Game 6 was going to plan. The Devils dominated possession, offensive zone time, takeaways, shots on goal and killed off an early penalty They took the lead on a strong effort from the fourth line and third defensive pair resulting in a tap-in for Curtis Lazar. The Rangers looked like they were out of answers and trapped in the abyss of Game 5.
MAJOR LAZAR! pic.twitter.com/dje49uivao
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) April 30, 2023
It all changed with a minute left in the first period when Dawson Mercer had the puck at the blue line and failed to get it in deep trapping his defensemen and sending Patrick Kane on a breakaway in the opposite direction. Mercer ultimately caught Kane from behind and made a diving play to knock the puck away but took a tripping penalty in the process. That penalty and the resulting power-play goal off the leg of Chris Kreider changed everything.
“I thought we dominated the first period. We had them exactly where we wanted them. I thought 5 on 5 we were doing a great job just skating with the puck and moving the puck up ice.” Lindy Ruff
Now, despite completely dominating the Rangers with a Corsi For Percentage in the mid-70s and a 7-0 advantage in High Danger Chances, the Devils left the ice downtrodden in a tie while the Rangers were exuberant with the knowledge that they had stolen a period and would again be headed to the power play as Ondrej Palat was called for an offensive zone tripping penalty at the buzzer.
Heading into the second period, the Devils had to feel that they simply needed to kill off the penalty and resume tilting the ice at 5v5. They checked off the first item but were unable to gain a foothold in the period largely due to the amount of penalties called on them that kept their best players off the ice for long stretches. Almost immediately following the expiration of the power play, Palat was whistled for a second penalty, the fourth on the Devils before any had been called on the Rangers.
The Devils would kill off the penalty but were unable to regain their early game form and seemed disjointed. Jack Hughes would only see 17 seconds of ice time in the first five minutes of the period due to the back-to-back kills and the Devils struggled to get in a rhythm. Much like Games 1 and 2, the Devils went down 2-1 and then surrendered a late, back-breaking goal near the end of the second period. This time it was Vladimir Tarasenko scoring with just over 90 seconds left in the period to stretch the 2-1 lead provided by Mika Zibanejad’s first goal of the series to now a two-goal deficit.
Heading into the third the Devils again had opportunities to get back in the game but were continually frustrated by Igor Shesterkin and the shot blocking of the Rangers. The Devils knew that they had to take chances and one proved costly as Barclay Goodrow stole a puck along the half wall and broke out for a 2v1 with ex-Devil Jimmy Vesey. Goodrow was able to outreach a streaking Timo Meier and tip in the Rangers’ fourth goal of the contest. Minutes later a point shot by Braden Schneider would beat and subsequently chase Akira Schmid from the game. Dawson Mercer concluded the contest with a high slot power-play goal off of a rebound ending the scoring at 5-2 and possibly giving the Devils something to build on heading into Game Seven.
After the game, the players lamented missing an opportunity to close the game out but looked forward to returning home for the crucial matchup.
“That’s the work through the whole season to have that advantage. We still have to play our best to win the hockey game but we will be happier to be home.” -Tomas Tatar
“It’s important obviously, you work so hard towards it and we want to make sure that we use it to our advantage.” -Dawson Mercer
THE GOOD
The Devils were at times dominant. Despite what appears to be a lopsided loss on the scoresheet, the Devils, at even strength, had more shots on goal, more high-danger chances, and killed off three of four penalties. In the six games of the series, the Devils' numbers at even strength are dominant, the high-danger chances are 79 to 49.
Another positive takeaway is the level of competition in the Devils. Despite the game being out of reach, they refused to concede an empty net goal. Multiple times they raced back to deny the Rangers and even stood in front of the goal and made saves (Meier). The effort shown in a futile cause is evocative of their play all season and should serve them well on Monday.
In Game 7, the Devils will have one last change. In the series, Nico Hischier has been dominant against Mika Zibanejad at even strength. In Game 6, Gerard Gallant wisely used his last change to constantly keep Mika’s line away from Nico, having them face each other for less than two minutes of game time. Coming back to Newark, look for Ruff to find ways to get Hischier’s line on the ice to try to neutralize Zibanejad and Kreider as they did in games three through five.
THE BAD
While several of the penalties this series have been, if generous, questionable, the Devils need to find ways to stay out of the penalty box. The Rangers only capitalized on one of their power play opportunities but that goal was the catalyst for the return of Kreider, Zibanejad, and Tarasenko to the scoresheet. In games where the Rangers score a power play goal, they are 3-0. When they don’t, they are 0-3. Simply put the Devils need to stay out of the box at all costs to limit the chances for the Rangers to get comfortable, it is clear that their offense derives energy from the power play. Dawson Mercer acknowledged as much, “They got a good group over there, a good power play. We don’t want to be out there on the PK and give them momentum.” Eliminate power play success and the Rangers' chances of winning plummet.
THE UGLY
The Devils took the high road post-game but it would certainly be interesting to see the official evaluation of the officiating in Game 6. The Devils were called for four straight penalties to begin the game while the Rangers were seemingly permitted to act with impunity. At least twice Igor Shesterkin left his crease to contact Devils skaters, Timo Meier suffered several cross-checks immediately in front of the officials, who looked the other way each time. Lindy Ruff chose not to address the officiating directly but did lament the interruption in the flow of the game and the resultant removal of his best players (Hughes, Meier, Bratt) from the ice during the extended penalty kills.
The other concern is the lack of scoring by the Devils. Yes, Igor Shesterkin has come up big the entire series, but the Devils have had chances and are not getting scoring from their top players. Hughes has now gone two games without a goal, Hischier, Meier, and Bratt have now been outscored by Curtis Lazar. The underlying 5v5 numbers aside (Hischier’s line has been dominant) at some point one has to expect the luck to turn and the Devils scorers will score. When the Rangers needed a win Zibanejad, Kreider, and Tarasenko found the back of the net. Should the Devils advance it will likely come off the stick of Hughes, Hischier, Meier, or Bratt. Each has made consequential plays throughout the series, now is the time for them to finish the series.
GAME 7
After 82 regular season games and six games in the playoffs, the season is reduced to one game. With so much at stake for both teams, Lindy Ruff summarized what he would tell his team to maintain perspective.
“What a game to be in. Where would you rather be? Playing at home in front of your fans, Game Seven, it’s something when you’re a little kid growing up you’re sitting there going, ‘man I’d love to play in that game.’ We worked hard all year to get to this point. I know that team that’s in that locker room is going to give me everything they’ve got.”
Puck drop for Game 7 at The Rock is set for 8 p.m. on Monday.
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- Devils Speed and Schmid Too Much For Rangers in Game Seven - May 2, 2023
