Bruins 3, Devils 1: More of the same

The Devils once again controlled the run of play against one of the league's best teams – but it didn't translate to results.

Follow along on Twitter @ToddCordell | @InfernalAccess

Be sure to join the Discord channel to talk hockey, and everything else, with our writers and subscribers.

---

A few observations from yet another loss at the hands of the Boston Bruins:

Ullmark stole the show

Linus Ullmark has been an absolute monster this season. In fact, no goaltender in the NHL grades out better in terms of Goals Saved Above Expected (+20.40) or GSAE per start (+0.88). That certainly wouldn’t surprise anybody who watched last night’s game as Ullmark most definitely stole the show.

Yes, the Devils have struggled finishing lately; only the Chicago Blackhawks and Colorado Avalanche have posted lower shooting percentages over the last 10 games. Yes, it feels like every goaltender the Devils face these days is unbeatable. But that doesn’t make Ullmark being the star of the game any less true.

The Devils peppered him with quality looks in the opening frame, generating 11 high-danger chances and 2.40 expected goals against the league’s stingiest defensive team. Those totals are legitimately aligned with what the Bruins would give up over the course of an entire game (2.64 xGA, 11.01 HDCA); and the Devils did it in 20 minutes.

To show for their efforts the Devils left the ice with *checks notes* zeros on the scoreboard.

Although they definitely had a much harder time breaking the Bruins down over the final 40 minutes, they still had their moments; and they just couldn’t break through Ullmark.

When all was said and done the Devils converted 4.11 expected goals - the second highest total the Bruins have allowed all season – into just one goal. One.

I understand a bunch of Devils are in shooting slumps, and they don’t have a finisher like David Pastrnak or Auston Matthews, but the top half of the roster is stacked and it was their best players taking the majority of the shots.

The team’s leading shooters, in order, were: Jack Hughes, Dawson Mercer, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier.

Slumps or not, those are the guys you want shooting the puck. Stopping them – especially from in tight – over and over is not a cakewalk; and that’s what Ullmark did.

I know everyone is frustrated with all the losses of late. I know, at some point, you need results whether the process is good or not. But the Devils did a lot of very good things against arguably the toughest opponent they could face.

It really is as simple as the league’s best goaltender (this season) playing like the league’s best goaltender.

Hughes was exceptional