G39 New Jersey Devils @ Toronto Maple Leafs: Right the ship
The Devils have a golden opportunity to get back on track against a Maple Leafs team littered with injuries to key players.
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The New Jersey Devils will look to snap their three-game losing streak tonight against the under-manned Toronto Maple Leafs.
Let’s get into a few notes to prepare you for the game:
The offense should heat up 🔥
Famous last words, I know, but the Devils’ offense is a ticking time bomb. That’s not to say they’ll flip the switch and become the 1980s Edmonton Oilers but we will see a big spike in the near future. That’s not an opinion – it’s a fact.
The Devils have scored nine goals over their last six games, fewest in the league. This while generating more than 20 expected goals, ranking them just outside the top-10.
They have shot only 7.5% on high-danger chances in that span. For perspective of how absurd that is, only four other teams have scored on less than 7.5% of their total shots over the past six games. Let that sink in for a moment.
Isolating only Grade A opportunities, the Devils have converted on a worse rate than 27 other teams have on all shots.
The Devils aren’t flush with sharpshooters but that level of inefficient shooting is not going to last. It’s impossible.
And, as dire as things feel right now, the Devils have by and large scored goals at a good rate when their key cogs are in the lineup.
They have played 19 games this season with Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, and Timo Meier healthy and available.
The Devils own a 12-5-2 record in those games while averaging 3.26 goals. That rate would tie them with Toronto for 8th in the NHL. 8th!
So, yeah, this recent stretch of scoring one or two goals per night should be put to bed promptly.
This is a great spot for that to change as the Leafs rank 28th in goals against and 31st in shot suppression.
I’m well aware the Devils have failed to capitalize on advantageous matchups plenty of times this year but, again, most of those missed opportunities came with one (or more) of their best weapons sidelined.
All the big guns are healthy now, and that should make a big difference.
