Devils Came Out Flying to Gain a Point and ONLY a Point
Posted 10:32 PM ET | Comments 0
The New Jersey Devils played their cross river rivals in the New York Islanders today in speedy fashion. But not so speedy as Michael Grabner with his three breakaway opportunities (two being tallies past Martin Brodeur). The Devils fell 4-3 in a 6 round shootout contest which saw many upsides and down sides in their overall game. The main downside was their defensive breakdowns. Adam Larsson in particular had a rough night being on the ice for all three of Grabners breakaway opportunities. He has a very lazy effort defensively on all three as well. Not surprising for big D-men though so I will give him the benefit of the doubt. The most upside to this game was the chemistry the offense was gaining every shift. It was incredible watching the passing plays these forwards were coming up with rushing through the neutral and offensive zone. Most notably was the chemistry between Damien Brunner and Andrei Loktionov. That was a show in itself. Unfortunately the Devils didnt have enough defensive prowess to support the offenses efforts. Surprisingly enough in the shootout, coach Deboer did not employ Adam Henrique to shoot. He has very slick hands and knows how to deaque. But what do I know, I'm not a coach. For one thing, I would not have thrown Jagr out there on the shootout when he clearly states himself that he doesn't like the shootout and pressure it brings. But once again, what do I know? If something else interesting happens in the NHL besides Detroits comeback win in Carolina, I will surely report about it.