I haven't gone to sleep that upset about a game in a little while, just an absolutely devastating way to lose a game. Probably going to need to do some dream analysis with my therapist. That was soul crushing.
I see a lot of dooming and vibes are low, but there are some encouraging things the past few games - our 5 game moving xGF% has emerged from the depths of the 40s. They have been far more connected shift to shift, and are playing with more emotion and jam - the forecheck has been noticeable led by good body and stick play. We just came back on the 3rd best team in the league, outplayed them pretty dramatically for 2 periods (for the second time in 6 games) in their barn, where they have been curb stomping teams. We are still in 3rd in the metro and are still closer to Carolina than CBJ and the NYR are to us. Don't let a good narrative get in the way of facts. Losing Jack blows, it really stings. But gotta galvanize and play next man up - to quote Al Pacino in the religious/legal documentary Devils Advocate: "Funny thing about pressure. Some people focus, and some people fold." They haven't folded and neither should we. Did we quit when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
All that being said, what a Brutal First. They were playing like a team that just lost their best player, had all new lines and against one of the most well-oiled machines in the league. To a man it was sloppy, coverages were a mess, D was over-pinching trying to push offense. Sloppy. To start, Luke's head was not in the game and Dougie was a mess. Their first goal came from Luke trying to feed a dangerous high-slot pass to Mercer, who was flat footed, with no coverage for Luke at the blueline. Johnson swooped in and was off to the races. Dougie was caught flat footed, and did his best to catch him, but he's not catching Wyatt. 1 shot, 1 goal.
From there the first was just breakdown after breakdown, and Marky was our best player - stopping multiple HD Chances, breakaways and odd man rushes. The situational awareness was awful, even Pesce was caught puck watching on a few breaks the other way. We got a few chances of our own, the most notable was Bratt getting robbed on the doorstep. Gotta get that puck up a little more. Sidebar - Bratt uses a really short stick and that puck was just slightly out of reach to get that higher than it needed to be. Credit to DeSmith, we were well on our way to another back-up goalie L, he was poised and square. That was basically it for the first and stop me if you've heard this before: we didn't bury our best chances, and went into the intermission down 1-0. The big news was Dougie getting hurt now - losing him will hurt and now we are down 2 of our top 6 D, and contrary to some opinions out there, losing him will not be good.
They dusted themselves off and started the 2nd on the front foot, but another defensive breakdown - Luke was in deep with no forward coverage - and it was a 2 on 1 break the other way. I started getting the rope ready when we gave this one up to fucking Ilya Lyubushkin who the broadcast was enthusiastically reminding us that he hadn't scored in 147 games. Hey Steve Levy, fuck off loser.
But they didn't fold. In fact, this galvanized them - from here on the Devils controlled this game. Bigly. There was emotion and conviction, they were hunting pucks, the off puck energy was through the roof. Your boy NostraTim called a Timo PP goal pre-game and all 4 of you that read this stuff know that I have been calling for Timo to get some PP1 run in that right flank trigger spot. And looky looky what we have here, a Timo PP goal from that right flank. How bout dat. The last 40 minutes they led in shot attempts 32-13, shots 15-6, scoring chances 16-5, and high danger scoring chances 8-0 at 5 on 5. But that was 5 on 5 - and one of the main killers aside from situational awareness - was brutal discipline (and some oscar performances on the Dallas side). First, Kovacevic with an absolutely brain dead delay of game penalty - that just cannot happen, I don't care how the puck was rolling. That was so egregious, the puck wound up in the 400 section (probably). Shortly after, Luke grazed Duschene's arm, and this fucking pussy looked like he got it chopped off. Even Marky was ragging on him - but you know what? The refs call that 100 times out of 100, and the 5 on 3 goal was inevitable. Little tic tac toe and Hintz buries it. Sigh.
So into the 3rd, down 3-1 and we were collectively digging a grave for the 24-25 Devils season. The first 10 minutes were excruciating..until we got a PP on a nice hustle play by Lazar - and we got a fun bounce for once on a Luke point shot/Nico deflection. This was a perfect bounce, and exactly what we needed. We were right there, and a mad scramble in front and our new Italian Stallion Pesce tied it up! I was not expecting that AT ALL, and like I said the boys were energized, and the motion was palpable as they swarmed Brett.
We are excited! We just came back against Dallas away and are heading to overtim--- oh no. Kovacevic with another brain dead play, you have to gain the red line to get that puck in, just inexcusable to not take that extra step. I saw some bitching and moaning about this, myself included, but after looking further - the puck was in the air, that is icing, sorry people. If it's on the ice, yes that is a bad call, but in the air, the linesman is calling that every time. This trapped the Haula line on the ice, and it was time for Haula to redeem his recent play with his only redeemable remaining talent. And he didn't. One way ticket to waiver town for him, or buyout, or trade for a 5th rounder. I don't care. Puck gets back top Harley, who is legit but fuck that guy, and while Marky had a great game early... We NEED that save. He was off his angle, looking off to the right, when Harley was in the slot. Haula screening - just all around bad play. Devastating way to lose.
I was pleasantly surprised by some guys, The Mercer/Tatar/Palat line looked competent - but granted I am not sure if that is grading on a scale or not relative to their recent play and the alternative. They had a 94% xGF and an 80% CF which is encouraging, and Mercer actually shot the fucking puck. I won't kill him on that 2 on 1 double clutch, he saw DeSmith was quick to get across, so it was actually a smart move to go across back the way he came. One thing we did on all those 2 on 1s (Bastian, Nico, Mercer) was telegraph pass. Gotta make it look like you're shooting.
Noesen probably died a little inside paired with Haula and Dowling, that line was mid, and the 4th line - woof. That first line, though, was dynamic and really encouraging.. We needed guys to step up in Jack's absence and they did in spades - 75% xGF off a 50% CF. Meaning they were getting great looks almost every time they were on the ice.
Luke stepped up big time after a shaky first, led the team in ice time with 25 minutes, and had 2 assists. Nico with a goal and an apple, Timo with a goal and an apple. Bratter with 2 more assists. This is what we needed, and they can do this people - we just need our fuicking GM to pull the trigger on some things and if we are LTIR-ing Jack, we need to do that TODAY.
This has to be getting near the end for Haula, He is so washed, looks slow, awful on the PK, and can't win a draw when we needed it the most. If Dougie is hurt long term again, we need to have a tough convo about his future here too, he is on the wrong side of 30. That could solve a lot of future problems, and it does PAIN ME to say that, as all 4 of you know. Still waiting on Jack. Nemo looked pretty good as well and has steadily gotten better every game, the talk of his demise was seemingly premature.
We are at the schedule watching point of the program. We still have 2 games against CBJ and 1 against the Rangers, who are right in our rearview. We also have 2x Pitt and 2x Boston and 1x the Isles. Carolina remains a mess, particularly with the Rantanen thing.
Gonna be a stretch run kiddos, buckle up. I haven't lost faith. You shouldn't either.
Oh, and the Rangers are on a fraudulent run Steve, don't think you're back, because you aren't.
LGD Forever
