Bottom Scoring needs to continue doing their thing
The Devils' bottom six is going to be something that will be accessed heavily on this road trip. Curtis Lazar left the game during the second period on Sunday and will be out for an unknown amount of time.
The Lazar hole hurts, but this bottom six during the month of October hasn’t hurt. Stefan Noesen and Paul Cotter are currently both in the top three on the team in goals. The bottom six has consistently been a factor in all six Devils wins on the score sheet while also setting a tone. It's safe to say General Manager Tom Fitzgerald has nailed the offseason in terms of rounding out his depth scoring group.
Justin Dowling will most likely be making his season debut on Wednesday for the Devils in place of Lazar. Dowling has scored twice in six games with the Utica Comets this season and has played 100 games at the NHL level.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the Devils tried a couple of different lineup combinations before making a final decision on who will replace Lazar. Depending on the injury timeline, the possibility of them looking externally is definitely in question.
New Jersey's bottom six has been good and, most importantly, consistently good. There hasn’t been a loss this year where pointing to the depth was the right answer. With Lazar not in the lineup, it's another opportunity for the depth to make an impression.