Devils Postgame: Third Line Shines, Power Play Woes in 5-3 Win vs. Capitals

After a disappointing loss in the home opener to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the New Jersey Devils looked to bounce back against Metro division rival Washington Capitals.

It wasn’t pretty, but Sheldon Keefe, the Devils, got their first win on North American soil, taking down the Capitals 5-3.

Devils Recap

The Devils had their chances with two early power play opportunities but failed to score and looked disjointed like they have all season. It was the Capitals who capitalized on the man advantage, taking an early 1-0 lead from a point shot by John Carlson. However, it took just under three minutes before the Devils tied things up when Seamus Casey let a wrist shot go from the top of the circle that made its way past goalie Charlie Lindgren. A great passing play between the third line helped the Devils take the lead when Paul Cotter tapped in a pass from Stefan Noesen.

In the blink of an eye, the Capitals tied it up at two when Dylan Strome tucked one past Markstrom in the opening minute of the second period. Shortly after, the Devils retook the lead through Tomas Tatar, who followed up on his rebound. Yet again, the third line got on the board, and yet again, Paul Cotter was the beneficiary of another Noesen pass to make it 4-2.

Deja vu to start the third period as Capitals forward Tom Wilson scored 1:35 into the final frame. It was mostly defending in the third period for the Devils, but they held on just enough for Dawson Mercer to score an empty net goal and see out a 5-3 win.

Takeaways

Third Line Dominance

Sheldon Keefe trotted out a somewhat new bottom-six tonight, which featured a third line of Paul Cotter, Erik Haula, and Stefan Noesen. Keefe said he wanted to get the Haula line going, and it seems as though he pushed all the right buttons. All three ended the night with multi-point performances, headlined by Cotter’s two goals.

Both Haula and Noesen finished with three assist nights and were at the forefront of driving play all night. The line finished the night leading all Devils lines in expected goals for, as well as combining for seven of the team’s 33 shots on goal.

Keefe was particularly happy with how the line played throughout the night, “That whole line was really great,” Keefe said to the media. “Whenever they were called upon, they made a play.”

Slow Starts

One of the many bad habits the Devils will need to shake off from last year is their propensity for starting slow. Tonight was one of those nights where the Devils fell into old habits.

After being handed two early power play chances, they failed to capitalize on either, handing the Capitals all the momentum.

The following two periods were no different. A goal 32 seconds into the second period and a minute and 35 seconds into the third period off of sloppy play in their zone gave the Capitals life. Blame it on early-season rust, but the Devils were hampered by slow starts for the majority of last season, and it affected them greatly. It will continue to be something to look out for until they can change the narrative.

Need More from the Power Play

If the Devils are going to win games in the early part of the season, it’s becoming increasingly likely it won’t be because they are power play merchants. The power play went 0-4 and failed to create much of anything. It was Washington who, at times, pushed the puck up ice while they were down a man.

They continue to look disjointed, unable to make simple plays, and have trouble getting shots on net. Through four games, the power play has gone 2-15, a far cry from their torrid goalscoring on the man advantage last season.

“Individuals, they need to make some play,” Keefe said, displeased. “Got to give it some time. It’s not structure-based, it’s personnel-based. They need to make plays.”

Keefe pointed to the power play having no shortage of talent, and maybe a slight public call-out can light a spark.

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