All About The Jersey

“Hey, how’s it going?” “Oh, we’re hot right now and now in first. You?” “We’re being coached by John Hynes.” “Ooooh, that’s rough.” | Photo by Danny Murphy/Icon Sportswire via In this past week, the Metropolitan Division teams won a lot of games. The New York Rangers streaked to the top; Carolina Hurricanes remain perfect; and the New Jersey Devils won another week. Learn what happened and what’s next for the division in this snapshot post. After the first full week of the NHL regular season, the Metropolitan Division did well for itself...

Our two goalscorers. | Tom Horak-USA TODAY Sports It was not looking good early, but the Devils turned it around and deserved this win. First Period Nico Daws, making his debut for the New Jersey Devils, made his first save of the game nearly a minute and a half in as Tage Thompson slipped in for a high slot wrist shot. This was after the Devils had spent much of the beginning of the game in their offensive zone, fighting for shots but not getting anything in close. Jonas Siegenthaler took the first penalty at 1:57 in the first period, holding Jeff Skinner as Skinner...

Hughes! Miller! Tonight! | Photo by Sara Schmidle/NHLI via In their first Saturday night game of the 2021-22 season, the New Jersey Devils host the Buffalo Sabres. Woe to those who underestimate opponents. The People Who Matter can discuss the game as it happens in this post. There are no easy games in the National Hockey League. No matter how dire the opponent seems. It was the same way last season and Our Favorite Team went 4-3-1 against tonight’s opponent. The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils vs. the Buffalo Sabres (SBN Blog: Die by the Blade) The Time: 7:00 PM...

Photo by Elsa/ The captain of the New Jersey Devils is a really good hockey player. I know you all know this, but it’s worth highlighting a little piece of that once again. Thursday night in that debacle against Washington, despite being down multiple goals for most of the game, the Devils still ended negative in the possession game. Washington posted a 50.55% CF percentage at 5 on 5 play, with the Devils only ending at 49.45%. This was mostly thanks to the first period, where the Caps absolutely dominated to the tune of a 59.38 CF%. The Devils turned that around...

Ty Smith is expected to make his season debut Saturday night against the Sabres | Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports The Devils look to bounce back from their first loss of the 2021-22 season as they host the surprising Sabres at The Rock The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (2-1-0, 4 points) host the Buffalo Sabres (3-1-0, 6 points). SBN Blog: Die By The Blade The Time: 7:00 PM The Broadcast: TV - MSG+, ESPN+. RADIO - Devils Hockey Network The last Devils game The Devils lost to the Washington Capitals Thursday night by a score of 4-1. Lindy Ruff was noticeably poignant...

Photo by Bruce Bennett/ With Jack Hughes out for an extended stretch, is it time for the Devils to dip into their AHL prospect ranks for help? Namely from last year’s seventh overall pick? There is an old proverb goes something like “even the best-laid plans of mice and men go astray.” Regardless of how well-laid you think the Devils’ plans were for the 2021-22 season, it is safe to say that with Jack Hughes likely being out for a substantial stretch of time with a dislocated shoulder, they have almost immediately gone astray. The Devils first game without their...

Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils skates off the ice after getting hit against the Seattle Kraken at Prudential Center on October 19, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey. | Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via New Jersey Devils & Related Hockey Links for 10/22/21 Here are your links for today: Devils Links I’m convinced that the Devils may never beat the Caps again. With a 4-1 bummer on Thursday night, the Devils suffered their ninth straight loss to the Capitals. [NHL] [NorthJersey.com] ICYMI: Here’s the update on Jack Hughes from the Devils. “On Tuesday night against...

He’s not going to fight you, Mason. | Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via The Devils certainly tried to toughen up for the Caps, but it turns out they needed skill. First Period The New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals struggled to get anything going at the start of the game. However, an early chance for Andreas Johnsson was for naught as a pass from Dawson Mercer went wide of Johnsson. He would have had an empty net to shoot at. Yegor Sharangovich put on a show about four minutes in, as he collected a pass off the boards, dodged a defender, and hesitated...

Tomas Tatar will take on the Caps for the first time as a Devil tonight. | Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via The New Jersey Devils were swept in eight games against the Washington Capitals in 2021. Can they avoid a ninth straight winless game? This post is a gamethread, where the People Who Matter can discuss the game as it happens. Our Favorite Team plays its first opponent within the Metropolitan Division tonight. It is an opponent they have not beaten since February 22, 2020. Yes, they were swept by them last season. A win would be welcomed just to end...

Photo by Bruce Bennett/ While the amount of time that New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes will be out has yet to be determined, the potential for him to miss an extended period could spell disaster for the season. Injuries happen in any contact sport, and with the amount of contact in the NHL (along with a frozen puck being slung around at high speeds) they wind up being a certainty for every team in any given season. That being said, you don’t want to see it happen to an important piece of your favorite team, and certainly not in game 2 of an 82 game campaign. Yet...

Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports Will the Devils take this season to 3-0, or will the Capitals march on to their third victory? The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (2-0-0) vs the Washington Capitals (2-0-1). SBN Blog: Jaspers Rink The Time: 7:00 PM The Broadcast: TV - MSG+ Coming into Tonight: The Devils are coming into this game hot off their second win of the season. Unfortunately, we are heading in still missing Mackenzie Blackwood, still missing Ty Smith, still missing Miles Wood, and now missing Jack Hughes again as well. Not great. Although for those holding out...

Photo by Andy Marlin/NHLI via The Devils have some key players on expiring deals after this season. What type of contracts will they get moving forward? The 2021-22 NHL season may have just begun for the Devils, but today I’m going to look ahead to next offseason. After what will hopefully be a successful season that includes a few playoff games, Fitzgerald will have some big decisions to make. Among those decisions is what kind of contracts to give pending free agent forwards Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Pavel Zacha, (and to a lesser extent IMO, and thus not addressed...

Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils is injured during the first period against the Seattle Kraken at the Prudential Center on October 19, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey. | Photo by Bruce Bennett/ New Jersey Devils & Related Hockey Links for 10/20/21 Here are your links for today: Devils Links So proud of our young son Dawson Mercer, who scored his first goal as the Devils defeated the Kraken 4-2 in a chippy affair on Tuesday night. Perhaps the bigger storyline, though, was a first-period hit that injured Jack Hughes and took him out of the game. [NHL]...

Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports The Devils take the game, but lose Jack Hughes, and may have kick started a new rivalry in the process. Lucky enough for us, the Seattle Kraken were able to get an extra set of hands into their lineup just in time for tonight’s game: Yanni Gourde, who wasn’t expected back for another month following shoulder surgery, but hurried back just in time to contribute to their game against us. Fortunately, he didn’t contribute too much to the scoresheet. First Period We started off the game nice and feisty, with Michael McLeod dropping the...

Welcome back Nathan Bastian, I guess? | Photo by Derek Leung/ For the first time ever, the New Jersey Devils will play the NHL’s newest team: the Seattle Kraken. Nathan Bastian may return to the Rock. Fans can discuss the game as it happens here. For the first time in franchise history, Our Favorite Team will host the newest member of the NHL, the Seattle Kraken. I hope they receive a warm welcome and leave with a loss. The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils vs. the Seattle Kraken (SBN Blog: Davy Jones Locker Room) The Time: 7:00 PM ET The Broadcasts: TV - MSG+,...