Capitals 5, Devils 3: Must Sea TV

Seamus Casey was almost shockingly good against a quality Capitals lineup.

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A few observations from New Jersey’s third straight loss to open preseason play:

Must Sea TV

Seamus Casey was nothing short of spectacular against the Capitals. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him from start to finish.

We saw all the good that’s been touted about Casey’s game for years. The slick movements. The elusiveness. The ability to create space for himself all over the ice. The in-zone passing. It was all there.

The thing that stood out most, perhaps, was his composure on the puck. He never seemed to panic and always had a trick up his sleeve when in sticky situations.

No matter what route he had to take, he consistently found a way to make plays and get the puck where it needed to be.

Casey shared the ice with some damn good forwards for a healthy chunk of his shifts; especially when pushing for offense late. And he did not look remotely out of place.

It wasn’t as if Jack Hughes or Jesper Bratt passed him the puck and you’re thinking to yourself ‘Don’t kill this play.’ He was flatout making things happen for Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and all the talented forwards in front of him.

Sheldon Keefe clearly liked what he saw. In a short camp where he’s trying to get his NHL guys as many reps as possible, Seamus Casey led the entire team in 5v5 ice.

I still don’t know that Casey sticks around – the Devils have a deep blueline and he has some work to do below the dots in his own zone – but he legitimately looked like somebody who can play games and contribute as early as this season. That’s great to know.

With Luke Hughes banged up, and Dougie Hamilton having missed chunks of time in three of the past four years, they may need the offense, puck-moving ability, and playmaking from Casey. He’s a great ace in the hole.

Adjusting on the fly