Devils Fighting Through Adversity
Timo Meier's return has helped New Jersey perservere
Welcome to the THW New Jersey Devils Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our Devils writers.
In today’s edition, we feature articles about the Devils’ difficulty with back-to-back games, Nico Daws’ ascendence, a much-needed “easy” win over Columbus, our premium Sunday Brunch column, and much more; please share this free substack with your hockey and Devils fan friends and family so they can subscribe and enjoy all the latest.
Now on to the good stuff….
Devils’ Back-to-Back Struggles Are Hampering Season
January 22, 2024, by Daniel Amoia
After coming into the season with Stanley Cup expectations, the New Jersey Devils have faced their fair share of adversity. As it stands, they sit in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division – but just three points behind a wild card position. Given that, every single game is of the essence. And that is why they’ll likely be kicking themselves over their inability to win in the second half of a back-to-back. Most recently, they fell to the Dallas Stars at home in front of a sold-out crowd, moving them to a dreadful 1-8-1 in those situations.
Devils’ Vanecek Shines in 4-1 Win Over Blue Jackets
January 20, 2024, by Erica Rosenbaum
The New Jersey Devils traveled to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets for the final time in the 2023-24 season. New Jersey was victorious in two out of three previous meetings. The Devils entered the game after a heartbreaking defeat against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday (Jan. 17), and the Blue Jackets were coming off a 4-3 shootout win against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday (Jan. 15).
Vitek Vanecek made his first start since Jan. 11 when he suffered a 4-3 overtime loss in Tampa Bay. Elvis Merzlinkis made his 25th start of the season amid rumors and speculation that he could be on his way out of Columbus.
New Jersey needs to accumulate as many points as possible during their injury struggles due to the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference wild card remaining an incredibly close race.
Devils Sunday Brunch - Goals are scarce
January 21, 2024, by Josh Reinitz (Premium Content)
After being shut out by the Boston Bruins, the Devils headed home, having taken three points from a difficult three-game road trip and with the feeling that Nico Daws had emerged as the starter. The remainder of the week held promise: the return of Timo Meier, the emergence of Nico Daws, and two games against teams below them in the standings, and the Devils were poised to find their way into playoff position. Promise, though, doesn’t always pay off, and for the Devils, too many defensive lapses and a lack of finishing led to a disastrous 1-3 week, dropping both home games to Montreal and Dallas.
This season's obvious issues have been the poor goaltending and the number and depth of injuries. The unspoken issue is the lack of finishing. Throughout four games this week, the team scored eight goals. Four came in one game, and two more came after the outcome was settled. They went seven consecutive periods without a 5v5 goal.
Nico Daws Deserves to Be Devils’ Starting Goalie Moving Forward
January 20, 2024 by Daniel Amoia
It’s no secret that the New Jersey Devils goaltending woes have been nothing short of an unmitigated disaster. After heading into the season with Stanley Cup expectations, their .891 save percentage (SV%) is ranked 30th in the league and is the biggest reason they sit in seventh place in the Metro.
With the scarcity of the goaltending market, the consensus has been that the Devils will need to part ways with their premium prospects in order to find a solution…or will they? In comes Nico Daws, who has been a savior, albeit in a very small sample.
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