3 Reasons New Jersey Devils Fans Shouldn’t Be Worried About Game 1 Loss
The New Jersey Devils didn’t show up. That’s all that can be said about the team’s Game 1 loss to the New York Rangers. They did everything wrong. We chronicled three key points to beat the Rangers in this series. The Devils did the opposite of that. Everything the Devils should have done, they did the literal opposite of that.
It led to a 5-1 loss. The only goal for the Devils came on a Jack Hughes penalty shot, which really came when the game was all but over. It did keep the lack of shutout streak alive, but that’s all it did. Vitek Vanecek was bad. The Devils penalty kill was bad. We won’t even get into the power play, which had its worst performance of the season.
Still, we’re not worried. This performance was awful, but it’s a best-of-seven series. This is just one game. Here’s why we still have confidence in the New Jersey Devils.
1. The Devils Beat Themselves
Rangers fans are going to hate this one, but the Devils lost this game way more than their opponents won it. Zero shots on a power play isn’t only the impact of a good penalty kill, it comes from complete incompetence.
Vitek Vanecek was not good in net. He allowed four goals on just 23 shots. That’s unacceptable. It has some Devils fans calling for Akira Schmid, but it’s too early for that. Vanecek will get the start in Game 2 on Thursday night, as he should.
Still, even with Vanecek’s struggles, the Devils provided no real offense that would get past a goalie like Igor Shesterkin. There were a few good chances by Hughes. Nico Hischier had a few of his own. Some others stand out, including one by Tomas Tatar coming between the circles and a rebound try by Nathan Bastian, but nothing of real substance.
It’s hard to imagine the Devils would play like that again. It’s more likely than anything that the Devils won’t play like this again. The layoff between games and the nerves from the postseason mixed to turn into this. Now, the Devils have to bounce back.
2. Bouncing Back This Season
The New Jersey Devils have been great at bouncing back from bad losses this season. They got destroyed by the Winnipeg Jets earlier this month 6-1, and they responded by destroying a desperate Pittsburgh Penguins team just two days later. After losing 5-1 to the New York Islanders at the end of March, they responded by beating the Rangers in the biggest game of the season 2-1.
Remember when the Toronto Maple Leafs ended the Devils 13-game win streak? It was a low point on the season after fans littered the ice with trash and full beer cans. It could have been a turning point that ruined the season. Instead, the Devils came right back and beat the Sabres, Capitals, and Rangers in the next three games.
This Devils team has always had a short memory. Something about Lindy Ruff allows the Devils to wake up the next day and erase anything bad that happened the day prior. That’s been this team’s bread and butter. It will surely sting going to bed tonight for the Devils, but they’ve been here before.
This will work out as long as they do the same thing they’ve been doing all season. Have a short memory. Focus on the very few positives. Build on the team’s strengths and learn from their mistakes. This series
3. History
The New Jersey Devils have a lot of history blowing big games in the playoffs. There are plenty of times where there was a necessary bounce back. Just look at the Devils-Rangers series in 2012. The Devils lost Game 1 of that series 3-0. We’re sure Rangers fans were celebrating in the streets after that game, too. The Devils bounced back with a Game 2 win.
In the Cup Final that season, the Devils lost Game 3 4-0. After two overtime losses, the Devils looked cooked. They went on to win the next two games. Who knows what would have happened if the major on Steve Bernier was never called, but that’s for another time.
In 2003, the Devils got demolished in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. They came back in Game 7 and took care of business. In 2001, the Devils lost 5-0 to the Colorado Avalanche. Some likely called the series at that point, but it ended up going seven games.
dark. Next. 3 Keys To Victory Versus New York Rangers
There are games from just last season that prove the point. The Tampa Bay Lightning lost their first game of the postseason 5-0 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. We all know how that ended. They dispatched the Maple Leafs in seven games, and they ended up winning the Eastern Conference again. This isn’t the end all be all. It’s one game, and the Devils can easily bounce back. They lost home-ice advantage, but they play better on the road anyway.