The New Jersey Devils' offense has been more creative in 2022-23

They are much more adept at creating offense off the forecheck, or cycle game, than a season ago.

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By Alex Chauvancy (@AlexC_THW)

The New Jersey Devils have been a wagon through their first 27 games. Barring devastating injuries, they'll likely remain a wagon moving forward.

It's a complete flip from where the team was a season ago when they finished with just 63 points in the standings. 

As this year has indicated, goaltending was the most significant problem in 2021-22. But goaltending isn't the only thing that has changed about this Devils team. 

Cam Charron and Dimitri Filipovic mentioned it on their deep dive of the Devils on the Oct. 31 episode of The Hockey PDOcast. While they're still primarily a rush team, they are finding other ways to create chances.

At the time, they led the league in rush shots per 60 minutes at 7.1. That's slipped slightly to 6.68, but they're still creating plenty of chances off the rush. 

What's changed is their work on the cycle and forecheck. A year ago, it would've been unlikely for the Devils to score many goals forechecking or cycling.

This season, they're capitalizing on those opportunities. I went back and watched every five-on-five tally the Devils have scored this season and picked a few that come with some impressive work on the forecheck and cycle. Let's take a look.

Dawson Mercer vs. the Anaheim Ducks, Oct. 18

On this goal, the Devils win a puck battle off an offensive zone draw. Yegor Sharangovich rings the puck around the boards to Dawson Mercer, who sends it back behind the net. Sharangovich recovers the puck and sends it to the slot, where Mercer was waiting for a scoring chance. He didn't get all of the shot, but it was more than enough to get it past Anthony Stolarz: 

For context's sake, I'll provide five-on-five stats of the games below each video. On this night, the Devils dominated the Ducks, as they had a 71.59 Corsi for percentage and controlled 71.5 percent of the expected goals. They also had an 18-4 advantage in high-danger chances over the Ducks. 

Mercer vs. the Detroit Red Wings, Oct. 25 

This was one of the Devils' prettier goals of the season, and it involved Mercer once again. It wasn't necessarily a forecheck/cycle goal, but it's certainly not a rush goal. 

After a pass from Alexander Holtz failed to connect with Sharangovich in the slot, Mercer retrieves the loose puck and sends it back to Ryan Graves at the blue line. Graves then passes the puck to John Marino, who works his way past Elmer Soderblom and sets up Mercer for a one-timer in the slot: 

The Devils ended this game with a 65.33 CF% and controlled 62.87 percent of the expected goals. They out-chanced the Red Wings 23-13 and had an 11-7 advantage in high-danger chances. 

Fabian Zetterlund vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets, Oct. 30

During the Devils' deep dive, Charron had mentioned this goal when he rewatched this game. It actually combined some work off the rush and on the cycle. Nico Hischier forces a neutral zone turnover and starts the rush the other way. After crossing the blue line, he leaves a drop pass for Fabian Zetterlund, who fires a one-timer off Elvis Merzlikins' pad. 

Merzlikins leaves a big rebound that Zetterlund retrieves. He sends the puck toward Hischier, who collects it behind the net. He outworks a Blue Jackets defender and finds Zetterlund in the slot for a one-timer goal. 

The Devils finished with a 65.69 CF% and controlled 72.89 percent of the expected goals in a 7-1 beatdown of the Blue Jackets. They out-chanced Columbus 28-9 and had a 13-1 advantage in high-danger chances. 

Nathan Bastian vs. the Calgary Flames, Nov. 5