3 Thoughts: Devils Top Guys Assertive, Defense Drowns Kings; Markstrom’s 5-Hole

NEWARK—As opposed to their game on Tuesday night, the New Jersey Devils stepped on the neck of the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

Coming in as the best defensive team in the NHL, the Devils routed the Kings to a 3-1 victory in regulation, scoring twice in the third period to seal two points and snap Los Angeles’ six-game winning streak.

Let’s get to how it happened.

MORE: Why We’re Not Worried About the Devils’ Recent Lack of Scoring

Devils Recap

The first period started almost exactly the same way as Tuesday’s tilt did with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Devils led the shot advantage 9-2, yet, took a scoreless tie into the first intermission.

It took nearly all the second period, but the Kings struck first after Jordan Spence stopped a 2-on-1 chance for the Devils, only to score on the other end of the ice to give Los Angeles a 1-0 lead. Before the second period could end, Jack Hughes skated the puck around the Kings’ zone. His shot deflected off of Ondrej Palat at net-front and tied the game at one.

In the third period, Palat returned the favor to Hughes, feeding the Devils forward in the slot, and he scored his 12th goal of the season. Brett Pesce later provided the dagger, scoring a shorthanded goal with under three minutes left to play. Pesce’s goal was his 200th career point, and first goal as a Devil.

Jacob Markstrom made 12 saves on just 13 shots, making two saves on two shots via the penalty kill.

3 Thoughts

Markstrom Blunder

There’s no denying that Jacob Markstrom has allowed some soft goals this season.

When Spence opened the scoring in the second period of Thursday night’s contest, he let in another one. Credit where it’s due to Spence. The Kings defenseman stopped an odd-man rush in the defensive zone, then hustled to the other side of the ice to join the rush. He wound up for a one timer and rifled the puck through the pads of the Devils goaltender.

However, the problem is Spence’s shot went mostly uncontested.

Brett Pesce tried to block the shot, and it appeared to have gone through his legs and toward the net.

However, it wasn’t Pesce’s presence that was problematic. It’s Markstrom’s preparedness for the shot. He simply didn’t seem set for the save after he slid from one side of the crease to the other. Had he dropped to the butterfly earlier to go from one side of the crease to the other, the puck may not have had the opportunity to slide through Markstrom’s pads.

According to Moneypuck, Spence’s shot had a 2.1% chance of being scored. Markstrom is fortunate that the Devils held the Kings to just 13 shots on goal.

Prioritizing Defense

What’s most impressive about the Devils’ win is clearly how they were able to hold a top team in the Kings to such few shots. That’s partly because New Jersey is such a high puck possession team, and they were also that on Thursday. However, the Devils also did well clogging shooting lanes, blocking shots, and winning their puck battles in their own end to send the puck up ice and to the offensive zone.

“That’s two games in a row that we’ve done a nice job [defensively]. Guys have been committed to it. It’s not easy, it’s hard work, it’s commitment, it’s discipline, it’s all the things that are required to win consistently in the league,” Sheldon Keefe said of the Devils’ defense. “The guys have really bought in. They didn’t get rewarded the other night, and so to come back and do it again, maybe even better, it was great. So I love to see a guy get rewarded. They certainly earned it.”

Top Guys Assertive

The Devils’ top line of Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Ondrej Palat certainly led the way against the Kings. The trio combined for six points, led by Jack who scored a goal and two assists, followed by Palat who tallied a goal and one helper. Bratt chipped in an assist of his own.

It was a very similar game on Thursday as it was on Tuesday. However, the Devils came out with the win this time, as opposed to a disappointing loss in overtime.

The difference?

The top line asserted themselves against Los Angeles, driving to the net much more directly. The result was a dominant 6-2 scoring chance differential at even strength.

“Some nights they fall, some nights they don’t. Sometimes it’s as simple as that,” Keefe explained. “I mean, we had breakaways and two on ones and clean looks at the net in against Toronto that didn’t go our way. And today we had some good looks early in the first period that didn’t go our way. Just stuck with it. Jack shows some assertiveness, coming out and attacking the middle of the ice. [Bratt] drives through the middle to kind of open up that ice for him and shoots the puck. [Palat] does his job and goes to the net, you know, gets a stick on it.”

Quick Shifts

• Stefan Noesen continues to accrue shots, putting four pucks on net vs. the Kings.
• Erik Haula won 9/12 faceoffs (75%) on the dot.
• Johnathan Kovacevic led all skaters with 22:28 time on ice.
• The Devils owned a 27-18 hit differential.

For more Devils news, visit New Jersey Hockey Now, subscribe to our YouTube and like our Facebook page.

Follow us on 𝕏:

@NJDHockeyNow, @JamesNicholsNHL, @NickNatale10

And on Threads:

@JamesNicholsNHL