Maple Leafs 2, Devils 1: The streak is over

The Devils gave it a good shot but were unable to erase an early 2-0 deficit.

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The New Jersey Devils’ absurdly long winning streak reached its end on Wednesday night as they fell, 2-1, at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

A few observations:

That was playoff hockey

It’s not often a mid-week game in November has a playoff feel. This game did. Everything about it was playoff-like.

The intensity was there from start to finish. Similar to the air tight affair against Colorado in October, there was no room on the ice to work with.

Whenever somebody picked up the puck – on either team – there were multiple layers of defense right on top of the carrier.

Very rarely was somebody able to grab the dish in the defensive zone and lug it the length of the ice. If a team couldn’t connect on several quick, accurate passes in a row, they were simply forced to dump the puck in and fight through contact to try and get it back. It was a battle .

The Devils got the better of the opportunities, no doubt, but at 5v5 the xG count was only 1.87-1.23 NJ. Neither team created much at full-strength against set defenses.

In terms of the atmosphere, it was the best I remember hearing/seeing from The Rock in a long, long, time (save for throwing a bunch of garbage on the ice. That’s never the play). It was very noticeable; the Sportsnet broadcast noted it was the loudest building they’ve done a game in all season.

It wasn’t just the big plays or overturned goals that created noise. It was everything. A developing rush, a point shot that led to a rebound…heck, even prior to key faceoffs the crowd was extremely loud. It really felt like every moment mattered, which hasn’t been the case for the better part of a decade.

I know it’s frustrating the winning streak was lost – especially in such a fashion where three goals were called off (rightfully, in my opinion) – but, big picture, it’s just so refreshing the Devils are playing in games that make you feel something again. It’s been a long time.