All About The Jersey - New Jersey Devils vs. Anaheim Ducks: Game Stream #76A world class blog for Jersey's team: the New Jersey Devilshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47083/lou-fave.png2015-03-30T00:08:30-04:00http://www.allaboutthejersey.com/rss/stream/80708142015-03-30T00:08:30-04:002015-03-30T00:08:30-04:00Devils Deflected to Defeat by Ducks, 1-2
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<img alt="This may surprise you, but this shot attempt by Eric Gelinas didn't get to the net. I wonder why." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KC9mrtG3PcZmk7wlKHD6xyW201w=/0x0:2526x1684/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46004440/usa-today-8487935.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>This may surprise you, but this shot attempt by Eric Gelinas didn't get to the net. I wonder why. | Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Deflections decided the game between the New Jersey Devils and the Anaheim Ducks. 2-1 in favor of the Ducks, in fact. This game recap explains why the performance was acceptable and notes who did well for the Devils despite a fifth straight loss.</p> <p>Tonight's game was far better than <a target="_blank" href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2015/3/28/8306925/new-jersey-devils-sputter-their-way-1-3-loss-carolina-hurricanes">the loss on Saturday at Carolina.</a> Whereas the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a> got out-played in that one, the Devils held their own against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.anaheimcalling.com/">Anaheim Ducks</a>. Did they have their faults and poor shifts? Sure. Could the Devils have done better? Yes. But they didn't get squashed like in their last game against Anaheim. They kept it close. They came really close to providing an equalizer at the end too. Alas, the game was decided by a bunch of re-directions. The Devils got one, the Ducks got two, and so the losing streak extended to five games.</p>
<p>Given that this season was lost - the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.stanleycupofchowder.com/">Bruins</a> going to OT tonight mathematically eliminated the Devils - all I really want was competitive hockey. I got that and so I'm not made about the loss. I do feel bad for the Devils in how the game was ultimately decided. It wasn't like there was a big breakdown or a big mistake where they had to pay a dear price. Both goals that got past <span>Cory Schneider</span> were off deflections. <span>James Wisniewski</span> barely kept the puck in play (it's arguable that he was really offside, but I can't fully conclude it from the video replay), took a shot, and Ryan Kesler re-directed it for the first goal. Early in the third period, <span>Francois Beauchemin</span> fired a shot that went off the side of <span>Jon Merrill's</span> head and got over Schneider. Stuff like that can happen in a game like hockey. It's not fair but what can one do? Well, get a deflection themselves. Late in the third period, <span>Andy Greene</span> got a clean shot through towards the net and a cutting <span>Dainius Zubrus</span> re-directed it past <span>John Gibson</span>. That gave the Devils hope, but Gibson would not be beaten again.</p>
<p>It speaks to how well both goalies played that it took these incidents to beat them. Schneider was very good and Gibson was also very good. It also speaks to the defenses as well. While each team had some pretty heinous shifts and some desperate moments to deny goals - <span>Peter Harrold</span> stopped two, <span>Cam Fowler</span> stick-checked <span>Travis Zajac</span> from putting in a lay-up - they weren't that bad. The Ducks protected the middle very well and situated themselves well into shooting lanes. They definitely blocked more than ten attempts from the Devils tonight, no matter what the official scorer noted. As for the Devils, they were fairly solid. <span>Damon Severson</span> and Jon Merrill were fine. <span>Adam Larsson</span> and Andy Greene were fine. The pairing of Harrold and <span>Eric Gelinas</span> had some issues early on, but they weren't terrible. It made for some offensive difficulties, but it didn't drag or slow the game down to any kind of crawl. As one would expect from a Devils game, it was low-event (44 attempts by New Jersey, 41 by Anaheim) but it wasn't low-energy by any means.</p>
<p>If there's a legitimate point of criticism for the Devils from this game, then it's in their shot selection. Early on, the Devils decided to attempt long shots from distance to mix in with their usual dumping nonsense. Gibson had no issue with these shots when they got through. Just as often, a Duck would re-direct it or it would hit a Devil or something would occur to prevent the attempt from becoming a shot. This undercut the Devils' offense throughout the night. They got away from this in the second and they caught Gibson and the Ducks' defense several times for some legitimate scoring chances. That was good despite not scoring. But in the third period, it was nearly back to business from the first. They got more than five on net, but two of them were right at the side of the net that Gibson swallowed up with ease. Hardly the shots one needs when down two goals in the third period. Had the Devils been more judicious with when they decided to shoot, they could've put more than 27 on Gibson and perhaps one or two more into the net. Even if it required a deflection.</p>
<p>Alas, at this point of the season, there's a meaningless feeling to it all. With the Devils mathematically eliminated, the feeling is now completely real. Still, when <span>Hampus Lindholm</span> flung the puck over the glass with authority and the Devils earned a late power play, those at the Rock - which keeps doing good attendance figures for a bad team - were absolutely jacked. They weren't demanding the team to lay down for a better shot at an 18-year old you don't even know yet. They weren't saying it was all for naught, so just play it out. They saw a glorious opportunity for a dramatic ending and reacted accordingly. Alas, the shots were just a bit too wide, just going into traffic, and just not getting through cleanly enough to make it happen. Still better to try rather than to give up. Again, all I want is a competitive performance and I got that through to the end. It's hard to be mad, even if it was the fifth straight loss for the Devils.</p>
<p><b>The Game Stats: </b>The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/GS021133.HTM">NHL.com Game Summary</a> | The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/ES021133.HTM">NHL.com Event Summary</a> | The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/PL021133.HTM">NHL.com Play by Play Log</a> | The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/SS021133.HTM">NHL.com Shot Summary</a> | The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20142015/TH021133.HTM">NHL.com Devils Time on Ice Log</a> | The <a target="_blank" href="http://naturalstattrick.com/game.php?season=20142015&game=21133">Natural Stat Trick Corsi Charts</a> | The <a target="_blank" href="http://war-on-ice.com/game3.html?seasongcode=2014201521133">War on Ice Game Stats</a></p>
<p><b>The Opposition Opinion: </b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.anaheimcalling.com/2015/3/29/8309343/ducks-down-devils-3-2-in-closing-game-on-the-road">Liz Brownstein has this recap at Anaheim Calling</a>, praising Gibson's performance as the Ducks ended a road trip.</p>
<p><b>The Game Highlights: </b>From NHL.com, here's a highlight video featuring plenty of saves and three deflections for goals.</p>
<p align="Center"><iframe height="395" width="640" frameborder="0" src="http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/embed?playlist=2014021133-X-h"></iframe></p>
<p><b>Plucked: </b>One of my main concerns heading into this game was how the Devils would handle a line featuring both <span>Ryan Getzlaf</span> and <span>Corey Perry</span>. I guessed right in that the Elias line plus Greene and Larsson would be matched against them. I did not guess that Dainius Zubrus would be moved back to play with <span>Patrik Elias</span> and <span>Stephen Gionta</span>. I also did not guess at how well it worked. Sure, Getzlaf and Perry each got two shots on net, but they didn't dominate the game by any real stretch. While the Elias line did not create much offense as a whole, they did create New Jersey's lone goal of the night. Almost as importantly, they helped make sure that the Ducks' top two forwards would not run all over the place, doing whatever they'd like. As much as I didn't like Gionta's decision making when it came to shots, I will say that Elias was OK and Zubrus looked faster than he has been all season. The match-up worked, for all intents and purposes.</p>
<p><b>They Were the Ones Who Quacked: </b>While the power-duo of Getzlaf and Perry didn't dominate, the Ducks' offense was driven mostly by <span>Ryan Kesler's</span> line tonight. The unit was Kesler, <span>Kyle Palmieri</span>, and <span>Tomas Fleischmann</span>. It wasn't so much that they out-did their match-up as it was that they struck mostly when they got away from Severson-Merrill. They piled on the shots against Gelinas-Harrold behind the Travis Zajac line. Different pairing, different story. Of course, each pairing got one of those deflection goals against that the Kesler line created. Kesler was the deflector on the first one, the line set up Beauchemin to fire one that hit Merrill's head to go in. Overall, they combined for seven of Anaheim's 25 shots on net and fifteen of their 41 shooting attempts. They led the way for the most part and ultimately did the damage, fortune favoring them aside.</p>
<p><b>The Call Up Who Did Well: </b><span>Stefan Matteau</span> was put into the lineup as <span>Reid Boucher</span> sat, and he was surprisingly lined up with <span>Mike Cammalleri</span> and Travis Zajac. Yes, they moved <span>Jordin Tootoo</span> to a bottom six line where he probably would be on almost any other team. This may have contributed to some of the defensive issues the Zajac line had against Kesler's line. However, after some early struggles, the line started to click more often. Matteau ended up having the best performance so far among the called up players. He would have two good shots on net, he created some shots, he was strong along the boards, and he eventually figured out where he needed to be when others had the puck. He still has plenty to improve upon and it helped he was next to Cammalleri and Zajac, but he looked like he belonged out there. He didn't drag the line offensively, which was tied for the team lead in shots (eight).</p>
<p><b>If Only They Finished their 3-on-1: </b>In the second period, <span>Scott Gomez</span> took the puck towards the net. Because he's Scott Gomez, he dished it off to <span>Adam Henrique</span> right in front. The puck remained loose and <span>Steve Bernier</span> tried to jam it in. But Henrique couldn't push it towards the net. Alas, the golden opportunity to tie it up was lost. While that was their best scoring chance and they botched it, this isn't to say they had a bad game. Henrique, who was moved back to this line, and Bernier gave Gibson plenty to handle with four shots each. Gomez was sharper with his passes than he was against Carolina. They did well against Jakub Silfverberg's line. Performances like that will lead to goals from them eventually. Or at least more glorious chances like the one they had in the second period.</p>
<p><b>On Attendance: </b>It was a large crowd at the Rock, which is fairly impressive given it was a Sunday night game against a non-local opponent for a team that's totally not making the postseason. Those who picked above 14,500 from the preview gets a no-prize. As the remaining two home games are against Montreal on a Friday night and Our Hated Rivals, it's entirely possible the numbers should look really good. While there were more than a handful of Ducks fans tonight and there will definitely be groups of Les Habs and sad fools who support Our Hated Rivals for those two games, this undercuts the notion that the fanbase is weak. Of course, it will likely be a different story for 2015-16 unless something dramatic happens.</p>
<p><b>Lastly: </b>Wisniewski was definitely behind the blue line prior to the shot he took that Kesler re-directed into the net. However, I don't think it was conclusive that the puck crossed the blue line. I've watched it on the video replay and since Wisniewski gloved it forward in such a quick fashion, I'm not sure the linesman could've made a clear call. If it was truly out, then it's a bad break. If not, well, the deflection itself was a bad break. I'm not bothered by it, but I'm not bothered by how this game went in general. Your mileage will vary.</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b>The Devils lost their fifth in a row, but it was close and a competitive game. I'm fine with that, but are you? What did you make of the performance from both teams? Who impressed you and who disappointed you? What can the Devils learn from this game before their game in Columbus on Tuesday? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about tonight's game in the comments.</p>
<p>Thanks to everyone who commented in the Gamethread and followed <a href="http://www.twitter.com/inlouwetrust" target="_blank">@InLouWeTrust</a> on Twitter. Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2015/3/30/8311027/new-jersey-devils-deflected-to-defeat-by-anaheim-ducks-1-2John Fischer2015-03-29T18:00:02-04:002015-03-29T18:00:02-04:00Devils vs Ducks: Gamethread #76
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<p>This is the gamethread for today's game between the New Jersey Devils and the Anaheim Ducks. 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 style="background-color: #ffffff;" class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/">New Jersey Devils</a> (31-32-12) vs. The <a href="https://www.anaheimcalling.com/">Anaheim Ducks</a> (48-22-7) SBN Blog: <a href="http://www.anaheimcalling.com/">Anaheim Calling.</a></p>
<p><strong>The Game Previews: </strong>John's preview from earlier <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2015/3/29/8306499/new-jersey-devils-vs-anaheim-ducks-game-preview-76">is right here.</a> For the opposition's point of view, feel free to drop by <a href="http://www.anaheimcalling.com/">Anaheim Calling.</a></p>
<p><strong>The Song for Tonight: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xystnzpULZg">"Juggernaut" by Clutch.</a> The NJ Devils face a west coast juggernaut this eve at The Rock in the form of the Anaheim Ducks. Odds are against our heroes in the red and black but we wish them the best of luck.</p>
<p><strong>Gameday Info:</strong> <span>Cory Schneider</span> will return to the net for the Devils tonight. <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://blogs.northjersey.com/blogs/fireice/">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 (640 x 480 max) and NO .GIFs whatsoever 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/2015/3/29/8308265/new-jersey-devils-vs-anaheim-ducks-gamethread-76JT Sroka2015-03-29T07:00:02-04:002015-03-29T07:00:02-04:00Devils vs. Ducks: Game Preview #76
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<img alt="Last season, the Ducks beat the Devils in OT, leading to this fun photo after Palmieri scored the game winner. " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/bwMfqmmx60MFk7_o_8BAiduAA8w=/0x18:2498x1683/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45999208/usa-today-7627510.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Last season, the Ducks beat the Devils in OT, leading to this fun photo after Palmieri scored the game winner. | Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It's Wrestlemania Sunday and the New Jersey Devils will be hosting the Anaheim Ducks. This game preview notes how the Ducks players provide enough concerns in spite of a lack of exceptional team stats among other observations.</p> <p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/wrestlemania">Wrestlemania</a> is tonight. A squash match may be at The Rock, though.</p>
<p><b>The Time: </b>7:00 PM EDT</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> (31-32-12) vs. the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.anaheimcalling.com/">Anaheim Ducks</a> (48-22-7, <a href="http://www.anaheimcalling.com/" target="_blank">Anaheim Calling</a>)</p>
<p><b>The Last Devils Game: </b>On Saturday night, the Devils visited Carolina. This turned out to be an up-tempo game between the two teams. The Devils got into some early penalty trouble, but not only did they escape but they scored on their lone power play of the night. Mike Cammalleri denied a clearance by Ron Hainsey and took a quick shot towards the net. Patrik Elias re-directed it past Cam Ward for a 1-0 lead. Keith Kinkaid was tested early on and often, particularly in the second period when the top two lines by Carolina had some extended shifts on offense. The Canes would get their equalizer late in the period. Off a 3-on-2 rush, Jeff Skinner slid a cross-ice pass to a wide open Chris Terry. Terry recovered the puck and picked the top corner inside the far post to make it 1-1. Would the Devils respond? Not really. Nine seconds into the third period, Eric Staal beat Damon Severson to a short rebound off a Ryan Murphy shot and put in that short rebound. The Canes continued to attack and got an important insurance goal from Justin Faulk, a low blast that perhaps Kinkaid should've stopped. As time wore down, the Devils tried to get back into the game, but they couldn't get much on Cam Ward - certainly not enough to make up two goals. The Devils lost 1-3 and deserved to do so. <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2015/3/28/8306925/new-jersey-devils-sputter-their-way-1-3-loss-carolina-hurricanes" target="_blank">My recap of the loss is here.</a></p>
<p><b>The Last Ducks Game: </b>Earlier on Saturday, the Ducks visited the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lighthousehockey.com/">New York Islanders</a>. A win would clinch a playoff spot for the Western Conference leaders. <span>Frederik Andersen</span> was in net for the Ducks and he was quite good, particularly during a 3-on-5 situation in the second period. The Ducks conceded a lot of turnovers, but Andersen bailed out the team on most of them. The Ducks got off to a scoring start with a goal by <span>Rickard Rakell</span>. However, the Isles found an equalizer later in the first period from Lubomir Visnovsky. It wouldn't be long before the Ducks scored again. Early in the second period, <span>Kyle Palmieri</span> tapped a puck around <span>Michal Neuvirth</span> to make it 2-1. Later in the second, <span>Andrew Cogliano</span> made it 3-1 to give the Ducks some more breathing room. In the third period, the Isles pushed to get back into the game. <span>Casey Cizikas</span> made that possible with a goal to make it a one-shot game for the final five minutes. But Andersen held on to give the Ducks a 3-2 win, keeping them in first place in the Western Conference and earning them a playoff spot. Here is <a href="http://www.anaheimcalling.com/2015/3/28/8306177/andersen-shines-in-ducks-win" target="_blank">Chris Kober's recap at Anaheim Calling.</a></p>
<p><b>The Last Devils-Ducks Game: </b>Back on January 16, the Devils visited the Ducks as part of their road trip through California. Whereas the Los Angeles game went well, this went the opposite. Cory Schneider got stunned by a high shot early in the first period. That may or may not have contributed to <span>Corey Perry</span> scoring a goal that perhaps Schneider should've stopped. <span>Martin Havlat</span> provided a power play goal to even up the score later in the first, though the signs were clear: Anaheim would be able to do whatever they'd like. Schneider finished the first, but was pulled from the game out of concern for a potential injury after the period. The Ducks then turned it up for four straight goals, two in each successive period. <span>Hampus Lindholm</span> and Jakub Silfverberg scored minutes apart in the second period to put Anaheim ahead. In the third period, <span>Patrick Maroon</span> and Silfverberg each tacked one more on as the Devils got crushed. It was a 1-5 loss, <a href="http://www.inlouwetrust.com/2015/1/17/7581133/cory-schneider-injured-new-jersey-devils-demolished-anaheim-ducks" target="_blank">another bad loss in a season full of them, as I wrote in my recap.</a> For the opposition's perspective, <a href="http://www.anaheimcalling.com/2015/1/17/7603125/ducks-coast-to-5-1-win-over-new-jersey" target="_blank">Chris Kober noted how the Ducks cruised to victory in his recap at Anaheim Calling.</a></p>
<p><b>The Goal: </b>Try to play competitive hockey. Too often, effort will be disguised by how hard one skates, how many hits there are, and how much energy is extended trying to do things. The Devils gave a lot of this last night in Carolina and still managed to get out-shot 22-32, out-attempted 53-64, and out-scored 1-3. Repeating the same thing over and over expecting different results is a poor choice. So the Devils need to change how they approach this game as opposed to the Canes. The Ducks have better players up front, in the back, and in net than the Canes. They have an incentive to win, too. I don't think the Devils have a great chance to break their losing streak tonight, but I want to see them not get squashed. This requires making good reads on defense, all five players contributing on defense, and a</p>
<p><b>What We Know for New Jersey: </b>As Keith Kinkaid got the start in Carolina, Cory Schneider should get the start tonight. Schneider has proven without a shadow of a doubt that there should be no shadows of doubts of his performance. He'll be fine. It's everyone else on the team that should draw some concern. Given that the team hasn't made sweeping changes to their lineup, I wouldn't suddenly expect them now.</p>
<p><b>The Scratched: </b>Here's who didn't play in Carolina: <span>Stefan Matteau</span>, Martin Havlat, <span>Michael Ryder</span>, and Peter Harrold. Havlat and Ryder have continued to be scratches, so I don't anticipate them coming in unless necessary. While Harrold was moved to defense, I fear he'll stay sitting unless someone gets hurt on D. Even in spite of <span>Mark Fraser</span> taking two avoidable penalties in the first period. Matteau, on the other hand, was called up but sat the past few games. I don't think they called him up to sit for too long. Therefore, I think the co-coaches may make some room for him to be involved tonight. I wouldn't complain about seeing him spell <span>Tuomo Ruutu</span> or (better and more unlikely yet) <span>Dainius Zubrus</span> for a game. We'll see.</p>
<p><b>The Ducks as a Team: </b>The Ducks keep getting results. As a result, they have an awesome record. <b> </b><a href="http://war-on-ice.com/teamtable.html?mansit=3&scoresit=8&homeawaysit=1&tablegroup=1&xaxis=3&yaxis=27&saxis=41&caxis=4&start0=20142015&end0=20142015&start1=2014-10-01&end1=2015-03-28&splitseasons=1&usedaterange=0&tablegroup=1" target="_blank">Per the team stats at War on Ice</a>, they haven't been exceptional at even strength but they have been good. Their team CF% is 51.4%, which isn't one of the best but not bad either. They are not shooting or making saves at an exceptional percentage, although a 8.2% shooting percentage is one of the better ones in the league. Their special teams don't appear to be all that impressive with <a href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/team?season=20142015&gameType=2&viewName=powerPlay" target="_blank">16.4% of all power plays converted</a> and <a href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/team?season=20142015&gameType=2&viewName=penaltyKill" target="_blank">80.4% of all penalty kills</a> being successful. Nevertheless, they continue to generally out-shoot, out-attempt, and out-score their competition. It's a lame conclusion, but they just continue to take care of business and, clearly, business has been very good for Anaheim.</p>
<p><b>The Ducks' Dangerous Players: </b>The team stats may not wow you, but some of the players absolutely will. Up front, the Ducks are led by the powerful duo of <span>Ryan Getzlaf</span> and Corey Perry. <a href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?season=20142015&gameType=2&team=ANA&position=S&country=&status=&viewName=summary&sort=&ord=#" target="_blank">Getzlaf lead the Ducks in points</a> with 23 goals, 44 assists, and 181 shots. He usually has Perry on his wing. Perry is the Ducks' leading goal-scorer with 32, which looks nice next to 20 assists and 183 shots. <a href="http://war-on-ice.com/playertable.html?mansit=3&scoresit=8&homeawaysit=1&shotattsit=&names=&team=ANA&pos=5&start1=2014-10-01&xaxis=52&yaxis=86&caxis=9&saxis=93&mintoi=0&tab=1&usedaterange=0&start0=20142015&end0=20142015&end1=2015-03-28&splitseasons=1" target="_blank">These two face tough competition regularly and they do well from a possession standpoint.</a> Clearly, they've done very well from a production standpoint. <a href="http://leftwinglock.com/line-combinations/anaheim-ducks/?team=anaheim-ducks&strength=EV&gametype=1" target="_blank">According to Left Wing Lock</a>, <span>Jiri Sekac</span> was on their wing in their last game. Sekac hasn't played all that much, much less produced all that much. But with Getzlaf and Perry drawing attention, he could factor in tonight. As the Devils have continued to use <span>Patrik Elias</span>' line (<span>Adam Henrique</span>, Elias, <span>Stephen Gionta</span>), <span>Andy Greene</span>, and <span>Adam Larsson</span> against the other team's best players in recent games, I would expect those five to get a lot of Getzlaf's unit.</p>
<p>Of course, the Ducks are more than just one line. <span>Ryan Kesler</span> has anchored their second line throughout the season. Kesler has 19 goals, 27 assists, and 197 shots; his production is nothing to sneeze at. He's always been a solid two-way center, so the Devils will see him in a variety of situations. <a href="http://leftwinglock.com/line-combinations/anaheim-ducks/?team=anaheim-ducks&strength=EV&gametype=1" target="_blank">Per Left Wing Lock</a>, he was in between <span>Matt Beleskey</span> and Kyle Palmieri. Both are solid wingers who have chipped more than just a handful of goals. Palmieri has 14 goals, 14 assists, and 102 shots this season. Beleskey has the more interesting stat-line of 22 goals, 10 assists, and 142 shots. It's a solid second line and whoever they draw from New Jersey will provide a challenge for the Devils.</p>
<p>Among their depth, one has to pay attention to the fact that Jakub Silfverberg, Andrew Cogliano, Patrick Maroon, and Rickard Rakell have provided their own fair share of points this season. The Ducks are strong in the middle down all four lines, and they can create as well as finish plays. This could give the Devils plenty of problems, even if they handle the Getzlaf line well.</p>
<p>On the blueline, the Ducks have tried many defenders but they've been good about using <span>Francois Beauchemin</span> against <a href="http://war-on-ice.com/playertable.html?mansit=3&scoresit=8&homeawaysit=1&shotattsit=&names=&team=ANA&pos=6&start1=2014-10-01&xaxis=52&yaxis=86&caxis=9&saxis=93&mintoi=0&tab=1&usedaterange=0&start0=20142015&end0=20142015&end1=2015-03-28&splitseasons=1" target="_blank">the toughest competition per War on Ice</a>, followed by <span>Cam Fowler</span>, Hampus Lindholm, and <span>Sami Vatanen</span>. It's a solid enough group, and a few of those names can and will be threat on offense. Fowler has been productive by way of playing a lot with the Ducks' top forwards; his seven goals and 24 assists is proof of that involvement. Beauchemin, well, he's not there for his offense but he's valuable in his own end against difficult competition. The other two defenders are more notable. Vatanen is fourth on the team in points with 12 goals, 25 assists, and 105 shots. Lindholm has just got ahead his rookie season's production with seven goals, 26 assists, and 101 shots. Both can jump up on plays as well as fire away from distance. It's not clear whether he'll play tonight. Trade deadline acquisition <span>James Wisniewski</span> played in his place against the Islanders and with <span>Simon Despres</span> as a partner. Wisniewski was very productive and effective for Columbus; if he gets going, Anaheim is that much more threatening from the back.</p>
<p>Again, the Ducks may not have impressive team stats, but most of their skaters are worth knowing and watching. That's reflective of a squad with one of the best records in the league.</p>
<p><b>But In Net for Anaheim...: </b>Frederik Andersen has been the primary man in the net for Anaheim this season. As Kober alluded to in his recap, there apparently was hints of a goaltender controversy. <a href="http://www.nhl.com/stats/player?season=20142015&gameType=2&team=ANA&position=G&country=&status=&viewName=specialTeamSaves&sort=&ord=#" target="_blank">Andersen's even strength save percentage of 91.9% isn't bad. </a> It's not nearly as good as the #2 guy, <span>John Gibson</span>, who has an even strength save percentage of 92.7%. Andersen does have the superior penalty kill save percentage this season; but I can see how Gibson getting more stops at evens could lead some Ducks fans to wish he'd get more starts. But Andersen did well against the Isles, he's done fairly well this season, and so he remains the primary man. As he started in Long Island, I would think the Devils will get Gibson tonight.</p>
<p><b>An Anaheim Incentive: </b>Believe it or not, clinching a playoff spot shouldn't be enough for the Ducks. They didn't get this far with a mindset of "just getting into the playoffs." Nobody in the Pacific Division will catch him, but there's meaning to winning the conference standings. They're just a point ahead of Nashville, which would mean a first round match-up with the second wild card team. Currently, that's Winnipeg. The first wild card team could be Minnesota or Chicago; a considerably more difficult opponent. That's something for the Ducks to shoot for; therefore, I'd expect them to continue the effort to take first in the West. In other words, don't expect the Ducks to take it easy on the Devils regardless of the fact that both teams played yesterday.</p>
<p><b>The Next Two Weeks: </b>This game kicks off the final two weeks for the New Jersey Devils season. Should the Devils lose, they'll be mathematically eliminated from a postseason most us knew wasn't happening back in December. Their schedule: Anaheim tonight, at Columbus, vs. Montreal, at Rangers, vs. Rangers, at Tampa Bay, and at Florida. I don't see a winning record coming out of that schedule. Expect this losing streak to continue further.</p>
<p><b>Your Take: </b>A repeat of the last Devils-Ducks game is entirely possible. I hope this doesn't turn into a squash and that it's a more competitive hockey game. Will I be right? Can the Devils quell the Getzlaf & Perry connection? Will Anaheim's center depth and defensemen give the Devils too many headaches to handle? Will the Devils overcome the fatigue from an up-tempo game against the Canes to keep up with Anaheim tonight? Please leave your answers and other thoughts about this game in the comments. Thank you for reading.</p>
https://www.allaboutthejersey.com/2015/3/29/8306499/new-jersey-devils-vs-anaheim-ducks-game-preview-76John Fischer