Is the New Jersey Devils first round series getting out of hand for them?
Matt Larkin was joined by Mike McKenna to discuss the New Jersey Devils’ struggles so far in the playoffs on the latest episode of Daily Faceoff Live.
Matt Larkin: The other Eastern Conference series last night had a much different result, it was the same thing repeated from game one to game two. The Devils lose another home game, another 5-1 score and this looks like a big mismatch so far. What’s going wrong for the Devils so far?
Mike McKenna: Honestly, it’s just two straight butt-kickings, there’s no way around it. I didn’t predict this, I thought that this series would go to seven games and I took the Rangers winning in that seventh game. Now, who’s to say, the Devils could come back and there were moments last night, even with under a minute left. You look at Jack Hughes split the D and get a clean shot on Shesterkin, you start to think okay maybe this can come.
But what’s really bothered me is that the Devils just have not managed the puck well, the Rangers have been all over them. And when you really boil it down, Shesterkin has been way better than Vanecek. That was a question coming into this playoff series, as Vanecek last year with the Washington Capitals wasn’t able to grab that net in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Goaltending played a big part but you also saw the resurgence of Patrick Kane who was unbelievable last night.
He had a goal and two assists, he’s driving the front of the net. He’s saucing pucks all over the place. It wasn’t just him, Chris Kreider did his thing tipping pucks home. This Rangers team looks in control of this series Matt, I didn’t expect it to be like that and I think the Devils have a big task on their hands. And they better get their rush game, they better get their feet going because the Rangers are owning them right now.
Matt Larkin: Yeah, I think you’re right. If we look at what the advantages were for the Rangers going into this series. Because I think those are the exact elements that are showing up. Of course, like you said goaltending was the key advantage, why I also picked the Rangers in seven. Also, that experience even in the lineup, bringing in Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, both Stanley Cup winners, they have Barclay Goodrow.
The Devils don’t have no experience, they have Ondrej Palat, they have some guys who have been on deeper playoff runs but Jack Hughes is in his first playoff game. Jesper Bratt played one game in 2018, Nico Hischier played one playoff series. So, this team is getting their feet well overall and what’s interesting to me when you look in the regular season the Devils were the analytics darling.
The territorial play has gone their way but the problem is the Rangers star-power that is shining. That shows in the four power play goals that they’ve scored so far. The Devils when they’re in the box, their 5-on-5 numbers don’t matter because you’re handing the keys over to those stars and that’s where the Rangers are doing a lot of damage. I don’t know if this is the year the Devils go on a deep run even though they’re so talented.
And we’ve seen the great teams with a superstar, you have to take your licks, you lose the first round. Shades of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2007, Sidney Crosby’s first year. They learn what it takes and get nudged out of the playoffs, maybe that’s what we’re seeing here, but its hard to say.
You can watch the rest of the episode here…