Jesper Bratt has scored just one goal since November 6th against the Montreal Canadiens, without his goal against the Lightning on Thursday night that cut the lead to 5-2, Bratt has had just one goal since October 23rd. With the absences of forwards such as Jack Hughes, Timo Meier, Evgenii Dadonov, and Arseny Gritsyuk, the pressure is on top players like Jesper Bratt. Now, scoring isn't what Bratt really excels at, but he has to change his style of play during this time due to the lack of goalscoring around him. Jesper Bratt has six goals in 31 games this season, four of those goals coming in the Devils' first seven games.
Jesper Bratt needs to turn his recent goal into a scoring barrage
The Devils top six has been shifted around all season, either due to injuries or just poor performances from players, making it difficult for players to gain chemistry on the same line. This could be one of many reasons why Jesper Bratt hasn't been scoring, but things have to change fast.
Bratt is still one of the better forwards in the league, but he doesn't look as dominant as he did last season. During this goal drought, he is still the exceptional playmaker he's always been, but he's not shooting the puck as much. Last season, Bratt shot 11.7% in 81 games; this season, he is shooting 8.6%. A three percent difference is a big difference, especially given the fact that his teammates are hurt, so he is expected to be shooting more.
There haven't been many games this season where Bratt has recorded more than three shots on goal. In the 11 games, the Devils are 6-5. In the six games where he scored a goal, the Devils have a record of 4-2. Then, in the games where Bratt has one or fewer shots on goal, the Devils are 6-5-1. So, when Jesper Bratt is ripping the puck on net, New Jersey has had a fair share of success in the win column.
The Devils have to fight for a win every night with the amount of injuries they currently have, leaving the pressure on Jesper Bratt and others. With a two-game homestand coming up this weekend against the Ducks and Canucks, this is a chance to begin a scoring streak after putting one on the game log on Thursday, potentially boosting his confidence a bit.