Pucks and Pitchforks
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New Jersey Devils Will Win First Round Series Despite Game 1 Loss

By David Williams

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 18: Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils scores against Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers on the third period penalty shot during Game One in the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Prudential Center on April 18, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. The Rangers defeated the Devils 5-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - APRIL 18: Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils scores against Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers on the third period penalty shot during Game One in the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Prudential Center on April 18, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey. The Rangers defeated the Devils 5-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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On Tuesday night, the New Jersey Devils played their first playoff game in five years. There wasn’t much to be excited about. The New York Rangers took it to the Devils early in the first period, and the Devils never recovered. On the bright side, this 7-game series is far from over. The Devils must make adjustments as they move forward in this series against the Rangers. Here’s why the Devils will win this race to four.

1. Speed

The Devils have something that the Rangers sorely lack; speed. As this series progresses, the Devils’ speed becomes overwhelming for the Rangers’ defense. The Devils will skate and skate, and when you think they’re done, they will skate some more.

That is the biggest strength of this young New Jersey Devils squad, and the use of their fast, attacking, constant puck pressure is the reason why they were able to win a franchise-best 52 wins this season. This team can overwhelm defensemen with their speed and puck pressure, That starts to weigh on the Rangers’ defensive corps as the Devils get comfortable with what is at stake. Expect to see a high level of skating and puck pressure from this Devils team in game 2 on Thursday night.

2. Output

The offensive output in terms of shots on goal wasn’t necessarily there for the Devils on Tuesday night, with 28 shots on goal, although the attempts were certainly there. The Rangers blocked 23 shots. With this willingness for the Rangers to sacrifice their bodies to block shots, the Devils will need to find a way to get more pucks to the net, and there’s no reason to believe they cannot. In the regular season, the Devils averaged 34.5 shots on goal per game and 3.43 goals per game. Expect to see much more of that moving forward.

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3. High-Danger Chances

The Devils generated a high-danger scoring chance once in every 4.82 attempts, only allowing one in every 6.21 attempt. With lopsided numbers like these in a 7-game series, it’s very easy to believe that this team has more in the tank than they showed on Tuesday night. The aforementioned factors in speed and output will allow the Devils to create scoring opportunities and high-danger scoring chances. Expect the Devils to suffocate the Rangers with their speed and throw the kitchen sink at Igor Shesterkin in Game 2.

Next. Jittery Devils Caught Flat Footed In Game 1. dark

A Game 1 loss may be hard to stomach, but this Devils team has shown the ability to bounce back all season long. I expect a much better performance out of the team on Thursday night and am confident in the Devils taking game 2 of this series before heading to Madison Square Garden. Look for these three components to factor into the Devils getting back into this series and being the eventual winner of the best-of-7 series.

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