Flyers 1, Devils 0: New Jersey unable to play the villains

The Devils came up short in their efforts to play spoiler on Saturday night.

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By David Mudrak (@MuddyOpinions)

On a night when the New Jersey Devils had something to play for – not a playoff spot but a chance to eliminate a rival from their playoff chances – they were unable to find a way to beat Samuel Errson, ending up with another disappointing loss in their penultimate game. 

Nico stays strong

For a team that was expected to make the playoffs, the last handful of games in which they are eliminated from contention is a tough and awkward situation.

It would seem like human nature for the team to let their foot off the gas a bit (not that they were ever really able to put their foot down) and coast into the early offseason. Obviously, each individual player will try. As professional athletes, they do not want to lose. However, with no larger goal, it is likely hard to find that extra gear. 

In the face of that situation, Nico Hischier instead embraced his role as the Devils’ captain and demonstrated effort and passion. Hischier was involved in all aspects of last night’s game.

In the opening moments of the first period, he had an excellent opportunity to score when Luke Hughes found him on a partial breakaway on the rush. Nico would continue his offensive push later by entering the offensive zone with control and driving right through the center, using the space the Flyers’ defensemen provided until he distributed the puck at the last moment to an available Graeme Clarke for a high-danger chance. 

Nico was also impressive when the Devils faced penalty trouble in the first period. With the game still tied at 0-0, the Flyers gained an extended 5-on-3 after Erik Haula and Brendan Smith took minor penalties. Hischier and the other penalty killers did their job by maintaining their positions and clogging up any passing or valuable shooting lanes. Nico was especially effective in maintaining pressure on the points while not falling out of position.

Finally, Nico seemed to try to show the team there was something to play for with his physical play. Hischier was involved in multiple after-whistle scrums. Whether he was coming to the aid of another player or initiating on his own, Nico made himself known to the Flyers players. 

Much of these efforts did not translate well to the data as anyone checking the Captain’s individual stats or on-ice advanced data would not be very impressed. Finishing the game with a  45.45 CF% at even strength will not impress anyone. Nor will his .37 xGF. The data is colored by some team-level problems though, as Hischier had some rough outings on rotating lines as the Flyers were able to target him with Jack Hughes out of the lineup.

Even if the numbers were not there to fully back it up, I am happy to see Hischier play the right way. 

Clarke stands out