G62 New Jersey Devils vs. Florida Panthers: Here goes nothing

The Devils have a new voice in charge but the early changes are not inspiring.

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

The start is key

It is no secret the Devils have not started games well this season. Constantly falling behind early, and needing to fight an uphill battle every night, is one of the reasons the Devils are sitting outside of a playoff spot and felt it was necessary to move on from Lindy Ruff.

That has to change if they have any hope of stringing together wins down the stretch – and it has to change immediately.

I expect the Devils to have some extra pep in their step in this game. No matter how any individual felt about Ruff, the change should be a wakeup call that it’s go time and also provide incentive for every single player to put their best foot forward.

It’s a clean slate, so to speak, and everyone has the opportunity to earn a larger role – or keep the one they have – with their play.

The juices should be flowing from the get go and, well, they need to be. The Panthers are generally a fast starting team and they’re excellent when playing from ahead.

They own a sparkling .844 win percentage when scoring first this season and their defensive metrics are among the best when leading. Simply put, they are not a team you want to fall behind against.

This is a spot where the Devils really need to hit the ground running. Optimal lineup or not, a shock to the system should do them well with regards to their chances of doing so.

Puzzling choices