All About The Jersey - New Jersey Devils at Pittsburgh Penguins: Game Stream #9A world class blog for Jersey's team: the New Jersey Devilshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47083/lou-fave.png2014-10-28T23:24:47-04:00http://www.allaboutthejersey.com/rss/stream/68456622014-10-28T23:24:47-04:002014-10-28T23:24:47-04:00Devils Melt Down 3-8 by Penguins' Storm of Goals
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<img alt="The game winning goal: Craig Adams scored on a breakaway. Seriously." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RmrfseqeIG-8Pirr-mdn-sZbYB4=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/42946942/20141028_pjc_al8_177.JPG.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>The game winning goal: Craig Adams scored on a breakaway. Seriously. | Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Believe it or not, but the New Jersey Devils led the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 at one point. Then a severe nasty storm of seven unanswered goals happened throughout the second and third periods. This is the recap of a Devils melt down.</p> <p>Consider a nasty rain storm. It does not come suddenly. There are auspicious signs that happen before the hard rain is everywhere, the winds get crazy, and legitimate damage happens. It is this imagery that comes to my mind In tonight's game, the <a href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">New Jersey Devils</a> were not immediately wrecked by the <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>. They actually scored the game's first goal: a <span>Dainius Zubrus</span> shot that touched off Kris Letang's stick from distance and fooled <span>Marc-Andre Fleury</span>. They could have had more: <span>Travis Zajac</span> and <span>Marek Zidlicky</span> both found iron. They actually killed a penalty - and even got a shorthanded goal from it. A breakaway from <span>Jacob Josefson</span> of all players. The Devils' fourth line even built off of that. <span>Stephen Gionta</span> put a low shot on net and <span>Tuomo Ruutu</span> put in the rebound. <span>Cory Schneider</span> turning into <span>Johan Hedberg</span> for a few seconds in the first period aside, and the Devils were looking good. Or at least OK. Then the dark clouds came in and it began to pour.</p>
<p>It was just into the eighth minute of the second period. <span>Damon Severson</span> took a minor penalty for holding Evgeni Malkin. It wasn't a very significant hold, but the referees felt it was worth calling. OK. The Devils were actually doing a decent job against the most successful power play in the league. Then Travis Zajac jumps on and makes a play in the neutral zone. The problem was that there was another Devil on the ice. Yes, a too many men on the ice call on a penalty kill gave the Pens a 5-on-3. Malkin hammered a shot over Schneider's shoulder. 3-2.</p>
<p>The Devils kill off the too many men on the ice call. Play continues. Severson finds <strike>Zajac</strike> Reid Boucher at Pittsburgh's blueline with a pass but <strike>Zajac's</strike> Boucher's stick breaks. Simon Depres takes the puck, calmly looks up, and found the entire right side of the neutral zone open with <span>Patric Hornqvist</span> flying through it. Depres hits him with a pass, Hornqvist easily gets an angle around <span>Jon Merrill</span>, and Hornqvist fires a laser over Schneider's shoulder. One would have hoped Schneider took a better angle or stood up more, but it was a really, really good shot all the same. And an equalizer. 3-3. The rain begins.</p>
<p>Thunder rumbles when the Devils get a power play in the later parts of the second. <span>Craig Adams</span>, who is still playing hockey, boards Jacob Josefson. The Devils generate next to nothing on the power play, despite possession in the second minute. At the end of that power play, <span>Adam Henrique</span> gained the zone and hits Zajac with a pass across the zone. Zajac takes a step, looks up, and tries to find <span>Jaromir Jagr</span> with another pass across the zone. Yet, he botches the pass. It goes right to <span>Brandon Sutter</span>, who was hanging out in the high slot. This is right as the penalty ends, so Sutter immediately fires a pass up the middle of the ice to Adams coming out of the box. Adams gets it and has a breakaway. He scores cleanly. 3-4. The rain picks up and the storm begins to set in.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.rawcharge.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Lightning</a> strikes, the rain just comes down in buckets, and it's beginning to get hard to see. In a little over a minute after Adams' goal, the Elias line gets stopped on offense and the Pens counter-attack. <span>Chris Kunitz</span> passes the puck off to Despres in the neutral zone to change the point of attack. A number of Devils and Penguins drop back close to Schneider. Two Devils and three Penguins. <span>Sidney Crosby</span> was there first and hung out just away from the bodies in front to Schneider's right. Despres held up after gaining the zone to let his teammates catch up. He took a shot, Kunitz re-directed it, the puck bounces out right to that third Penguin. The open Penguin. Crosby. He scores. 3-5. Four unanswered goals and water is piling up.</p>
<p>The melt down continued in the third period, where the Devils were the proverbial cake left out in the rain. It was in bad shape after the second. It would be obliterated in the final third of the game. <span>Scott Clemmensen</span> replaced Schneider, who had a bad game (created the first goal against, got beat clean straight up on the third and fourth goals against), and the Devils' performance did not improve. The Penguins have had trouble with leads of their own but the Devils did not really threaten. Discipline broke: <span>Bryce Salvador</span> brought down Sutter, who got by him, which was called. On the PK, all four defenders watched Downie win a puck from Greene along the left boards. <span>Pascal Dupuis</span> was open across the middle and <span>Steve Downie</span> found him for a score. Only Stephen Gionta saw Dupuis dropping in but he was far, far too late. 3-6.</p>
<p>The foundation continued to sink with another penalty. Ruutu tripped Kunitz past the halfway mark of the third period. During this kill, <span>Patrik Elias</span> was pasted into the corner and there was no call. Those who wanted head coach Peter DeBoer to be more firey and say things got what they wanted. It got another bench minor for abuse of officials. The Devils survived the 5-on-3 rush. Seconds left on that bench minor, though, another goal was conceded. Sutter fired a shot on net past Merrill (he attempted a block) that Clemmensen stopped. <span>Blake Comeau</span> chipped the puck ahead of him because he saw Damon Severson facing Clemmensen and Downie wide open behind the rookie. Downie got the puck and put it home. 3-7.</p>
<p>The worst of the storm was over but the rain still poured in one final push. At about 16:35 into the third, Merrill attempted to find an outlet from the boards in the neutral zone. He coughed it right up to a streaking Crosby. Crosby took the puck into the zone and beat Clemmensen. 3-8. The storm ended minutes later and the Devils were just done. Melted. Wiped out. Blown away. This is what happens when one is not prepared for a severe storm. This is what happens when a awful performances from several come together to ruin even a promising score against a really talented team. This is what happened in Pittsburgh tonight. And, like both, the only positive feels like that the sun will come up.</p>
<p><b>The Game Stats: </b>The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/GS020127.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Game Summary</a> | The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/ES020127.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Event Summary</a> | The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/PL020127.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Play by Play Log</a> | The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/SS020127.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Shot Summary</a> | The <a href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/TV020127.HTM" target="_blank">NHL.com Devils Time on Ice Log</a> | The <a href="http://naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20142015&game=20127" target="_blank">Natural Stat Trick Corsi Charts</a></p>
<p><b>The Opposition Opinion: </b>Hooks Orpik is clearly pleased with Pittsburgh's blowout win. Read all about it in <a target="_blank" href="http://www.pensburgh.com/2014/10/28/7087559/penguins-devils-game-recap-pens-win8-3-sidney-crosby-goal">his recap at PensBurgh.</a></p>
<p><b>The Game Highlights: </b>Watch the first third of this and then just turn it off unless you like pain. Video from <a href="http://www.nhl.com" target="_blank">NHL.com</a>:</p>
<p align="center"><iframe src="http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/embed?playlist=2014020127-X-h" frameborder="0" width="640" height="395"></iframe></p>
<p><b>It Was So Bad, the Even Strength Numbers Say Little: </b>Normally, I use the charts at Natural Stat Trick to justify or find reason to highlight a player or a match-up. But blowouts are bad times to do so because things usually fall apart in a bad way. So they don't say too much. Further, those numbers are best looked at for even strength. In addition to this game featuring ten power plays lasting over eighteen minutes, the Devils were out-shot 17-19 at evens - which is rather close considering it ended 19-33 overall.</p>
<p>Pain was felt throughout the lineup. The only one who got really hammered was Jon Merrill. No, a -3 in Corsi isn't bad. Combined with five goals against, that looks more like a hammering. But I wouldn't even harp on that. Merrill was really only at fault on arguably two of them: Hornqvist getting past him for his score (and maybe Merrill was just caught by surprise) and Crosby's second that he unintentionally set-up. He definitely wasn't good, but it wasn't as if he was responsible for all five even strength goals against - or the third power play goal Pittsburgh scored.</p>
<p><b>Making the Case: </b>There were Devils who were a bit better than decent in my eye. Jacob Josefson was rewarded for his good play with more minutes in the third period. Zajac stinking helped that move, but he got to play over twelve minutes. He drew a call, scored a sweet shorthanded goal, and only got caught watching the puck instead of watching the other Penguins on Dupuis' goal. I'll call that a good result for a player who needs them to stay in the lineup.</p>
<p>The fourth line in general was much better than what we've seen recently: two goals contributed (one as a line, one from Josefson), didn't get beat in possession, and even in penalties. I sure would like to see Ruutu, Stephen Gionta, and Josefson together for a few more games.</p>
<p><b>Poor Schneider: </b>No, that's not a sympathetic sub-section title. It's not, "Oh, poor Schneider." It's "Poor Schneider" as in Schneider was poor tonight. He played a puck behind the net right to Dupuis that quickly ended with Comeau making him pay for the error. His Hedberg moment was costly. I understand the desire to not have him play the puck behind the net, but it's a basic for any goalie in the NHL. Don't hesitate and know where you're putting it. Simple.</p>
<p>In general, Schneider struggled to square up for shots and hold onto them. I cannot fault him for Malkin's or Crosby's goals. No goalie would have really stopped them. But the Hornqvist goal wasn't good looking, and the Adams goal was downright hideous. The latter ultimately completed Pittsburgh's comeback at the time. Schneider was understandably and deservedly pulled after the second period. I'm not one of those fans that demands that any goal allowed must mean the goalie must be terrible. But no one can deny he was part of the reason for tonight's melting at the Neo-Igloo.</p>
<p>Scott Clemmensen got ten shots of work in twenty minutes and was beaten three times. Crosby's was the only dubious one. As it was 3-7 at the time, I'm struggling to get up in arms about that one. Still, I'm not saying the Devils need to call up <span>Keith Kinkaid</span> right away, but they should think about it. They should also think really, really hard about giving Clemmensen a start soon. You may be tempted to think Winnipeg is a good game to do so, but that <a href="https://www.arcticicehockey.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Jets</a> team just beat the Isles. That's more or less for the next preview, but it must be said given the amount of tweets pondering or demanding he get a game.</p>
<p><b>Poorer Zajac: </b>That second period performance from Zajac was utterly awful. He takes two penalties in the second period. The first one yielded a shorty, but also Pittsburgh coming awfully close to scoring (a video review confirmed it wasn't to be, so Josefson's goal still exists). Yes, a too many men call is against the bench and is on Peter DeBoer. But #19 was the one darting out to the ice to make a play. Had he held up on the ice, they could have gotten away with it. That call was costly on the resulting 3-on-5. <strike>Zajac's stick breaking on a pass is a bad break.</strike> (I got this wrong originally, it was Reid Boucher's stick that broke. Thanks to Justin in the comments for pointing that out.) Zajac passing it right to Sutter is a terrible decision. All the while, Zajac's positive contributions was passing the puck to Zubrus within the first few seconds of the game and hitting a post. Zajac saw his ice time cut in the third, and deservedly so.</p>
<p><b>Poorest Special Teams: </b>The penalty kill was a known known going into this game. It was getting beaten on a seemingly regular basis, with or without the play of Bryce Salvador. The Penguins and their 40% power play conversion rate were able to maintain that percentage by going 3-for-7 tonight. The Pens got a whopping 14 shots on net, including their three scores. The shorthanded goal came off a shot block while the Devils were pinned back for over 80 seconds. It was fortunate Josefson was able to get on the ice because 11, 24, and 6 couldn't change. The powerhouse of a power play lit up the Devils' PK as I feared. It was a significant contributor to why tonight was so terrible.</p>
<p>However, let's not ignore the power play. Well, you could have ignored the power play. You didn't miss much. One shot across three power plays is just unacceptable, even if it included Zidlicky hitting the post on their second power play. Even when the Devils were able to get set-up in Pittsburgh's end, they just didn't generate any good looks on net. They were squandered moments, especially the third one. A successful conversion or even some offense generated would have kept the Pens more than honest, if not re-take the lead. While the Adams' goal was just after the power play, Zajac's giveaway right after the penalty ended was it's biggest contribution to the scoreboard. It was awful. At least they didn't concede a goal, which is only a positive when other situations combine for five goals against.</p>
<p><b>The Fade Away: </b>As the storm continued, the play of other players just faded into the background. It's not that they weren't there, it's just that they weren't so important. Jaromir Jagr looked strong for half of the game but he was mostly invisible as the goals mounted. I was surprised to learn <span>Eric Gelinas</span> had four shots on net. I guess he looked OK by way of not really playing on the penalty kill. I couldn't tell you what <span>Michael Ryder</span> did in the second half of the game other than serve the second bench minor. Ditto for <span>Damien Brunner</span>. <span>Reid Boucher</span> had an OK season debut as a fill-in, but again, not notable as the Pens lined up the lamplighters. His stick broke that ultimately led to Hornqvist's goal but that's just a bad (and literal) break. It's arguable that many of those players could have helped out in between the Penguins' run of seven unanswered goals. But that's the consequence of a team melting down in a rout. Some players were notably bad (Schneider, Zajac, to an extent, Merrill) and others were just "there."</p>
<p><b>What of DeBoer?: </b>Well, those of you who wanted him to get mad got what you wanted - and it led to another PPGA. But, seriously, demanding Peter DeBoer to be fired after a 4-3-2 start would be a panic move in my opinion. This was not a crucial, playoff-determining game. It was an awful game in Pittsburgh. Yes, DeBoer has a hand in the loss. Two bench minors plus not switching things up earlier point to that. But DeBoer isn't on the ice to not make the plays, to take penalties, and to get beaten on basic concepts like not giving the puck freely to the other team. That's on the guys in the jerseys, not the guys in the suits.</p>
<p>If you want to demand someone to get fired, why not Mike Foligno? If I recall correctly, his primary responsibility is the penalty kill. You'll have few arguments from anyone that his best isn't good enough so far this season. If not a firing, then maybe a switch among coaches: perhaps giving him the power play so Dave Barr gets back to the PK? It'd be a far more constructive move, though it's not as visible or cathartic as dumping a head coach after a 3-8 loss on the road to one of the contending teams in the Eastern Conference.</p>
<p><b>You Wrote This Much?: </b>This game simply sucked on multiple levels. But I would be remiss in not going into detail as to how bad it sucked. This is ILWT, after all. I have an ethical duty to give you, the reader, my full opinion on what happened in the game. Even in 3-8 routs.</p>
<p><b>Last Thought: </b>Seriously, Craig Adams is still playing hockey?</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b> So you got my full opinion. Given the reaction throughout and afterwards, what's yours? Are there any lessons to learn from this game? Are there lineup changes you'd want to see on Thursday? (I'm expecting a lot of Merrill-for-Larsson, let's see if I'm right). Please leave your answers and other thoughts about tonight's big loss in the comments.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who followed along in the gamethread and followed <a target="_blank" href="http://www.twitter.com/inlouwetrust">@InLouWeTrust</a> on Twitter. Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2014/10/28/7087597/new-jersey-devils-melt-down-to-pittsburgh-penguins-storm-of-goalsJohn Fischer2014-10-28T18:00:02-04:002014-10-28T18:00:02-04:00Devils at Penguins: Gamethread #9
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<p>This is the gamethread for today's game between the New Jersey Devils and the Pittsburgh Penguins. This is a post where users can discuss what happens before, during, and after the game 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" style="background-color: #ffffff;">New Jersey Devils</a> (4-2-2) vs. The <a href="https://www.pensburgh.com/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> (4-2-1, SBN Blog: <a href="http://www.pensburgh.com/">PensBurgh.</a>)</p>
<p><strong>The Game Previews: </strong> John's preview from earlier <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/10/28/7080809/new-jersey-devils-pittsburgh-penguins-game-preview-9">is right here.</a> For the opposition's point of view, feel free to drop by <a href="http://www.pensburgh.com/">PensBurgh.</a></p>
<p><strong>The Song for Tonight: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q88koeaqrEg">"Fireball" by Deep Purple.</a> This song contains a great bit of energy and resembles a freight train on fire. The NJ Devils could use this kind of spark this eve against a potent frigid foe.</p>
<p><strong>Gameday Info:</strong> The Devils are away from home and face <span>Sidney Crosby</span> and the Penguins. Mike Cammalleri did not travel with the team and is out of tonight's lineup. <a href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Check in</a> with Tom Gulitti for this and all the latest NJ Devils news.</p>
<p><strong>The Reminder of Rules: </strong>This is a place where you can comment about this game before, during, and after it's played before the recap is up. This is a place where we <em>primarily</em> discuss the Devils game. An odd mention of other NHL games is OK, but it shouldn't dominate discussion. All comments will be clean, respectful of each other, relevant to the game, and legal (read: no streams). Please refrain from super-big pictures and .GIFs to keep the gamethread moving for everyone. If you do post pictures make sure to post a title in the comment. Go Devils.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2014/10/28/7085449/new-jersey-devils-at-pittsburgh-penguins-gamethread-9JT Sroka2014-10-28T07:00:02-04:002014-10-28T07:00:02-04:00Devils at Penguins: Game Preview #9
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<img alt="Last December, Reid Boucher managed to get a shot on Marc-Andre Fleury. We could see this again tonight." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SWBpLQHyh5RihNEzJOurE35oKFQ=/0x110:4000x2777/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/42869870/20131213_mta_al8_096.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Last December, Reid Boucher managed to get a shot on Marc-Andre Fleury. We could see this again tonight. | Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sport</figcaption>
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<p>Pittsburgh returns for a homestand and they will host the New Jersey Devils tonight. This game preview highlights the importance for the Devils to avoid taking unnecessary penalties, Pittsburgh's aces, and a potential season debut of Reid Boucher.</p> <p>Tonight's opponent features the best forward in the world and a 40% success rate on the power play. Yeah, it'll be tough.</p>
<p><b>The Time: </b>7:00 PM EST</p>
<p><b>The Broadcast: </b>TV - MSG; Radio - 660 AM & 101.9 FM WFAN</p>
<p><b>The Matchup: </b>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a> (4-2-2) at the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pensburgh.com/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> (4-2-1; SBN Blog: PensBurgh)</p>
<p><b>The Last Devils Game: </b>The Devils completed their first back-to-back set of games this season with a trip up to a suburb of Canada's capital to play the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silversevensens.com/">Ottawa Senators</a>. The game tilted back and forth. The Sens got off to a strong start, but the Devils finished up the first period to make it competitive. They even killed a penalty. In the second period, a Senators power play struck first as <span>Alex Chiasson</span> got the puck all alone from the corner and waltzed right up to Cory Schneider to beat him high. But the second was New Jersey's period as they out-shot and out-attempted Ottawa by a large margin. They even made the comeback: Damon Severson picked off a pass by <span>Erik Karlsson</span>, darted up ice, and placed a beautiful slapshot over the shoulder of <span>Robin Lehner</span>. Later, after <span>Chris Phillips</span> got mad at Tuomo Ruutu throwing a legal check, <span>Marek Zidlicky</span> sent a blast from above the circle for a power play goal. Yet, the third period was mostly Ottawa going right at New Jersey and Ottawa recovering the puck to go right at New Jersey. A possession heavy power play for the Sens ended with an equalizer from <span>Bobby Ryan</span> on Schneider's flank. The Devils held on to get overtime. There, as the Sens had all the shots, <span>Clarke MacArthur</span> struck Zidlicky high with his stick. The penalty was called and the Devils had a glorious chance. Eric Gelinas conceded the puck to <span>David Legwand</span>. Severson closed him off, Adam Henrique backchecked to deny a back pass for Legwand, Gelinas flung the puck in the neutral zone to Jaromir Jagr, and Jagr skated in to beat Lehner gloveside to win it. The Devils won 3-2; <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/10/25/7071533/jaromir-jagr-snaps-new-jersey-devils-winless-streak-overtime-ottawa-senators" target="_blank">here is my recap of the game.</a></p>
<p><b>The Last Penguins Game: </b>The Penguins went south to Nashville to visit <span>James Neal</span> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ontheforecheck.com/">Predators</a>. It would be Pittsburgh who would leave with two points in a decisive victory. <span>Sidney Crosby</span> opened the game's scoring in the first period, with assists from defenseman <span>Olli Maatta</span> and former Predator Patric Hornqvist. The Penguins dominated the second period but <span>Pekka Rinne</span> kept it a one-goal game. Yet, the powerhouse that has been Pittsburgh's power play pulverized the Preds in the third period. <span>Evgeni Malkin</span> made Nashville suffer for an early holding call on <span>Eric Nystrom</span>. <span>Pascal Dupuis</span> made Nashville suffer minutes later for a hooking call on Neal. The Predators mounted a serious effort to get into the game. But they could not beat <span>Marc-Andre Fleury</span>. The Penguins won 3-0; <a href="http://www.pensburgh.com/2014/10/25/7071619/recap-pens-rebound-in-music-city" target="_blank">here is a recap from Natasha66 at PensBurgh.</a></p>
<p><b>We Wish You Well: </b>On Monday, <a href="http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=736375&navid=DL%7CPIT%7Chome" target="_blank">Olli Maatta revealed that he has a tumor in his thyroid gland.</a> He will be undergoing a procedure to remove it next week. While he will play tonight, on the behalf of everyone at ILWT and Devils fans around the world, we wish you the best of luck in your procedure and in recovery.</p>
<p><b>The Goal: </b>Seriously, the Devils can ill-afford to take unnecessary penalties. The Penguins are a talented team on their own. The fact that they could put Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the same line is a difficult enough of a challenge already. The real danger is the power play. The Devils' penalty kill has been beaten regularly. It is to the point where <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm?fetchKey=20152ALLSAAAll&sort=penaltyKillPercentage&viewName=penaltyKill" target="_blank">they have the worst success rate in the entire NHL.</a> That does not bode well for most nights, but especially tonight. <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm?fetchKey=20152ALLSAAAll&sort=powerPlayPercentage&viewName=powerPlay" target="_blank">The Penguins are 10-for-25 this season.</a> Prior to Monday's games, Crosby leads the league in power play points (8) and Malkin (6) is close behind him. Hornqvist, their leading shooter, has five. <span>Kris Letang</span> and <span>Chris Kunitz</span> round out the top unit and they have a bunch of points each already. The Devils will be doomed tonight if they take multiple calls that they do not need to take. Fouls to deny opportunities are one thing; fouls because of frustration or laziness will likely spell disaster tonight. The Devils' PK may function well tonight in theory, but so far this month, I have to see it to believe it. Right now, I don't believe it and I don't believe they should be tested any more than they have to if the Devils want to leave Pittsburgh with something in the standings.</p>
<p><b>Offensive Powerhouses: </b>Crosby is behind only <span>Tyler Seguin</span> for the league lead in points by one and he's played one fewer game. With five goals, seven assists, and 24 shots, Crosby is a consistent offensive threat. He'll find the spaces to play into, either making you pay himself or helping someone else make you pay. <a href="http://leftwinglock.com/line-combinations/pittsburgh-penguins/" target="_blank">Per Left Wing Lock</a>, Crosby has been centering Hornqvist and Kunitz mostly in their most recent game. Hornqvist leads Pittsburgh with 36 shots on net and Kunitz has 16. Crosby is a big reason as to why they have so many shots and why they will continue to do so provided that combination stays together.</p>
<p>Curiously, <a href="http://war-on-ice.com/playertable.html?mansit=2&scoresit=1&homeawaysit=1&shotattsit=1&names=&team=PIT&pos=1&xaxis=1&yaxis=16&caxis=6&saxis=4&panel=&usedaterange=0&start0=20142015&end0=20142015&start1=2014-10-01&end1=2014-10-28&splitseasons=0" target="_blank">Crosby isn't killing it in possession per War on Ice.</a> But their usage has helped another unit. Teams can only match their best against one line. Evgeni Malkin, <span>Blake Comeau</span>, and Pascal Dupuis have been Pittsburgh's best set of forwards in possession. They're not too shabby at the scoring thing either. Malkin, whether he's buying into the system or not, is behind only Crosby in points. Dupuis has three goals and six points in seven games and Comeau has one goal and four points. Those are more than respectable numbers to start the season. Combined with their stupidly-effective power play, the Penguins are only behind the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lighthousehockey.com/">Islanders</a> with an average of 3.57 goals per game scored. The Devils don't get the advantage of the last change as this is a road game, but I don't think there's a preferable match-up for <span>Andy Greene</span> and Damon Severson or the Travis Zajac line. Focusing on Malkin's unit leaves the Crosby unit for others and vice versa.</p>
<p>As for the bottom six, players like <span>Brandon Sutter</span> and <span>Marcel Goc</span> can definitely be thorns in New Jersey's side if they have good nights. So far this season, they've mostly been <a href="http://war-on-ice.com/playertable.html?mansit=2&scoresit=1&homeawaysit=1&shotattsit=1&names=&team=PIT&pos=5&xaxis=1&yaxis=16&caxis=6&saxis=4&panel=&usedaterange=0&start0=20142015&end0=20142015&start1=2014-10-01&end1=2014-10-28&splitseasons=0" target="_blank">defending more than attacking based on the even strength Corsi at War on Ice.</a> Hopefully, the Devils can keep that up.</p>
<p><b>Consider the Defense: </b>The Penguins have added <span>Christian Ehrhoff</span> to their blueline, an immediate addition to their top four. A healthy Kris Letang, though, has proven to be a bigger factor. The coach knows it too <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20152PITSASALL&sort=avgTOIPerGame&viewName=timeOnIce" target="_blank">as he leads the Penguins in average ice time</a> so far this season. He may have made some errors, but more often than not, he's a considerable asset for the Penguins and not the opposition. <a href="http://war-on-ice.com/playertable.html?mansit=2&scoresit=1&homeawaysit=1&shotattsit=1&names=&team=PIT&pos=6&xaxis=1&yaxis=16&caxis=6&saxis=4&panel=&usedaterange=0&start0=20142015&end0=20142015&start1=2014-10-01&end1=2014-10-28&splitseasons=0" target="_blank">Per War on Ice</a>, the play has gone forward constantly when Letang and Maatta have been on the ice at even strength. Less so for <span>Paul Martin</span> and Ehrhoff, but they're not scrubs in their own end. If the Devils want to find a pairing to go up against, then it'll likely be the <span>Rob Scuderi</span> and <span>Simon Despres</span> pairing. Though, if I'm Pittsburgh, I shelter them with a powerful forward unit coming on in front of them. You know, one of the two really good ones that they have.</p>
<p>After all of the players, there is Marc-Andre Fleury. As much as one can knock his career numbers not measuring up to the pedigree he has sometimes received, I can't knock his current numbers. He's got <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?gameType=2&position=G&season=20142015&sort=evenStrengthSaves&status=A&team=PIT&viewName=specialTeamSaves" target="_blank">a 94% save percentage at evens</a> and <a href="http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?season=20142015&gameType=2&team=PIT&position=G&country=&status=&viewName=summary" target="_blank">92% overall.</a> The low penalty killing save percentage suggests that the Devils power play, <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2014/10/27/7073991/coming-in-bunches-early-success-new-jersey-devils-power-play" target="_blank">which has been recently successful</a>, may have a better chance at success. Still, the other two percentages are really good; and he's coming off of a shutout as well. Fleury's not going to be an easy one to beat tonight. The Penguins are playing this game with breaks before and after, so I would be more surprised if he doesn't start this game.</p>
<p><b>Add Another to the List?: </b>Jordin Tootoo was placed on IR with a bruised left foot. So has Martin Havlat for, get this, a <i>lower</i> body injury. He's apparently been dinged up beyond parts of his face exploding in D.C. However, the latest potential injury is more concerning. Mike Cammalleri was held out of practice and got X-rays for his jaw. He took a shot from a Dallas Star on Friday, played through it on Saturday, and now his status is questionable for tonight. <a href="http://fireandice.northjersey.com/fire-ice-1.174987/devils-send-cammalleri-for-x-rays-on-sore-jaw-havlat-joins-tootoo-on-ir-boucher-called-up-1.1118939" target="_blank">Tom Gulitti detailed all this while revealing his temporary replacement in Monday's practice at Fire & Ice:</a> <span>Reid Boucher</span>.</p>
<p>Why not Scott Gomez? Well, that would require signing him. Plus, Gomez isn't a winger like Boucher is, so someone else would have had to have switched. Boucher wasn't exactly setting the world on fire in Albany with one goal in 15 shots and three assists in six games. However, he has played in the NHL under similar circumstances before and he still displayed his good shot in preseason. So I'm fine with the call-up. Boucher practiced with Adam Henrique and Michael Ryder, placing him in the top nine. The trio were together for parts of preseason, so it's a logical place to start. Besides, I don't want him up with the Zajac or Elias lines; I expect those lines to face difficult competition and I trust Boucher on defense less than even Brunner or Ryder (not much less, but less). <span>Dainius Zubrus</span> was moved up to take Cammalleri's spot next to Jaromir Jagr and Travis Zajac; while Ryane Clowe and Damien Brunner remained with Patrik Elias. If Cammalleri is unable to play, expect those lines at the start of the game. I personally hope Cammalleri is able to play if only because it'll mean he did not sustain a significant injury. The Devils may need all the shots they can generate against Pittsburgh and Cammalleri, leading the team with 29, could have been at the forefront of that.</p>
<p>That change would be the only one. Brunner and Jacob Josefson will definitely get one more game. This is good news for Brunner. Another night of skating hard, dekeing defenders, and creating some shots would help his argument to stay in the lineup further. The defense, while conceding over 30 shots in Ottawa, have been productive enough to keep together. Good for fans of The Truth and <span>Jon Merrill</span>. Not so for <span>Adam Larsson</span>. <a href="http://fireandice.northjersey.com/fire-ice-1.174987/schneider-devils-hope-to-carry-road-success-into-pittsburgh-pens-maatta-to-have-tumor-removed-1.1119210" target="_blank">Gulitti did confirm that Cory Schneider will start this game in this Fire & Ice post.</a> I can only hope he doesn't get shelled again.</p>
<p><b>A Final Thought: </b>Mike let me know on Twitter that Jon Merrill has been really eating it in terms of possession. <a href="http://war-on-ice.com/playertable.html?mansit=2&scoresit=1&homeawaysit=1&shotattsit=1&names=&team=N.J&pos=6&xaxis=1&yaxis=16&caxis=6&saxis=4&panel=&usedaterange=0&start0=20142015&end0=20142015&start1=2014-10-01&end1=2014-10-28&splitseasons=0" target="_blank">And he's right.</a> Maybe some of you can answer the question: Should he remain in the lineup as it is? Or should he sit for a bit for Larsson?</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b>Thinking about Merrill aside, I'd like to know what you think about tonight's game. Can the Devils not be the latest victims of Pittsburgh's power play juggernaut? Or at least the latest victims of the Crosby-Malkin lines? Will the Devils be able to move the puck effectively and find ways to beat Fleury? Should we really hope Cammalleri is OK, or do you think Boucher can handle some time as a fill-in? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about tonight's game in the comments. Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2014/10/28/7080809/new-jersey-devils-pittsburgh-penguins-game-preview-9John Fischer