Dec 27, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (52) makes a save on New Jersey Devils middle Nico Hischier (13) in the course of the second interval at Prudential Heart. Obligatory Credit score: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Photos To date, the New Jersey Devils’ West Coast swing has been a catastrophe.
The Devils are 0-4-0 on their six-game highway journey and 0-3-0 out west heading into Monday’s recreation on the Seattle Kraken. They’re going to have yet another highway recreation remaining, Thursday on the New York Rangers, earlier than returning to residence ice.
New Jersey’s newest loss, 3-2 on Saturday at San Jose, got here when it surrendered the go-ahead purpose with 25 seconds remaining.
“Once we play laborious and we play with construction and objective, we have proven we’re a superb group,” Devils coach Sheldon Keefe mentioned. “We have additionally proven that once we do not, we’re not a superb group.”
Nico Hischier and Paul Cotter scored for the Devils, and goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves.
“We’re annoyed,” mentioned Hischier, the Devils’ captain, who turned 26 on Saturday. “Clearly, we’re going via a tough stretch proper now. We have to stay collectively as a result of once you do, you develop collectively and are available out on the opposite facet.”
The Devils have received simply as soon as because the NHL’s vacation break, defeating visiting Carolina 4-2 on Dec. 27. Their skid began the following evening with a 5-2 loss at Carolina.
Then they fell 3-2 on Tuesday at Anaheim, 3-0 Wednesday at Los Angeles and 3-2 Saturday at San Jose.
“The construction is off as a result of we’re not working, we’re not skating, we’re not related in consequence,” Keefe mentioned. “Whenever you’re simply off by one stride, that is the NHL, in case you’re off by one stride, hanging round on offense otherwise you swing away, you expose the sport unnecessarily.
“It opens up the sport for the opposition and also you’re much less prone to get the probabilities the opposite means,” Keefe continued. “A variety of why we’re not scoring is related to the very fact we’re not defending correctly. We’re not defending laborious sufficient. You get what you deserve.”
The Kraken are wrapping up a four-game homestand on which they’re 1-1-1 after Saturday’s 4-2 defeat to Edmonton, which was taking part in the second half of a back-to-back.
Chandler Stephenson and Jaden Schwartz scored as Seattle practically rallied from a three-goal deficit, however the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl, the league’s main goal-scorer (29), clinched the sport with an empty-netter.
Goalie Philipp Grubauer, making his fourth consecutive begin for the injured Joey Daccord (higher physique), saved the Kraken within the recreation with 28 saves. However Seattle fell behind 2-0 within the opening 5:18 and by no means totally recovered.
“Not adequate,” Kraken coach Dan Bylsma mentioned of his group’s begin to the sport. “Early on, a little bit an excessive amount of standing round, watching their good gamers and never placing sufficient our bodies on guys.
“It is mentally laborious to lookup and be down one, two targets and regularly making an attempt to mount the comeback. That discuss in regards to the begin of the sport, it is not vital to get the primary purpose of the sport, however we have got to have that mindset the place we’re popping out to get the primary purpose and get the lead within the recreation.”
The Kraken have made a behavior of late comebacks lately, together with in Vancouver on Dec. 28 after they grew to become simply the third group in NHL historical past to win after rallying from a three-goal deficit within the last 5 minutes of regulation in a regular-season recreation.
“We have to get higher begins. It is powerful coming again on a regular basis on this league,” mentioned Schwartz, who has seven factors (5 targets, two assists) over the previous six video games. “It is good to have the ability to do it and put ourselves in place to tie it up once more. However particularly with them taking part in (Friday) evening, we have got to be sharper off the beginning, be on our toes, be aggressive as an alternative of watching them and being on our heels.”
Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson left the sport late within the second interval with an upper-body harm Saturday and did not return.
“We’ve got to see the way it reacts at this time limit,” Bylsma mentioned about Larsson’s prognosis.
–Area Stage Media
