Kraken 4, Devils 2: Wasted opportunities prove costly
The Devils were the better team for much of the game but couldn't make their chances count.
The New Jersey Devils ended their four-game road trip in disappointing fashion, losing a very winnable game to the Seattle Kraken.
Let’s get into some takeaways.
The Devils left points on the table 🍽️
I think most would have signed up for six of eight points prior to that Western Conference road trip. It was a success.
However, the Devils’ play the past couple of months has erased their margin for error. They need to get greedy, and a 7th – or 8th – point was there for the taking Sunday afternoon.
The Devils did a lot of good things, particularly over the first two periods. They jumped out to an early lead, they controlled a lot of the puck, they won the special teams battle, and they certainly had the better of the chances.
There were a handful of slot looks. There were one-timers from activating players. There were net-mouth scrambles. And the Devils just couldn’t capitalize to give themselves any separation.
When that happens, you leave the door open for games to be stolen. That’s what we saw.
New Jersey didn’t play as buttoned up in the 3rd period, Seattle had a sequence where they converted twice inside of 20 seconds, and a game the Devils were in control for much of quickly slipped away.
It was a frustrating way to finish off an otherwise strong trip.
Meier’s struggles continue 📉
Timo Meier’s goal scoring – or lack thereof – is becoming increasingly frustrating. He is paid a lot of money to put the puck in the net, he’s getting a ton of chances to do so, and he just can’t make it happen.
I liked a lot of his game against the Kraken. He was strong on the puck, he consistently found space around the crease, and he was one of the team’s most consistent chance generators.
Nobody had more scoring chances than Meier (6), according to NaturalStatTrick. They’re only meaningful if they result in goals, though, and once again Meier came up empty-handed.
The Devils gave the Kraken little to no breathing room for much of the night. It was one of those games where a goal or two lead in the 3rd period would have felt insurmountable.
Jack Hughes put a handful of pucks on a platter for Meier, and he just couldn’t deliver. Again.
Meier has two goals over 18 games since December 9th. There are 13 players on the Devils who have scored as many or more times despite Meier leading the team with 9.61 expected goals along the way.
He is underdelivering night after night, and the Devils just don’t have the scoring pop to survive Meier squandering all of these chances.
