G76 New Jersey Devils vs. Minnesota Wild: The final push

New Jersey's playoff chances sit above 99%, according to MoneyPuck. They can inch close to 100% with another win tonight.

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The New Jersey Devils took care of business in Minnesota on Saturday night, picking up a 5-2 victory.

Here are a few notes to get you set for the rematch:

Simon says 🗣️

It has not been a good year for Simon Nemec. It has not even been an OK year. It’s not about how you start, though. It’s about how you finish. And there is (finally) reason to believe Nemec could do so on a high.

Nemec has quietly played good hockey over the last few games. Not good for the standards of a player navigating through a down season; good for normal standards.

Nemec has logged almost 45 minutes of ice at 5v5 over the last three games. In that span, he has helped the Devils control a 57.65% share of the expected goals and won the high-danger chance battle 8-3.

It’s not a stretch to say Nemec has been as bad as anybody at preventing high-danger chances this season. The Devils have bled Grade A looks during his minutes all year.

For him to give up just three over a three-game span while actually playing a healthy share of minutes is extremely encouraging.

Sheldon Keefe has heavily protected Nemec by giving him an abundance of offensive zone starts. You can only play the minutes put on your plate, though, and Nemec has done a good job of taking advantage of the cushy usage that has come his way of late.

If Nemec can sustain his current form and give the team competent 3rd pairing minutes (even being heavily sheltered), it would really help come playoff time.

Let’s see what he has in store Monday night.

Offense from the defense 🛡️