The New Jersey Devils are having an up-and-down season. Every time they take a step forward, they take one backward. The consistency has not been there quite yet.
On Thursday night, they took on the Los Angeles Kings at Prudential Center and lost 2-1. Neither team scored a goal at five-on-five. The Devils scored a power-play goal while the Kings scored both on the power play and shorthanded.
This came after winning two games in a row and looking so solid in both. If they were to find a way to win this game, they'd be tied for playoff position but they failed to get it done.
There were a lot of issues in this game that led to the loss. They didn't look sharp all night. Nico Daws was brilliant in net, but they couldn't overcome the late power play that Los Angeles was awarded.
The New Jersey Devils were defeated by the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday
Jack Hughes showed a ton of fire in the loss. He had an assist on their one goal but could not make more offense happen later in the game. The way that the Kings played had a lot to do with it.
He also got into it with Viktor Arvidsson of the Kings after he was elbowed. The two had a screaming match that made it into the penalty box. Later in the game, he freaked out after he was hooked on a breakaway, but the referee let play continue.
You like to see that type of passion from Hughes as he is obsessed with winning. Hopefully, he continues to bring it down the stretch because New Jersey needs him at his best.
Now, they enter the Stadium Series coming off a loss. It feels like a must-win game on the national stage. They are taking on the Philadelphia Flyers in what promises to be a highly entertaining game.
Like every game in the NHL, the two points here are wildly important. The Flyers want to win just as badly as New Jersey so the competitive juices are sure to be flowing.
It would be nice to see them keep goals off the board the way that they have in their last four games but they need to score a few as well. It is going to be an incredible event but they need to be smarter/better if they are going to win.