G45 New Jersey Devils @ Seattle Kraken: Finish strong

The Devils are a perfect 4-0 on their west coast road trip. Can they complete the sweep vs a formidable Kraken team?

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A few notes to get you set for New Jersey vs Seattle:

Avoid the letdown

If ever there were a spot for the Devils to rest on their laurels, and throw up a bit of a dud, this is it.

They have been on the road for 10 days, they’ve banked eight of eight possible points thus far, and everyone can look forward to going home for a week after this game.

It is very easy to envision the Devils being a little sloppy out of the gate and sort of throwing in the towel from there.

If they are out of sorts, the Seattle Kraken are not the kind of team that will let them off the hook and ease into things. The Kraken have been one of the league’s best teams in the 1st period this season, showing the ability to start strong and get results early.

They have netted 49 goals in the opening frame, which is more than all but the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Fresh off back-to-back three goals losses – and just two points back of top spot in the division – you can bet the Kraken will be ready to play and come out extra motivated to get a result.

The Devils need two things to survive the opening frame and avoid throwing two points away before the contest really gets going:

1. Strong puck management. The Kraken are going to come out flying, the crowd is going to be into it, and there will be a lot of pressure on the Devils as they try and breakout of the defensive zone. They have to make smart decisions with the puck and avoid the big mistake. A bad turnover or two could have them behind a couple early, at which point the game is probably as good as over. The tank is no doubt nearing empty; I’m not sure the Devils have another comeback in them.

2. Good goaltending. I expect the Devils will give up double digit shots, and a few really good chances, in the opening 20. If Vitek Vanecek is not up to the task early, the Devils are in deep trouble.

Seattle’s X-Factor