they won’t get grade-A saves for a few nights.