Game Preview: Panthers vs. Devils

The Time: 1:00 PM EST

The Broadcast: MSG

The Last Game: The Devils were shutout by the Boston Bruins, 3-0. Again, the coaching was suspect, as no changes were made despite the deficit. Again, fans questioned the decisions made during the game. Again, the Devils lost.

I grow more frustrated watching the strategy, or rather lack thereof. Watching the Bruins, a very quality team, showed a clear difference in preparedness and intensity between the two teams. The Devils, at least on paper, are a very skilled team. The general style of play, however, is very predictable passes which the Bruins defenders can easily get in the way of. The Bruins players seem to know where each other are at all times, while the Devils don’t even seem to know where they are.

Florida’s Struggles: Luckily for the Devils, the Panthers are struggling as well. Offensively, the line of Hoffman - Huberdeau and Dadonov each are averaging a point-per-game or higher. After them, the offense dries out. No players other than Hoffman and Dadonov have more than a single goal, while last year’s 20 goal scorer Frank Vatrano has no goals. Bobrovsky has heavily struggled to start the season, with a .882 save percentage and allowing nearly 4 goals a game. His compatriot, Sam Montembeault, is off to a hotter start, with a .938 save percentage. The Devils will hope to take advantage of another struggling team for their first win.

Projected Lineups: No news yet on the Devils side, but I’d like to mention Jesper Boqvist sitting in the press box helps no one long-term and (evidently) short-term.

Your Thoughts: What do you think needs to change for the Devils to succeed? Will we get our first win today? Will Jack Hughes get his first point tonight? Let me know in the comments below, and take care!