All About The Jersey - Game Stream #42: New Jersey Devils vs. Boston BruinsA world class blog for Jersey's team: the New Jersey Devilshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47083/lou-fave.png2016-01-09T00:01:13-05:00http://www.allaboutthejersey.com/rss/stream/104986712016-01-09T00:01:13-05:002016-01-09T00:01:13-05:00Familiarly Bad: Devils Clearly Downed by B's, 1-4
<figure>
<img alt="The third goal: from the goal camera and a fisheye lens" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lsVDSgsMItVASaxkm6MeqBaaEPU=/24x0:3191x2111/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48528805/GettyImages-504062744.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The third goal: from the goal camera and a fisheye lens | Bruce Bennett/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The New Jersey Devils were out-played, out-shot, and out-attempted again - only tonight the Boston Bruins made the loss decisive with a 1-4 final score. This game recap highlights the increasingly familiar and bad performance by the Devils.</p> <p>Once again, the <a href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New Jersey Devils</a> put up relatively little offense. Once again, the New Jersey Devils were out-played and out-done by most metrics. Once again, the positives were few for the Devils. All I got are these two: the Devils weren't shutout and their power play looked like one tonight. The latter is nice, I suppose. Unlike their last two games, though, the opponent score more than one or two goals. The <a href="https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Boston Bruins</a> put up four goals to make it a decisive loss for the Devils. The Bruins were slumping but they have kicked off this road trip in an ideal fashion. A very good game that led to a very good 4-1 score against a bad New Jersey Devils team.</p>
<p>The theme for my recaps has been and will continue to be that performances matter. Results are important. That's what counts at the end of the day. But more often than not, the team that plays better tends to to win more games. While hockey is a game where wacky bounces or sudden changes can decide games in the blink of an eye, how a team moves the puck, performs in situations, supports their goalie, enters and exits the zone and takes care of business with the puck remains paramount. It's what leads to those strange occurrences happening, it provides the base for puck luck to go one's way, and it helps us determine who's good and who's not at a player and team level. I find that to be interesting and it matters in the larger scope of following a team through games, months, and seasons. I cannot just ignore performances because the results are good. I cannot just ignore performances because the Devils roster is depleted. I definitely cannot ignore them when they were bad. Believe me, this one was bad.</p>
<p>Let's start with those fancy stat numbers, which really aren't so fancy as they just count different parts of the official scoresheet. The Devils were out-attempted 39-48 tonight and out-shot 20-31 in all situations. At even strength, the gap was closer: 34-40 in favor of the visitors for attempts. Although, they were still significantly out-shot 18-28. There were surges by the Devils, notably in the second period where they attacked more than Boston. Alas, Boston got two goals anyway to make it feel all for nothing. Once <span>Colin Miller</span> slammed one through <span>Cory Schneider's</span> legs to make it 1-4, the B's just took the game over to really book end the flow of the game. The first and third period were clearly in Boston's control, the second, less so. If you're really into scoring chances, then HockeyStats.ca's chart had Boston ahead twenty-three to New Jersey's twelve. So not only did Boston attempt more shots, get more shots on target, but they also got much more of them in more valuable locations on the ice.</p>
<p>Yet, anyone in the sell out crowd at the Rock tonight didn't need to hit up Natural Stat Trick or HockeyStats.ca to know how this game went. From the eye-test alone, it was clear who was the superior team tonight. Boston moved the puck more effectively. In contrast, the Devils seemed to think putting pucks away from their teammates or into their skates were good ideas. They were not. Boston set themselves in the neutral zone to slow down any potential New Jersey attacks. The Devils did not. Boston aggressively battled for pucks on offense without conceding any odd man rushes or huge tracts of land for opposing skaters to get into. The Devils did at times. The Bruins played with a good balance of awareness of what's going on and a lack of hesitation to act. The Devils had the opposite; sometimes they moved the puck and shot it as if they were following a tactic or an instruction regardless of what was in front of them (often a Bruin player) and other times, they made the right read or play but took an extra second or an extra touch to worsen a potential opportunity. One team looked like they knew what they were doing and the other was New Jersey. Whoever was left that supported New Jersey - there was a fair number of Boston fans in the house tonight - most of them booed. Could you blame them after watching all of this play out?</p>
<p>It would be easy to discount this as just a bad game. It would be easy to just say, "Well, the Devils are increasingly banged up, so they're going to put up some stinkers until guys get better." Both aren't wrong. However, this kind of performance is not new to this team. This is the third straight loss where the Devils put up a meager amount of shots with disturbingly small number in the third period. This game concludes a week where Cory Schneider played mostly well yet he gets three 'L's because the guys in front of him scored a total of two goals. The Devils played another game where the shots, the attempts, the possession, the scoring effects, and so forth were solidly against them. We've seen these performances earlier this week, last month, and in games months before that - regardless of results, the team has been out-performed more often than not. I'd have to stick my head in some sand if I don't consider all this and conclude that this isn't a good hockey team at all.</p>
<p>They may not finish dead last in the Metropolitan, but as these performances are yielding losses like this 1-4 defeat to Boston, there's no way they'll last where they are in the standings. Something is wrong when bad games become familiar. It's familiar and it's been this way for some time. It cannot and will not be ignored.</p>
<p><b>The Game Stats: </b>The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20152016/GS020608.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Game Summary</a> | The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20152016/ES020608.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Event Summary</a> | The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20152016/PL020608.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Play by Play Log</a> | The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20152016/SS020608.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Shot Summary</a> | The <a href="http://www.naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20152016&game=20608" target="_blank">Natural Stat Trick Advanced Stats</a> | The <a href="http://hockeystats.ca/game/2015020608" target="_blank">HockeyStats.ca Game Stats</a></p>
<p><b>The Opposition Opinion: </b>Check out <a href="http://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/">Stanley Cup of Chowder</a> for their eventual take on this win. If you want positives, then go seek them from them because this was a very, very positive performance and result for the B's this evening.</p>
<p><b>The Game Highlights: </b>From <a href="http://www.nhl.com" target="_blank">NHL.com</a>, see how Boston beat up the Devils and the lone Devils goal:</p>
<p align="center"><iframe src="http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/embed?playlist=2015020608-X-h" frameborder="0" width="640" height="395"></iframe></p>
<p><b>OK, Another Positive: </b><span>Bobby Farnham</span> scored the lone goal for the Devils tonight. It was a real nice one, too. <span>Stephen Gionta</span> played it up to Farnham and didn't put the puck in a spot where he'd have to fumble it. It actually created a 2-on-1 with Jon Merrill open on the flank. Fortunately, Farnham didn't dish it off as Colin Miller was lurking to deny any pass. Farnham just ripped one to the far post from the left circle and beat <span>Jonas Gustavsson</span>. It was a good release and it put the Devils back into the game at the time. For someone who was basically a PIM machine in the AHL and was a dubious waiver wire pickup at the time, Farnham has more than made Ray Shero look smart for doing it. He now has six goals, tied with <span>Travis Zajac</span>, for the sixth most on the team. That's good for Farnham as much as it's an indictment of the Devils' overall offense.</p>
<p>I still don't think Farnham is going to be as useful with more minutes or against better competition. His play on defense isn't nearly as energetic and definitely not effective, as evidenced on the first and last goal tonight. And as nice as his goal was, it was his only shot of the night so it's not like the fourth line really had a good game. Still, Farnham added a goal and helped give the team a reason to believe the game was not out of hand and the fans something to cheer for. That's a positive.</p>
<p>I also liked how the Devils responded to that goal, too. I liked half of the power play that came shortly after it (thank you, <span>Matt Beleskey</span> for needlessly taking down Palmieri on offense). <span>Jordin Tootoo</span> nearly tied it up after that ended. He was denied by iron. The Devils were playing well even after that until one of the call ups made a big mistake. More on that later in this recap.</p>
<p><b>Another One: </b><span>Jiri Tlusty</span> hasn't had a very good season. Yet, the last thing the team needs is another injury. Tlusty left the game with something after playing just nine shifts and 6:30 of ice time. He did not return, so the Devils were left with eleven forwards for the night. This helped contribute to the completely less than stellar performance by Travis Zajac and <span>Kyle Palmieri</span> as left wingers were rotated with them all night long.</p>
<p>With the exception of <span>Mike Cammalleri</span> and, after this game, John Moore and <span>David Schlemko</span>, most of the players out for New Jersey haven't been exceptional this season. However, when a bunch of them are out, this means players who weren't playing regularly when they were healthy (e.g. <span>Stefan Matteau</span>) and players who were below them on the depth chart (e.g. tonight's call ups) have to step in. And that's usually a step down. That was on full display tonight. So while Albany continues to roll on - nice 6-4 win over the Syracuse Drouins, by the way - there's not a savior there to cure what ails the Devils. Just guys to take up space on the roster.</p>
<p>Therefore, while Tlusty himself wasn't doing all that well, his loss could mean the team's going to be worse off for it in the near future.</p>
<p><b>Called Up, Probably Soon to Be Sent Down: </b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2016/1/8/10736356/injuries-bring-new-faces-to-the-devils">In response to the latest set of injuries</a>, the Devils called up <span>Jim O'Brien</span>, <span>Paul Thompson</span>, and <span>Marc-Andre Gragnani</span>. I do not think either will last. In retrospect, I think Shero would have kept <span>Mike Sislo</span> and/or called up someone else (take your pick of Albany). Gragnani got some power play time and the power play wasn't a total waste of time tonight, so there's that. Unfortunately, he was often in over his head on defense - which is especially not good as <span>Eric Gelinas</span> was his partner tonight.</p>
<p>As for the two forwards, it wasn't a good night. O'Brien mostly played with Thompson and Matteau. This was a unit that really didn't do much good. Matteau was rotated off that line and was better for it. O'Brien's main contribution was getting whacked in the face by Zdeno Chara's high stick. Before, it was a delay of game call shortly after <span>Frank Vatrano</span> elbowed him. Ouch. Thompson took the dumbest and costliest penalty of the night for New Jersey. After the Devils' second power play, the flow of the game was in New Jersey's error. There was legitimate signs of confidence and composure as every other pass wasn't misplaced. Then Thompson tripped <span>Zach Trotman</span> behind the net with just over three minutes to play in the second period. Boston was able to get back on offense and convert the power play when <span>Jimmy Hayes</span> tipped a shot by Chara to make it 1-3 in favor of the visitors. It was a bad penalty and Thompson added not much else to go with it.</p>
<p>In short, all three looked like AHL players tonight. That may not be a surprise because, well, they are AHL players. This goes back to what I wrote about the Tlusty injury. These three had to step in for spots opened because players down the pecking order were out. These three are three that couldn't beat out those players for a roster spot in New Jersey way back at training camp in September and October. So the Rock and those watching from afar got to witness what a drop off it can be. It was in full effect tonight.</p>
<p><b>Oh, That Doesn't Excuse Others: </b>That being said, the team very much lost as a team tonight. Jon Merrill was a turnover machine. <span>Andy Greene</span> with <span>Adam Larsson</span> got pinned back, namely because they saw Boston's top line the most along with Zajac's line. Even apart, the duo couldn't make that much of a positive difference although Greene with <span>Damon Severson</span> wasn't so bad. Zajac had a very tough matchup against <span>Patrice Bergeron</span>, <span>Loui Eriksson</span>, and <span>David Pastrnak</span>. While those three didn't hit the scoresheet, they were Boston's most threatening line on paper and on the ice. When they were out there, it wasn't long before they got into New Jersey's end of the rink. Zajac's line lost that matchup and lost it in a big way. The fourth line didn't add much other than Farnham's goal and Tootoo hitting a post. Those who don't like Stephen Gionta get to really not like how he lost Vatrano, who put home a rebound for Boston's first goal of the game. The call ups weren't good, Matteau wasn't good, and by now I hope you realize this is most of the roster. That's how this game went Adam Henrique and Lee Stempniak didn't look utterly lost, but they weren't changing the game either.</p>
<p><b>The Goalies: </b>Gustavsson had a relatively easy night. It was more difficult for Cory Schneider, who saw 31 shots out of 48 attempts. He was beaten four times. The last one was a soft one. It was a one-timer, but Schneider was in position and he saw the shot fully. That one was the one he should have stopped.</p>
<p>The other three, less so. Vatrano put rebound in at his doorstep to open the game's scoring.<b> </b><span>Ryan Spooner</span> scored on a rather harmless looking wrist shot in the second period that held up as the game winner. Live and on replay, you can identify that there were two bodies in the path of the shot in front of Schneider: Severson and Beleskey. Schneider didn't see it and so it became a harmful shot to New Jersey. And the third goal, again, Hayes tipped Chara's shot right in front of Schneider. I suppose you could direct some of your anger for those three at Merrill. He was busy with someone else for the first one, but he did himself no favors not positioned himself in a good way on the two men in front for the other two goals. Nevertheless, I wouldn't fault Schneider much for this loss. He wasn't <i>the</i> Cory Schneider tonight, but he wasn't a sieve either.</p>
<p><b>I'm Reaching for This Positive: </b>It looked and functioned like a power play for about 60-70% of the four minutes they had! Yes, they didn't score and had only one shot on net. But after two straight nights of nothing, the Devils didn't treat their breakouts like some stressful situation where everything had to be perfect. It's a small step forward towards something more respectable. That's all I want at this point for man advantage situations by the Devils.</p>
<p><b>For the Opposition: </b>Bruins fans should be very pleased with this game. They have lost quite a lot since beating the Devils in a shootout. They busted their slump tonight and did so in a way that could make one think better times are ahead. They didn't just cruise to a win, they worked and worked to make it happen. While they are not as banged up as the Devils, Boston was missing multiple players tonight due to injury and one to a suspension. Their top players still performed to their level of expectations and their call ups were more effective. Claude Julien gave them a good plan and the remaining players - namely Bergeron, Eriksson, Pastrnak, Beleskey, Spooner, and most of the defense - were good enough to execute and perform. Even Kevan Miller had a good game. Credit to them for playing as well as they did.</p>
<p><b>One Last Thought: </b>The Devils not only took only four shots in the third period. The Devils not only were out-shot in the third period 4-14. The Devils' last shot of the game came with 7:04 left to play. Boston took eight since then and most were in 5-on-5 play. Even with the game out of reach at that point, that's just sad by New Jersey. Simply sad.</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b>While I wouldn't call it a F-minus, the Devils definitely did not deserve a decent grade for this game. The performance was bad and the result tonight really reflected that. Good on Boston for taking full advantage to really highlight it. That's enough from me. I want to know what you think. What did you make of this loss? Did anyone on New Jersey look good beyond Farnham scoring a goal? Who or what of the Bruins impressed you? What can the Devils take from this, if anything, to help them prepare for their road trip that starts this Sunday? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about this loss in the comments.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who commented in the Gamethread and/or followed the site's account on Twitter, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twitter.com/aatjerseyblog">@AATJerseyBlog. </a>Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2016/1/9/10739922/familiarly-bad-performance-in-new-jersey-devils-decisive-loss-boston-bruinsJohn Fischer2016-01-08T18:00:02-05:002016-01-08T18:00:02-05:00Gamethread #42: Devils vs. Bruins
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DswTQ0xM1hVpa_3Ckld2VyMhDxM=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47827643/large_inlouwetrust.com.minimal.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>The New Jersey Devils will face the Boston Bruins in Newark before embarking on a four-game-in-seven-nights road trip. This gamethread is a place where Devils fans can discuss the game as it happens until the recap is up.</p> <p><strong>The Time: </strong>7:00 PM EST</p>
<p><strong>The Broadcast: </strong>TV - MSG+; Radio - 660 AM & 101.9 FM WFAN</p>
<p><strong>The Matchup: </strong>The <a href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New Jersey Devils</a> (20-16-5) at the <a href="https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Boston Bruins</a> (20-14-4; SBN Blog: <a href="http://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/">Stanley Cup of Chowder</a>)</p>
<p><strong>A Song for Tonight: </strong>Do you like metalcore? Do you like heavy music with screaming, growling, and singing in the same song? Do you want to know what it was like back in 2004? Then check out <em>The End of Heartache </em>by Killswitch Engage. Here's a song from that album. It's called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s892QHMiOa8">"When Darkness Falls."</a> (If you saw <em>Freddy vs. Jason</em>, then you heard this song.)</p>
<p><strong>The Reminder of Rules: </strong>The rules remain the rules. Here's a quick reminder. Please keep your comments clean, legal, and all about the game itself. Other scores are OK, but let's make sure the comments here are primarily about the Devils and this game. Also, let's respect each other, there's no need for drama or unwelcome nature of any sort. This is a gamethread, <em>let's focus on the game.</em> Thank you for reading and commenting. Go Devils!</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2016/1/8/10734678/gamethread-42-new-jersey-devils-vs-boston-bruinsJohn Fischer2016-01-08T07:00:02-05:002016-01-08T07:00:02-05:00Game Preview #42: Devils vs. Bruins
<figure>
<img alt="Do more of this tonight! A lot more, if you can!" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7W6rIkbAXtn23nYDiqGbPY7ChBk=/0x0:4245x2830/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48522215/usa-today-9008521.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Do more of this tonight! A lot more, if you can! | Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The New Jersey Devils will face the Boston Bruins in Newark before embarking on a four-game-in-seven-nights road trip. As this game preview explains, both teams are banged up and have not been playing well recently.</p> <p>Another series fi-no, they play again in March. Nevermind.</p>
<p><b>The Time: </b>7:00 PM EST<u></u><u></u></p>
<p><b>The Broadcast: </b>TV - MSG+; Radio - 660 AM & 101.9 FM WFAN<u></u><u></u></p>
<p><b>The Matchup: </b>The <a href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New Jersey Devils</a> (20-16-5) vs. the <a href="https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Boston Bruins</a> (20-14-4; SBN Blog: <a href="http://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/">Stanley Cup of Chowder</a>)<u></u><u></u></p>
<p><b>The Last Devils Game: </b>On Wednesday, the Devils went into Montreal. They left with very little. Montreal brought an attack and the Devils brought an attack-like substance. OK, it wasn't a beatdown but it wasn't a sharp performance at all from New Jersey within the first forty minutes. The <a href="https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Canadiens</a>, on the other hand, struck for two goals. They converted a power play near the end of the first period; Max Pacioretty re-directed a feed by Tomas Plekanec though Brendan Gallagher and Cory Schneider. Late in the second, when the Devils power play decided to answer the question "What was worse than nothing?" The answer: a shorthanded goal. <span>Sergey Kalinin</span> made a bad pass to Damon Severson; Paul Byron picked it up and went off to the races on a 2-on-1; Severson slid on his stomach out of position leaving Byron to make an easy play for <span>Torrey Mitchell</span> to re-direct it past Schneider. There would be a sign of hope in the third period. Fifty seconds in, Adam Henrique got a touch on a shot by Andy Greene that went through <span>Mike Condon</span>. At 1-2, would the Devils battle valiantly to get a tie? Would they get a late one after a stretch where Montreal played well like the last time? Would they get anything on the board again? No, no, and no. The score stood at 1-2. <a href="http://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2016/1/6/10727302/new-jersey-devils-not-close-to-montreal-canadiens-in-close-1-2-loss" target="_blank">My recap of the kind-of lame loss is here.</a><u></u><u></u></p>
<p><b>The Last Bruins Game: </b>The Bruins hoped to bounce back from a Winter Classic thrashing by their hated rivals. Their next game came on Tuesday when they were hosting the Beasts of the East in Washington. That was going to be unlikely on paper. In reality, it didn't happen. Washington dropped two games in a row and they were insistent on not making it three. <span>Andre Burakovsky</span> opened the scoring off a feed from <span>Evgeny Kuznetsov</span> with just under five minutes left in the first period. Kuznetsov doubled Washington's lead with a power play goal past the halfway mark of the second. <span>Loui Eriksson</span> got Boston on the board with under five minutes left in the second; yet Washington solidly out-shot the B's in each of the first two periods. Boston upped their game down a goal - what a concept - and put more rubber on <span>Braden Holtby</span>. However, Washington would strike again: <span>Marcus Johansson</span> made it 1-3 against Boston with under ten minutes in regulation. Hope rekindled when a shot by <span>Patrice Bergeron</span> hit off <span>Justin Williams</span> and the re-direction beat Holtby to convert a power play. Boston kept trying to swarm Holtby with pucks and bodies, but the goalie stayed strong. The Bruins lost again, this time by a 2-3 score. At least the effort was better than how they did in Montreal. <u></u></p>
<p><b>The Last Devils-Bruins Game:</b> Back on December 20, the Devils went up to Boston just after losing to Anaheim the night before. Boston got off to a good start and Loui Eriksson made the Devils pay for leaving him open in the slot early in the first period. The forward made it 0-1 for Boston. The funny thing was that the Devils actually responded well to the goal and attacked more in the first period and early in the second. Andy Greene tied up the game when he re-directed a pass by Lee Stempniak to beat Jonas Gustavsson. The Devils put on the pressure, but Boston slowly and eventually clawed their way back into the game. While shots ended up even in regulation, Boston had the better run of play as the second rolled into the third period. Cory Schneider was called upon to be great - and he was. Just at the end of regulation, John Moore was whistled for interference. Boston came close to ending it in overtime on the ensuing power play but Schneider was just on another level at the time. Boston continued to dominate New Jersey in OT after the power play and Schneider was the main reason the game required a shootout. Alas, the shootout would be the Devils' downfall. <span>Ryan Spooner</span> scored for Boston, no one else did, and so the final score was 1-2. <a href="http://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2015/12/20/10631136/cory-schneider-excelled-new-jersey-devils-1-2-shootout-loss-boston-bruins" target="_blank">My recap praised Schneider and noted that it wasn't a game completely carried by #35.</a> Over at <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nhl-playoffs" class="sbn-auto-link">Stanley Cup</a> of Chowder, there was a recap for this one - <u></u><a target="_blank" href="http://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/2015/12/21/10632366/bruins-tie-no-wait-they-win">and it's by Gus Booth so go read that.</a></p>
<p><b>The Goal: </b>Defer less, shoot more. The Devils shouldn't just take every single open look that's given to them. All Boston would do is just let them take hopeful shots from the points and watch as most of them get blocked, go wide, or get stopped in traffic. But the Devils should make a concerted effort to pass less and shoot more. In the Montreal game, we got to witness shifts where the Devils would get a 3-on-2 only to have it turn it into nothing with two drop passes. We witnessed good possession shifts die because someone wanted to make an extra pass to the side of the perimeter, creating an easy clearing attempt against the Devils. We witnessed a team that was only down by one or two goals (the two goal lead didn't last) and just not push the play forward enough to take shots. With the state of the Devils' roster and the harsh reality that they don't have a lot of offensive talent, the message from John Hynes must be clear. Just fire away. Don't over think it. Don't worry about dissing a teammate by not passing it elsewhere. Just fire. They may not be the best shots, but it's a lot better than potential shots not being taken.</p>
<p><b>Since the Last Game:</b> The Devils have hit a recent snag with two straight losses, though that is preceded by three wins, which was preceded by a loss on Boxing Day and a win before Christmas. That convoluted sentence means the Devils went 4-3-0 since these last two played. Boston fans wished the B's did that well. Since beating the Devils, the Bruins have won one (1) game. And it wasn't that big one at Gillette Stadium either. Boston lost five of their last six and find themselves in a precarious position in the Atlantic Division.</p>
<p>Similar to New Jersey, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?reportType=game&report=skatersummary&startDate=2015-12-22&endDate=2016-01-07&gameType=2&sort=goals&aggregate=1&teamId=6&pos=S">the offense has dried up in this timeframe.</a> Only six different Bruins players have scored goals in these six games (number of goals in parentheses): Patrice Bergeron (4), <span>Jimmy Hayes</span> (3), <span>Matt Beleskey</span> (3), <span>David Krejci</span> (2), Loui Eriksson (1), and <span>Adam McQuaid</span> (1). While that list includes Boston's best forward and three other players that the Devils don't want to just let roam around, that's not really all that much. This isn't to say others are dropping the ball; assists to create goals do have some value. Yet, there's a bit of feast or famine and it hurts when <span>Zdeno Chara</span>, <span>Torey Krug</span>, Ryan Spooner, <span>Brad Marchand</span>, and <span>Frank Vatrano</span> are averaging two or more shots in this set of games and they all have zeroes for shooting percentages. Granted, Boston has lost some players due to injury and suspension; but the point remains: there hasn't been a lot of lamps lit outside of that one crazy win against Ottawa. Compounding the problem is their goaltending. As good as he is - and that's really, really, really good - Tukkaa Rask has been cold. He's played in five out of six of these games between this one and the last with the Devils.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?reportType=game&report=goaliebystrength&startDate=2015-12-22&endDate=2016-01-07&gameType=2&sort=evSaves&aggregate=1&teamId=6&pos=G"> His stats: a chilly 89.4% save percentage at evens</a> and 87.5% on the penalty kill. The latter isn't bad but, again, when there's few goals coming to help, it's a bad combination.</p>
<p>Dissimilar to New Jersey, we know from the past that the Bruins have several talented players such that this run of six games won't last forever. Chara and Krug shoot and create so much from the back that they're bound to get a few in soon. Eriksson is too good of a shooter to just score so infrequently. The goals will come, especially since he's playing with Bergeron. Krejci will get better. Marchand is suspended but he'll get back to producing and being a pain on the ice in no time. Spooner and Vatrano will get opportunities and will finish them in time provided they're not discouraged from shooting. Whereas the Devils still have too many fourth-line caliber players at forward, the Bruins are better off and they'll be better for it in the long run.</p>
<p><b>The B's Who Are Missing: </b>That said, the Devils may want to take full advantage of the state of Boston's roster. Not only are they slumping, but there's some names in the lineup that aren't available. Let's go over them.</p>
<p>Brad Marchand is serving a three game suspension, so he's out. Krejci was out for the Caps game on Tuesday; it is doubtful he'll play tonight. That means more minutes for Bergeron - and it also means more and potentially longer shifts for the All-Star. McQuaid is now on IR as a result of taking a nasty hit from <span>Zach Sill</span>; the team called up 19-year old <span>David Pastrnak</span> in response <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2016/01/07/bruins/8jl87E6hjUXkoIjBzpdntK/story.html">per this Thursday post by Kevin Paul Dumont at the Boston Globe.</a> Pastrnak may provide a spark to a struggling offense in theory. While he only has two goals and two assists in ten games, he did put up 24 shots and with the other absences, it may not be a bad idea to give him a larger spot on the roster. The loss of McQuaid hurts a defense that already has been playing <span>Colin Miller</span> and <span>Kevan Miller</span>. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/2016/1/7/10731952/miller-time-to-say-goodbye">The latter is not very good on defense according to this Stanley Cup of Chowder post by Paul Wheeler. </a>The Devils would be wise to pick on him when they can. Going back to the larger point, the Bruins aren't at full strength. Neither are the Devils, but between that and their slump since beating New Jersey in a shootout in Boston on December 20, this is an ideal time to strike.</p>
<p>Let's hammer that point home a bit more. <a href="http://leftwinglock.com/line-combinations/boston-bruins/?team=boston-bruins&strength=EV&gametype=1" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Look at their lineup at Left Wing Lock from their last game.</a> The centers behind Bergeron are <span>Landon Ferraro</span>, <span>Joonas Kemppainen</span>, and <span>Max Talbot</span>. That's hardly a tough group and it speaks to why <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?reportType=game&report=skatersummary&startDate=2015-12-22&endDate=2016-01-07&gameType=2&sort=points&aggregate=1&teamId=6&pos=S">Bergeron is averaging close to 21 minutes of ice time in the last six games.</a> Bergeron is great but he can't play the entire game. Their wings are more potent; the addition of Pastrnak could mean he's on the first line with Eriksson and Bergeron. No disrespect intended, but that's more dangerous than <span>Brett Connolly</span> with them. Down on defense, Krug will likely have a different partner with McQuaid out; Chara with the lesser Miller should be sight as one's really good and the other is Kevan Miller; and <a target="_blank" href="http://war-on-ice.com/playertable.html?mansit=3&scoresit=2&homeawaysit=1&tablegroup=1&playoffs=All&names=&team=BOS&pos=6&start1=2015-10-01&xaxis=61&yaxis=96&caxis=9&saxis=103&mintoi=0&tab=1&usedaterange=0&start0=20152016&end0=20152016&end1=2016-01-08&splitseasons=1">Dennis Seidenberg is still getting minutes.</a> Consider all this with a cold goalie tandem of Rask and Gustavsson and most teams would want to take on this version of Boston.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, there are the Devils tonight.</p>
<p><b>The Injury List Grows: </b>The big news from yesterday was that Mike Cammalleri was put on injured reserve. This was retroactive to December 30, so he could be activated at anytime. Yet, I don't think they would put him on IR if the team thought he could play tonight. Putting someone on IR creates a spot available on the roster. <a target="_blank" href="http://fireandice.northjersey.com/fire-ice-1.174987/devils-place-mike-cammalleri-on-injured-reserve-call-up-coming-1.1487043">Tom Gulitti at Fire & Ice yesterday reported all this and also noted that while a call up could be coming but one has not been made yet. </a> The reason for that is because there's other player's status. John Moore left the Montreal game early with an injury. David Schlemko was a late scratch for the Montreal game. While some may want to see a forward called up from Albany, a defenseman may be more likely. That will depend on how Moore and Schlemko are doing.</p>
<p>I believe the full total of injured Devils right now are: Patrik Elias (IR), Mike Cammalleri (IR), Jacob Josefson (IR), Tyler Kennedy, John Moore, and David Schlemko. While Cammalleri, Moore, and (occassionally) Schlemko are the only ones who have played significant minutes, this has forced the Devils to go deeper into their lineup. If the last two games have taught us anything, it's that the Devils' offense was lacking when these players were healthy and now it's even worse. And while Jon Merrill and Eric Gelinas had good games in Montreal, the defense is potentially poorer with two NHL defenders sitting.</p>
<p>Right now, the Devils will live and die on whether A) Travis Zajac, Kyle Palmieri, Adam Henrique, and Lee Stempniak are producing anything, B) the make-shift bottom-six provides anything at all, and (not or) C) Cory Schneider is Cory Schneider. We can bank on C. A and B, not so much. Especially with Lee Stempniak just looking off and Adam Henrique not contributing much even though he finally scored a goal. Should Zajac have another one-break-and-he-misses or Palmieri has a quiet night or the Bergeron line wins their expected matchup against the Zajac unit, it's going to be a really hard game no matter how well #35 plays.</p>
<p>As the Devils didn't practice yesterday, there's no word yet about what they'll do with their current roster. We'll find out later today.</p>
<p><b>One Last Thought: </b>As poor as the team has looked in the last two nights, it'll be worth coming out to this one. After this game, the Devils embark on a road trip of four games in seven nights before returning home for only two more home games this month. If you like seeing the Devils live, then it's relatively scarce in this month.</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b>Neither team is an ideal state. Perhaps this game will inspire one to get closer to one. What do you think will happen tonight? Who will come out of this one with a win? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about this game in the comments. Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2016/1/8/10734426/game-preview-42-new-jersey-devils-boston-bruinsJohn Fischer