They say third time’s the charm. Well, this is the third time in a week the New Jersey Devils are playing the New York Islanders. They’ve lost twice, let’s hope third times the charm.
After going into the third period with a 2-1 lead, the Devils once again faltered and fell by a final score of 3-2. The loss was just another drop in the bucket of a lengthy losing streak where us fans have been searching for anything to be cheery about. At least fans are in the stands, right? Let’s be positive. Maybe the quick turn round will be good for a Devils team to get a win on the board.
Players To Watch
Pavel Zacha:
Pavel Zacha continued what has literally, and ironically, been a career year for him last night. He opened the scoring in the first period with yet another goal. Zacha bounced around all season, both between wing and center as well as being on the top and third lines. He was on the third line last night and still found a way to contribute.
Matt Barzal:
Certified stud Matt Barzal is fun to watch. Devils’ fans always keep a special eye on him because he was chosen after Pavel Zacha. True, but they forget a few other teams passed over Barzal as well before the Islanders selected him in the 2015 draft. We can’t go back in the past and change things, but there’s no denying Barzal has been a huge part of the Islanders’ success in the post John Tavares era.
Yegor Sharangovich:
Yegor Sharangovich has points in three of his last five. Sure he’s not scoring at the pace that make him a force to be reckoned with in the KHL, but he’s becoming a solid contributor on this Devils team. He’s had more than 19 minutes of ice time in the past two games versus the Islanders.
Keys To Victory
Penalty Kill:
The Devils’ penalty kill is still a distant 30st in the NHL, but it’s showing signs of life. The Islanders had four chances on the man advantage last night and didn’t convert once. In Thursday’s game, the Islanders had five power plays and didn’t score on any of those either. Going two games without a power play goal against might not seem like a huge accomplishment, but for a Devils team that has struggled mightily in that department wee love to see it.
Third Period Play:
The Devils were able to force overtime against Washington and came close to staging a comeback on Thursday night against the Islanders because of their strong third period play. Last night they ended up losing the game because of poor third period play, yet had a great second period.
The Devils seem to chose one period every game to have a strong showing. For example, first period against the Boston Bruins last week wasn’t great but the team was able to minimize damage. Look, I get that some periods will be better than others, but you have to stop having those poor periods cost you the game.
End The Home Losing Streak:
The Devils have lost 10 straight games at home. A double digit streak of this losing at the Prudential Center is certainly not ideal. Guess where the game is today? Prudential Center! That doesn’t give me a lot of confidence right off the bat. I know it technically has nothing to do with the game, just like the green jerseys, but you can’t deny this isn’t something you feel great about.
Prediction
Look I want to be optimistic, and today I’m going to be. This losing streak has to end eventually. I think this isn’t going to be a pretty game, but something inside of me says 2-0 Devils.