On September 22nd, the New Jersey Devils hit the ice for their first preseason matchup, losing to the New York Islanders 4-2 in front of an impressive crowd at Prudential Center. Two days later, a group of players hit the ice for a morning skate before making a quick trip up north over the border to face the Canadians at Bell Centre, where they would go on to lose 3-0.
The next day, a heavier NHL lineup featuring the respective debuts of Timo Meier, Jack Hughes, and Dawson Mercer was, unfortunately, not enough to claim victory against the Capitals of Washington. One week after hitting the ice against the islanders, the Devils will hold practice before taking a flight to Prague. In this article, we look at three takeaways from the matchups thus far, including Friday’s 5-1 loss on Long Island.
Takeaway #1: Rust is real
With no NHL game action in five months, it’s understandable for some players to experience rust at the start of a new season. The gap between this preseason and last season has evidently caught up with some players, which is completely understandable given the circumstances. Because of the Global Series, this team is being asked to hurry through its personnel decision-making process, which means players have to get going on the ice quicker than usual.
The record does not matter, but the lack of cohesiveness and broken-down coverage does matter.
No, not everyone will look like Jesper Bratt out there, like they haven’t missed a beat. These things happen, and rust is very real with new teams and returning players. This is the time to play through that rust. But it certainly is real and, hopefully, won't last too long. Fingers crossed.