Better late than never...I guess.
The New Jersey Devils have finally began to heat up. Winners of 7 of 10 since returning from the Olympic break, and more impressively 7 of the last 8 contests, the Devils look more like the pre-injury team we saw in October. Despite this streak hurting the organization's draft capital, it should have some positives leading into next season.
Hungry Jack:
I hate to start every blog with Jack Hughes stuff, but that goes to show you exactly what he means to this team. He is their everything, when he's out or hurt they are abysmal. When he's in the lineup and playing with both hands, he is a difference maker every single night. The taste of winning experienced with the Olympic Gold Medal has changed #86 into the man and leader that this team most desperately has needed for years.
Late in last night's game, that really means nothing in the big picture, a lazy Dougie Hamilton couldn't keep a slow moving puck in the zone on the PP. He then corralled it and threw a poor pass back a bit ahead of Jack and into the official's skates, just over the blue line. A lackadaisical Jesper Bratt was slow to tag up, causing an offside and ending the first unit's power play shift. Jack was livid. While it's unclear what angered him, could it have been Dougie's diminished skill, speed, brain? Bratt's lack of attention to detail and focus to exit the zone with speed/intention? The linesman interrupting the path of the puck? Or Sheldon Keefe's continued usage of Hamilton on PP1 despite having the much better skating and smooth handling D-men available in both Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec on the bench? Whatever the reason, Jack Hughes was irate, and good for him but even better for the Devils.
The ability to call out teammates, show frustration with things other than your own play, makes everyone much more accountable. There have been stories about when Nathan MacKinnon took a bigger role in leading Colorado several years back. Pass a puck into his skates in practice and he would turn around and fire it at your neck, you wanna drink a soda? Much to the chagrin of Ovie or Kessel, he would slap it out of your hand! (Please note if it were a Kessel or Ovechkin who wanted that, he would most likely make an exception). A commitment to excellence and accountability has lacked in the Devils organization for years. Nico Hischier is a good leader, but a guy that does so by example. This team has needed someone to call them out for a long time, and it hasn't been there. It's usually you and I ranting back and forth, throwing Crocs at our 55'' Insignia when a dumb, careless, non-focused, attention to detail lacking play would cost NJ. Now it's Jack. Gold Medal Jack, the best player on the team, the only player on the team that truly knows what it takes to win at the absolute highest level hockey has ever seen.
Holy S**t! Score goals, win games?
Since the return from the break, the Devils have averaged 3.1 goals per game. It' no coincidence that they're 7-3 in that stretch. If you take away the three losses in which they scored 1,1, and 0 goals, they have averaged 4.14 goals per game over the 7 wins.
Put a pitchfork in this one!
Hey Siri, play "Glory Days" by Bruce Springsteen...