G3 New Jersey Devils vs. Florida Panthers: Start on time

The Devils have gotten away with very slow starts over the first couple of games. They won't be so lucky if it happens again vs. the Panthers.

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The New Jersey Devils are back in action Monday night against a winless Florida Panthers team. A few notes to get you set for the game:

Start on time

The Devils have played a pair of home games in which they were heavily favored against likely bubble teams in the Detroit Red Wings and Arizona Coyotes. They came out completely flat in both of them, falling behind the 8-ball and putting themselves in early holes.

They were able to dig out of trouble both times – the Devils beat Detroit and eventually led vs. Arizona – but it’s certainly not a recipe for long-term success. Their poor starts are likely to catch up with them sooner rather than later if they persist.

It’s imperative they come out with a lot more juice tonight against the Panthers. The Cats dropped their first two games of the season and will be playing with a level of desperation, pushing hard for a needed result to get their year off the ground.

Despite an 0-2 record – and playing without key defenders Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour – the Panthers are absolutely not a team you can afford to take lightly.

They still have a lot of firepower in the lineup and their underlying process remains very strong. The Panthers have controlled 57% of the expected goals thus far, which is one of the league’s best rates.

If the Devils come out sloppy once again, and fall behind early, they’re going to have a tough time winning an uphill battle against a team that ranks 4th in xG suppression thus far.

Jack needs help