Avalanche 3, Devils 1: Another one bites the dust

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A few notes from New Jersey vs Colorado:

Jesper Bratt bounced back

63 has been pretty quiet of late. He entered play with three points in seven games and some rather poor underlying numbers; especially given what we’ve come to expect from Bratt.

It turns out a date with the NHL’s best team was just what he needed to get back on track. I thought Bratt was great at both ends of the ice all night.

He was very involved without the puck and that helped him turn defensive possessions into quick strike offense.

Very early on he cut off an Avalanche player exiting the zone and forced a turnover, resulting in a 3-on-2 from the blueline in. Bratt found himself wide open in the slot but the Devils couldn’t get the puck to him. Fair enough, it happens.

That didn’t stop Bratt from doing the right things. He still hounded carriers and closed on them whenever they looked remotely vulnerable, stealing pucks away from the league’s best possession team.

A strong 3rd period challenge from Bratt on Mikko Rantanen – a 6’4’, ~220 pound player – led to a transition opportunity the other way. While the Devils didn’t capitalize on their first chance, it turns out the Devils would score their only goal on that same possession.

It was nice to see Bratt rewarded on the scoresheet. His work away from the puck led to some of the team’s best chances with it.