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Good morning Devils fans. Despite continued defensive issues, the Devils were able to grab a win at home last night, defeating the Buffalo Sabres 5-4. No period proved to be a blowout as the teams fought tooth and nail for control of the game. Goaltending was problematic on both ends for different reasons and the game became one of the more physical affairs of the year so far for the Devils.
The 1st period followed a familiar pattern as the Devils once again were scored upon first. After a Devils chance was denied, the Sabres jumped straight into the counterattack, finding a defensive gap with an out of place Curtis Lazar to set up JJ Peterka on the right side rush, finishing against Vitek Vanacek. His goaltending, while at times ample and effective, did have moments of weakness and let in some soft goals. The Devils would answer back a few minutes later when Alexander Holtz finished a Luke Hughes rebound up close to even it up 1-1. Later on in the period, Buffalo would regain the lead with Tage Thompson deking Vanacek to grab another goal, created initially by poor clearance attempts, board battles, and defensive positioning from the Devils. A defining moment happened in the game afterwards, where Connor Clifton laid a rough elbow hit, targeting Nico Hischier’s head. Following the ensuing scrum, the Black and Red would go on a 4-on-4 followed by a 3 minutes power play with Clifton being sent off. Jesper Bratt would make the most of it, stealing the puck at the blueline during a forecheck to breakaway and 5-hole to beat former Devil netminder Eric Comrie, wrapping up the period 2-2.
The 2nd started with the carried over power play, but the Devils weren’t able to convert. Vanacek had some solid moments in this period, particularly the first half. He shut down many chances and moved well from one pipe to the other after poor puck management and skating from Mike Mcleod. The Devils were called on too many men on the ice, leading to a Buffalo Sabres man advantage. Surprisingly, Erik Haula was able to pick off the puck at the blue line, going all the way to finishing gloveside on replacement Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who came in to relieve an injured Comrie. The Sabres would tie it up later in the period off of a Rasmus Dahlin point bomb, possibly tipped from a Nathan Bastian stick. The period would finish 3-3.
The 3rd saw an early powerplay goal from Jack Hughes above the right faceoff circle. The rest of the period became a slog fest of physical crunches and back-and-forth chances. Dylan Cozens would even it up 4-4, with a goal that perfectly symbolizes the overall defensive struggles of the Devils. While Holtz was behind the scorer, other players were overloaded on the weakside, puck watching the Sabres while they attacked. Luckily, the Devils were able to grab the lead for the final time on Haula’s second goal, a front door tip in off of Kevin Bahl’s long distance shot from the point.
Player Ratings:
Bastian - 6, had some decent chances and continually active on both ends, unlucky stick bounce led to a goal against
Bratt - 7, 1 goal with a +2 rating, solid overall game
Haula - 8, 2 goals including the game winner, looks to be more reactive and playing better than in previous outings
Hischier - N/A, had some good shifts but left the game early twice for injury issues after Clifton hit
Holtz - 7, good rebound goal and overall strong offensive play on the bottom line, could have positioned better defensively to stop one of the goals
J. Hughes - 7, 1 goal, improved faceoff results, seemed to be targeted for defensive isolation by Sabres
Lazar - 5, 1 shot and 3 hits, played decently but was caught out of defensive position a few times
Mcleod - 7, 1 assist and a +1, skated well into pressure and seemed to bounce ideas off of Holtz well
Meier - 6, 1 assist and a -1, had some decent chances, could benefit from taking different shooting decisions
Mercer - 6, +2, played better defensively and rushed the puck better than previous games, still think Holtz should player higher than him in the lineup
Palat - 3, spent 17 minutes in the box, poor decision making with puck management, rough game, Devils should seriously bottom 6 role for him until he finds his game
Toffoli - 6, 4 shots but -2, not a great game but not terrible, involved continually with 2-way play
Bahl - 7, grabbed his first assist, did well to crush chances
Hamilton - 6, average game with 3 shots and a -1, could benefit from playing more conservatively on transition defense
L. Hughes - 7, 2 assists, played well in the offensive one but got beat a few times defensively
Marino - 6, 1 assist and 2 blocked shots, balanced game, should avoid getting caught puck watching during defensive moments
Sieganthaler - 6, got involved physically, looked strong in neutral zone shutdowns
Smith - 5, limited time with not much to show for it, lacked speed in transition defensive
Vanacek - 6, 4 goals allowed with a .852 SV%, not blaming him for all the goals but he needs to improve if this defensive system still continues to struggle
Schmid - N/A
The Devils were rearranged a bit offensively with line shuffles, netting 5 goals, a pair coming from a previously struggling Erik Haula. This is good news. The bad? The defense is still struggling mightily to stop chances. Whether the answer is pair shuffling, bringing up prospects, or even making a trade, HC Lindy Ruff has to realize that to make this team work in all facets of the game, the focus should be on the blueline.
2. Talking About Roster Moves…
If these struggles continue, is it time to pull the trigger on a goalie trade? What about going out for a free agent defenseman? A cursory glance at the CapFriendly free agents list shows a few options for either path. Depending on his health status, I wouldn’t mind the Devils taking a look at Jake Gardiner. Maybe even Ethan Bear, depending on the price. There’s really no good netminder moves to make on the free agent market. Can any team spare an above average goalie for the right price? Or, do the Devils stick it out with their pair and massively overhaul the defensive structure.
3. A Totally Unrelated Note: On Shane Pinto and the NHL
I rarely jump straight into non-Devils news in the league. However, news came out yesterday that hasn’t stuck well with me and I’d like to gauge your views on this matter. Yesterday, the NHL announced that current Ottawa Senators RFA Shane Pinto was suspended 41 games relating to gambling issues. Now, I’ll admit, I don’t know all the facts of the case. However, the league has gone on record, saying that Pinto did not wager anything regarding NHL games. So, as far as I can tell, a player has to miss half of the year because he partook in a business and industry that is heavily advertised and pushed down hockey fans throats every chance possible by the league themselves. Whether it is jersey and helmet sponsors, commercial breaks, or CGI board ads, gambling has become integral part of the NHL’s imagery. How many of us have seen McDavid and Gretzky arguing before a zamboni race? Devils fans, how many commercials during Devils games have shown us JB Smoove in a Caesar outfit, convincing the Mannings and Vince Vaughn how great sports gambling is, especially from the convenience of your cell? Maybe I’m off the mark on this one, but this punishment doesn’t fit the crime, especially since the league has been criticized over the last few years that hits resulting in long term injuries don’t seem to be as penalized as years past. Weird priorities if you ask me.
What are your thoughts? How would you fix the Devils? Thoughts on the Shane Pinto suspension?
The Devils (4-2-1) will take on the Minnesota Wild (3-3-2) at home, puck drops 5PM. Leave your thoughts and comments below. Raise Hell,
New Jersey Devils Blogger • 
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