Dec 27, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (52) makes a save on New Jersey Devils heart Nico Hischier (13) through the second interval at Prudential Heart. Necessary Credit score: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Photos To this point, 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 sport on the Seattle Kraken. They’re going to have another highway sport 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 onerous and we play with construction and objective, we have proven we’re a superb crew,” Devils coach Sheldon Keefe stated. “We have additionally proven that once we do not, we’re not a superb crew.”
Nico Hischier and Paul Cotter scored for the Devils, and goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves.
“We’re pissed off,” stated Hischier, the Devils’ captain, who turned 26 on Saturday. “Clearly, we’re going by a tough stretch proper now. We have to stay collectively as a result of if you do, you develop collectively and are available out on the opposite facet.”
The Devils have received simply as soon as for the reason that NHL’s vacation break, defeating visiting Carolina 4-2 on Dec. 27. Their skid began the subsequent night time 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 consequently,” Keefe stated. “If you’re simply off by one stride, that is the NHL, if you happen to’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 possibilities the opposite manner,” Keefe continued. “Lots of why we’re not scoring is related to the actual fact we’re not defending correctly. We’re not defending onerous 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 almost 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 sport with 28 saves. However Seattle fell behind 2-0 within the opening 5:18 and by no means absolutely recovered.
“Not ok,” Kraken coach Dan Bylsma stated of his crew’s begin to the sport. “Early on, somewhat an excessive amount of standing round, watching their good gamers and never placing sufficient our bodies on guys.
“It is mentally onerous to search for and be down one, two objectives and frequently attempting to mount the comeback. That discuss concerning the begin of the sport, it isn’t important 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 sport.”
The Kraken have made a behavior of late comebacks lately, together with in Vancouver on Dec. 28 after they turned simply the third crew in NHL historical past to win after rallying from a three-goal deficit within the ultimate 5 minutes of regulation in a regular-season sport.
“We have to get higher begins. It is robust coming again on a regular basis on this league,” stated Schwartz, who has seven factors (5 objectives, 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) night time, we have got to be sharper off the beginning, be on our toes, be aggressive as a substitute 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.
“Now we have to see the way it reacts at this time limit,” Bylsma stated about Larsson’s prognosis.
–Area Stage Media
