Devils 4, Senators 3: Hanging on by a thread

It was messy but the Devils found a way to close out the Senators in a physical affair.

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By David Mudrak (@MuddyOpinions)

With the hope that the New Jersey Devils can somehow find a way into postseason play disappearing (or long gone), let’s turn our attention to moments that can have an impact next year.

Here are three noticeable areas in the game against the Senators that must be worked on before next season. 

Physical play

In a game that saw the Devils take center stage in the opening period, Brady Tkachuk stole the show with a dominant second half. Tkachuk finished the game with a goal and sixteen hits. Sixteen! 

Without Tkachuk’s contributions, the two teams would have had a similarly physical game (20-19 Senators). However, with Tkachuk’s sixteen hits, the Senators finished the night with thirty-six hits – a seventeen-hit advantage over the Devils. 

Based on the line usage, Travis Green was aware that Tkachuk was going to be a problem area, as he played Brendan Smith and Kevin Bahl against him whenever he could.

For the opening period, this method worked, and Tkachuk did not look too dangerous. By the second half of the game, though, it felt like the energy flipped to the Senators, as Tkachuk was doing whatever he wanted. 

Bahl and Smith both gave their greetings to Tkachuk, but that did not prevent him from steamrolling other players like Nico Hischier, Dawson Mercer, or Luke Hughes.

The hit on Nico Hischier was a bit from behind, which resulted in his teammates stepping up for him. For the most part, no other response was given besides Bahl and Smith trying to make life difficult for Tkachuk. 

Shifting our attention from this one game and considering the future of this team, a physical game like this always brings into question how tough a team is or how ready they are for the grind of the playoffs.

It is a valid question, as the team’s core is a bit smaller than most due to Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt not being the biggest gentlemen in the world. However, you happily live with it as they are a clear part of the core of this team and consistently put up points in bulk. 

As I have noted in previous posts, I would like the Devils to be cautious in how much they value grit or physicality as they adjust their roster this off-season. I am supportive of them keeping a hard-to-play-against player like Kurtis MacDermid but they can only sacrifice a partial spot for a player like that as they are unable to make a meaningful difference beyond playing a handful of minutes on the 4th line and participating in a fight. 

The Devils need to continue to prioritize finding and signing players who are talented but also play with an edge.

Fitzgerald has shown his willingness to do this by acquiring players like Timo Meier, Ondrej Palat, and Curtis Lazar.

All of these players play the game with a physical edge. Most importantly, that one trait does not define their game, as each can make meaningful contributions to the team outside of physicality. It will take time, but the Devils need to continue to focus on finding players in that mould to craft a skillful but physical team. 

Furthermore, while it felt like the Devils were outmatched physically last night, that resulted from one special player having an incredible night as he broke the NHL record for hits in a single game.

Last night should not be taken as a cry for help but should be seen as a statement game from one of the best physical forwards in the game.  

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