Devils 2, Kraken 1: A goalie steal!

The Devils – for once – came up on the right side of a goalie steal and picked up another needed two points.

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A few observations following a grind-it-out victory against the Kraken:

Schmid was incredible

The Devils did not have their A-game against the Kraken. Not even close.

The best indicator of that would be Jack Hughes – a legitimate Hart Trophy candidate – finishing dead last among all players in Game Score. That does not happen. Ever.

It felt like generating offense was an uphill battle all night long. The Kraken didn’t bite or throw themselves out of position in one-on-one situations. They didn’t give up odd-man rushes. They didn’t turn pucks over. It felt like they always had a player, if not two, in the hip pocket of the puck carrier. Really, they smothered the Devils.

The Kraken had the puck the majority of the night and the numbers really do reflect that. I mean, the Devils are a terrific 5v5 team – especially with Nico healthy again – and the Kraken recorded 16 more shots on goal than the Devils at full-strength. That’s very tough to do.

The Kraken were the better team in all three periods, recording more shots and chances than the Devils in each.

They were especially dominant in the 3rd, winning the Grade A chance battle 11-1. The Devils don’t concede that many high-danger looks in entire games on many nights – and the Kraken generated that much in a period.

For once, it did not matter. Akira Schmid was nothing short of spectacular and answered the bell every single time he was called upon.

There were failed clearances at the end of long shifts. There were sequences where the Devils couldn’t get the loose puck out of danger and the Kraken registered flurries of shots as a result. There were missed assignments. And Schmid masked them all.

He conceded just one goal on 3.95 expected goals, shaving nearly three goals off Seattle’s expected total. Three! The Kraken were absolutely desperate for two points and did everything they could to get them. Yet Schmid forced them to walk away empty-handed.

Think about the perspective and narrative change because of a performance like that. Nobody is saying the Devils are a disaster defensively and need to fire Ruff or acquire a top-4 D before the next game.

The Devils are essentially getting a pass because Hughes can’t be a hero every night and sometimes you need to win ugly on the road. And, well, that’s true.

It’s just funny how a great goaltending performance changes how things are viewed.

Nemec impressed