The New Jersey Devils are looking to build on a win over the Detroit Red Wings and reach .500 for the first time since their opening-night win over the Philadelphia Flyers. To do that, they have to beat one of the league's hottest teams and their biggest rivals, the New York Rangers.
The Devils haven’t exactly played well, and the sentiment around the team is pretty negative. Despite having the same record as teams like the Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks, most Devils fans are very disappointed with the team out of the gate. The goaltending situation has fans up in arms, and the defense hasn’t exactly bred confidence in their ability to keep pucks out of the net.
However, it can all change if the Devils beat the Rangers. It will all come down to the lineup.
Sheldon Keefe has a hard decision to make. He made huge changes to the lineup ahead of Tuesday’s matchup, moving Anthony Mantha off the top line and putting him with Evan Rodrigues and a returning Stefan Noesen. To replace him, he put Arseny Gritsyuk on the top line with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt. To replace Luke Evangelista, who was out with an illness, Keefe put Dawson Mercer back on that line.
The only line that stayed intact was the fourth line of Jesper Boqvist-Cody Glass-Amadeus Lombardi.
The lineup worked for the most part, Since they were on their first back-to-back of the season, the third period was pretty sloppy, but the first 40 minutes were dominant. However, there was a moment that put the Devils in a bad spot.
Rookie winger Lombardi got another minor penalty, a hooking call in the second period. While the call wasn’t exactly an easy one and some might even call it a soft call, Lombardi has not been good enough with his stick.
Amadeus Lombardi's penalties are going to force him out of the lineup
Lombardi has been great, but with Evangelista returning to the lineup and Noesen helping Mantha get going, it might put Keefe in a position where he has to bench his rookie, at least for one game. Thursday night’s matchup is too important to leave to chance, and the Rangers’ power play has been elite for a decade.
With how well the Devils’ fourth line has been playing, one might not want to break them up, but they also won’t keep Evangelista out of the lineup for one day more than they have to. With four minor penalties already, Lombardi is the easiest decision to make.
That doesn’t mean it’s an easy decision because it could break up the chemistry of the fourth line, which at times has been the Devils' best in the offensive zone.
Something has to give, and finding who is going to sit is harder than it seems, but Lombardi is on thin ice with the penalties he’s taking.
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