Sheldon Keefe’s shooter tutors didn’t help.
The New Jersey Devils still can’t score.
Two days after Keefe resorted to using shooter tutors in practice, the Devils went to Toronto, fired 33 pucks on Leafs’ goalie Joseph Woll, and lost 4-0 to a Toronto team that was without the services of Auston Matthews and William Nylander.
It was the fourth straight loss for New Jersey, which gives them two four-game losing streaks in the month of December. If there were any positive vibes lingering from Saturday’s veritable offensive explosion of three goals in a single game – it’d been two weeks since the Devils cracked two goals in a game – they’re gone.
Woll made sure of that. The 27-year-old recorded his third career NHL shutout. It was his first this season.
His point-blank save on Ondrej Palat at 12 minutes, 28 seconds of the first turned out to be a killer. Less than two minutes later Palat muffed a clearing attempt at the other end of the ice and Toronto made them pay.
The Devils played desperate hockey in the second, but Woll stopped them again and again. He made 14 of his 33 saves in the second, including five high danger chances. His best save of the night came with 2:13 to go in the second and the Leafs up 2-0 when he reached behind himself to make a stick save on Nico Hischier.
And that was pretty much it.
As clueless as the offense has been for the last month and a half, there was no way the Devils were scoring three in the third period on a dialed-in Woll. So Calle Jarnkrok’s goal at 6:35 was basically academic. Matthew Knies’ would add an empty netter.
Up Next
If you can’t imagine how things could get worse for the Devils here comes the second half of a back-to-back, and it’s against a division opponent, and that opponent is the only Metro team currently behind the Devils in the standings. Columbus (17-15-16) is just two points behind the sixth-place Devils.
Lather, Rinse, Repeat
That’s it. What else is there to say at this point? This game was like almost every other game they’ve played for the last month and a half. This could have been either of the losses to the Sabres or Isles last week, or Vancouver a few weeks back. Even when they were missing guys to injury, they’re still talented enough to stay in games. It probably takes a Colorado, Tampa Bay, or Dallas to embarrass them. So they’ll play a lot of games like tonight’s, where technically they’re one bounce away from being back in it. And for most of that second period it looked like the bounce was coming, but when it did it bounced right to Toronto’s Nicolas Roy. Roy did what the Devils haven’t been able to do over this stretched and finished.
It’d be nice to say the second period was encouraging, but the team is well past moral victories. They could be tied for last in points with Columbus to start the New Year.
Your Thoughts
What did everyone else think? Are there any positives to be taken out of this mess? Is there anything they can build on?