The NHL is a copycat league; however, with principles from The Art of War, a new staff member is always introduced to a guiding philosophy. If playoff hockey flaws, and learning from the Florida Panthers is a blueprint, the Complete Sasquatch Score and eye test said the New Jersey Devils were playing too hard physically. There needs to be more positional structure, allowing defenders like Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec to make stretch passes. Additionally, the Devils should do everything to calm plays down and excel under pressure.
One of the categories was hits per game in the playoffs, where the Devils had 43.2 in a five-game loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. That's good for fourth of the 16 playoff teams. If this were a more balanced positional attack, the Devils, even with the injuries they had against Carolina, likely would have moved on to a Game 7 and possibly gone on to Round 2.
The Devils played with a short roster due to injuries, and it likely wouldn't have been an easy round two to win. Now we see the big picture with the team as a group trying way too hard to send a message to Carolina that the Devils weren't gonna be pushed around, despite being shorthanded on the depth chart.
According to the playoff statistics, the Devils out-blocked the Panthers 18 to 10.5 on a per-game basis. Add onto that 7.6 Takeaways to 6, and the Devils could have kept up with the Panthers defensively. If it weren't for a Jack Hughes injury and being a little short on offensive firepower, maybe the Devils make it to the Eastern Conference Finals and hold their own if they were fully healthy.
The Devils had a 65.72 Complete Sasquatch Score per Average in the playoffs, which consists of blocked shots, hits, takeaways, goals scored, and power play goals. The creativity and improved roster, and more clean, crisp, bold play will certainly help with a more balanced approach under new assistant coach Brad Shaw, lowering it to the mid or low 40's per game.
The reigning Stanley Cup Champs averaged 31.61 Complete Sasquatch Score and focused more on positioning themselves on the forecheck, neutral zone, and better coverage in the defensive zone, while Bobrovsky gave them many breaks for a sigh of relief on close calls at times.
General Manager Tom Fitzgerald has a blueprint and a highly skilled, balanced roster to deliver a more balanced approach. It is a matter of getting the Devils' roster to buy into a more disciplined game in the playoffs rather than playing overly physical and causing some bad penalties. This would give them more effective power play time, allowing them to focus on hammering home crucial points with their top players and contributors, which makes this team deeper and more balanced.
In the words of Tsun Tzu "Know the terrain before the battle begins." Brad Shaw teaches his defenders and forwards to block shots with using mastery via positioning. Sealing off passing lanes and shooting lanes to buy Markstrom and Allen time in net. Another quote is "He who occupies the field of battle first and awaits his enemy is at ease."
The Devils are about one goal-scoring acquisition away on their top six, and don't be surprised if Arseni Gritsyuk has a big year. If Evgenii Dadanov has a law of averages or better season numbers from the past two seasons. The leadership is there on the bench and in this locker room.
Jeremy Colliton will play a role in this approach, alongside Brad Shaw on the bench, under Sheldon Keefe's coaching. This approach combines the eye test, hockey analytics, physical play, and an offensive strategy to create a more refined defensive engagement. Maybe Tom Fitzgerald sees a team falling out and can get a reasonable return for a reliable goal scorer that will be here for hoisting potential Cup number 4 in the books.
Don't expect too many young prospects to be making the team out of camp this year. However, with the current season being injury-prone, involving trades, and other salary cap considerations, trading a player like Nico Daws could potentially free up some cap space and allow for the acquisition of assets in the near term, enabling potential upgrades.