Devils 4, Blue Jackets 1: A needed response

Led by a simple yet strong team performance, and a quality start from Vitek Vanecek, the Devils took care of business on the road.

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By David Mudrak (@MuddyOpinions)

A few notes following New Jersey’s much-needed win over Columbus:

Depth stepped up

Everyone is well aware of the New Jersey Devils' injury problems this year. However, one bright side that has been slowly revealing itself is the depth of talent that the team has in the system. 

Various players have stepped into the lineup, including Max Willman, Chris Tierney, Cal Foote, and, of course, Šimon Nemec. Overall, the players have transitioned well to the NHL, especially Nemec, who is already a special player. 

Cal Foote, in his second game after being called up, made his presence felt as a difference-maker. From early on in the game against Columbus, he showed confidence and poise, making simple and smart plays to move the puck out of the zone. 

He continued this in the second period with a calm puck flip near the top of the defensive zone to eliminate the Blue Jacket’s chance at possession or entry. Even in the dying minutes of the game, Foote continued his strong play, making a big block to protect the three-goal lead. 

Most impressive, Cal Foote showed a flash of offensive talent with a beautiful play on the Alexander Holtz goal. After getting the puck at the point, instead of immediately firing it or sending it across to Kevin Bahl, who was calling for it, he delayed letting Holtz find empty space at the backdoor. Then he fired a hard slap pass Holtz could redirect into the net. Foote’s patience and offensive awareness during that play were skillful. 

While Foote looked good and added to the scoresheet, it should be noted that his advanced statistics paint a fuzzier picture. Foote posted a CF% of 46.15 and an xGF% of 47.02. These are not alarmingly low numbers, especially when he was on the ice for two Devils goals and none against, but it does show that he can still make some improvements. 

Foote may have also been hindered by his partner, Kevin Bahl, who put up significantly lower numbers with a CF% of 30 and an xGF% of 26.06. Bahl has been struggling a bit lately, and it may only add to Foote’s impressive start that Bahl did not drag him down too much. 

While not ideal to have so many injuries, it has been nice to see players like Foote join the team and immediately make a difference. This is the deepest the team has been in many years, and it is a testament to Tom Fitzgerald’s ability to build up some security for when injuries do occur. 

Simplicity wins the day