The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (30-29-2) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (27-24-10)
While it may prove to be “too little, too late,” the New Jersey Devils have been playing great hockey over the last couple games. With Arseny Gritsyuk on Jack Hughes’s line and Jesper Bratt on Cody Glass’s line, the second and third lines have been much-improved. Now, the Devils are able to roll three or even four lines effectively while getting offensive blueliner contributions from players such as Dougie Hamilton.
Perhaps most importantly, Jacob Markstrom has looked very good since returning from the Olympics. You may or may not have seen it, but Markstrom played excellently against Team USA for Team Sweden in Milan, but Team USA pulled off a 2-1 win to advance to the semifinals at the time. Jacob Markstrom is now up to an .888 save percentage. In three games since the break, Markstrom is 2-1-0 with a .940 save percentage. Now, in the back-half of a back-to-back, Jake Allen will get his turn in goal. Allen has a .907 save percentage on the season with a 12-15-1 record, though he looked excellent on February 25 with a 28-save performance in a 2-1 loss to Buffalo, saving about a goal above expected. The Devils will need more of the same from him tonight, as all games are must-win.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are two points ahead of the Devils in the standings because of their 10 overtime losses. With a crowded Atlantic Division (even with the Panthers in eighth), the Maple Leafs are very unlikely to make the playoffs at this point. This should be a big disappointment for Craig Berube and Brad Treliving, as they have seen their super-skilled core somewhat decline in productivity. Treliving made a big bet that he could replace Mitch Marner in the aggregate by letting him go to the Vegas Golden Knights in the offseason, but this bet has not worked out in the slightest.
The difference in production is glaring. Over the last three seasons, Auston Matthews had 142 goals and 128 assists in 222 games. Over a full season, Matthews’s three previous seasons had a per 82 game pace of 53 goals and 47 assists. This year, Matthews has 26 goals and 25 assists in 55 games, on pace for 70 points in 76 games if he does not miss a game for the remainder of the year. This would be the first time Auston Matthews did not produce at over a point per game since 2016-17, his rookie season. If the Maple Leafs cannot get top-of-the-league production out of a top-of-the-league player, it really calls what Treliving and Berbue have done into question.
While not as good as it was last season, Toronto’s goaltending has been pretty solid and steady with a team save percentage of .899. However, this has not stopped the team from falling to having the 4th-worst defense by total goals against through 61 games. The Devils will have to play the way they did in the first two periods against Florida. Cycle quickly, get the puck low, don’t stay along the wall for too long, and fire away on net. There is only so much the goalie can do when the team has given up well over 200 shots against above league average through three quarters of the season, and their performance cannot be blamed for the Leafs going from a top-10 to a bottom-five defensive team.
What do you think of today’s game? Will you be watching? What will the national broadcasts say tonight? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.
