Tag: Ducks

The Result: The New Jersey Devils were defeated by the Anaheim Ducks 3-2.

The Game Stats: NHL.com’s Recap, NHL.com Game Summary, NHL.com Event Summary, NHL.com Full Play-by-Play, NHL.com Shot Report, Natural Stat Trick Game Stats

This recap carries a caveat. Due to my location, the game was blacked out, and I was unable to watch it. Therefore, this recap relies on statistics, highlights, and will be abbreviated.

First Period

Despite recording 15 shots on Lukas Dostal, eight of which were on the power play, New Jersey failed to score in the first frame. Instead, Anaheim was able to strike first and on their first shot of the game. A mishandled puck behind the Devils’ net led to a turnover and pass from Ryan Strome to Troy Terry, camped in front of Jacob Markstrom. Terry’s shot appeared to be deflected by Dawson Mercer’s reaching stick or Erik Haula’s body as he dove to block the shot, but it found its way past Markstrom. 1-0, and that is how the first period would end. According to Natural Stat Trick, New Jersey had 2.26 expected goals to Anaheim’s 0.3 during the first period, but as Devils fans are all too aware…statistics do not always translate to actual goals scored.

The Devils were on the power play (five on four) for four minutes during period one but could not convert.

Second Period

The Ducks came to life in the second period, and the Devils spent an uncharacteristic amount of time in the penalty box. New Jersey accrued eight minutes of penalties in the second frame, four of which came from Nico Hischier’s interaction with Alex Killorn. Killorn would be penalized for elbowing, but the Ducks could not accomplish anything with the man advantage. Anaheim outshot the New Jersey 11 to six and had four High Danger Scoring Chances (HDSC) to the New Jersey’s three. As The People Who Matter noted in the gamethread, the game had an ominous tone, exemplified by Kurtis MacDermid’s breakaway opportunity as the penalty he was serving for Hischier expired, only to be tracked down. At the same time, Jesper Bratt was called for tripping. When the second period concluded, the Devils still trailed 1-0.

Third Period

The final frame did not start the way the Devils would like. With just under four minutes expired in the period, Cutter Gauthier and Robby Fabbri caught the Devils deep in the offensive zone and took a two-on-one into the Devils’ zone. Gauthier passed to Fabbri, who beat Markstrom, who had come out of the crease aggressively to challenge.

About a minute and a half later, New Jersey finally got off the mat. Jonas Siegenthaler recovered a clearing attempt at the point and wristed a shot on net through traffic that beat Dostal.

Things would get even better – momentarily. With over 13 minutes elapsed in the third, Timo Meier took a drop pass from Dougie Hamilton after entering the Ducks’ zone and ripped a shot over Dostal’s shoulder. All tied up!

Meier collided with a couple of Ducks players as he followed through with the shot. A scrum ensued as Ducks players stood over Meier following the goal, and Devils teammates, including Hischier, moved in to pick up Meier and celebrate. Matching penalties were assessed to Hischier and Mason McTavish. Hischier’s third penalty of the game, which is unheard of.

But the tie wouldn’t last. With less than four minutes left in the period, Strome received a pass at the blue line, walked down to the top of the right circle, and blasted a slap shot past Markstrom. Dagger.

The Ducks blocked a total of 21 shots during this game and had 19 giveaways. In the end, New Jersey could not overcome the late deficit and lost 3-2.

Takeaways

Missed Opportunity

Later in the season, when playoff berths and positions are being fought for, the Devils may regret this game. Despite good goaltending, the Ducks are not a good team and have only tallied 34 points through 36 games. In the second half of this California back-to-back, New Jersey will face the Kings, who have a 12-2-1 record at home (per Statmuse). Not an easy task. I’m not saying the Devils cannot or will not win tomorrow, but they need to stack up as many points as possible. As Jackson mentioned in the preview, New Jersey will face other struggling teams, such as San Jose and New York, on this road trip, but missing out on two points tonight is a missed opportunity.

Dostal is Legit

Bryce Salvador discussed Dostal and his impact on Anaheim’s goals against ranking during MSG’s pregame coverage. Following the game on Tuesday night, Anaheim is second in the NHL in expected goals against (xGA) at five-on-five with 88.23 per Natural Stat Trick. Dostal has saved 3.91 goals above average, which is why Anaheim’s actual goals against (GA) ranking is at the league average (or better) with 68 (per Natural Stat Trick). The Ducks were expected to score 1.46 goals tonight but found a way to score three. The way Dostal is playing, three goals are enough to win, and with Anaheim’s offense, it has to be.

Status as 2024 Ends

Despite the disappointment of the last two games, the Devils end 2024 in second place in the Metropolitan Division. Yes, the first-place Capitals and third-place Hurricanes have played three fewer games than the Devils. I realize this sentiment might be unwelcome after the last two games, but after the disaster that was last season, I’ll take it. This team has its issues. New Jersey desperately needs to add talent or find the right line combination to get more depth scoring. The top two lines have played well, and Markstrom ended 2024 with a stretch of good performances.

Your Thoughts

Happy New Year to all The People Who Matter! What did I miss in this recap? Will the Devils regret missing out on these two points later in the year? Are you happy with the Devils’ position at this point? Let me know in the comments below. I apologize for the abbreviated recap; thank you for reading, and GO DEVILS!