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No Taylor Hall, no Cory Schneider, no problem.
The New Jersey Devils, who have struggled for months and can't win on the road, went into Washington and defeated the Capitals without the two best, and most important, players on the team.
A few notes:
1) Keith Kinkaid put forth another spectacular performance and continues to be the most pleasant surprise of the season for the Devils. Prior to the year, there was a lot of debate whether he should remain as the team's backup and he has certainly silenced any doubters with his play to this point.
Playing behind a team with one defenseman playing at a top-4 level (Damon Severson), Kinkaid has managed a .929 save percentage through nine starts.
Not only has he posted impressive numbers, but he's done so while being tested at an alarming rate on a nightly basis. In Kinkaid's nine starts, he has made 30+ saves seven times and 40+ saves four times. He's been peppered on a routine basis and has still managed to get the Devils at least a point in six of nine starts.
I remember Kinkaid saying he worked a lot on his agility, movement, etc. in the off-season and it sure looks to be paying off. He looks much more fluid in the crease and is rarely stationary/caught flat-footed.
I wouldn't be surprised if he gets the nod in goal on Saturday and, quite frankly, he deserves it. Schneider is the undisputed No. 1, but it's hard to go back to him when the alternative is playing at an all-star level, albeit over a small sample size.
2) As has often been the case this season, the Devils were caved in at 5v5 vs the Capitals.
It really has gotten to the point where the Devils can't win unless they get great goaltending (like last night). They simply concede too many shots and chances.
3) Further to my last point, I have some numbers to share.
Last season the Devils allowed three or more goals 38 times (45%) and 30+ shots 35 times (43%). This season the Devils have allowed three or more 23 times (64% and allowed 30+ shots 23 times (again, 64%).
Essentially, they have gone from a team that puts forth a good defensive performance 5.5-6 times in 10 games, to a team that is below average almost 2/3 of the time.
In advance of the inevitable comments about Taylor Hall being a defensive liability, he is top-5 on the team in scoring chance suppression. If anything, he's been one of the best two-way players on the roster.
Meanwhile, Adam Larsson has been very average in Edmonton and owns a lesser game score than Andy Greene, Damon Severson, and John Moore on the year. Anyone would take Larsson over Moore long-term, but it helps put in perspective the average season he's having.
There's way more to the Devils' defensive struggles than the Hall/Larsson trade, and it's one I'd make 10,000 times over again. Let's stop with this nonsense.
4) I really like Miles Wood's ability to take the top off of a defense, but that guy can not play any defense right now. He gets hemmed in a lot and routinely finishes way in the red in possession. Until he gets (much) better without the puck, I think he needs to play with a good shot suppressor down the middle to help make up for his defensive issues.
The problem for New Jersey is Travis Zajac and Vern Fiddler have been their only good defensive centers this year. Zajac plays vs top comp (you don't want Wood doing that) and Fiddler plays limited minutes/doesn't bring much offense. The Devils don't really have an ideal center for Wood right now, so they may have to just ride this out down the stretch and hope he learns on the fly.
5) There's enough negativity floating around this year so I'll end on a positive note. Michael McLeod scored for Canada last night and has done so in both games he's been given more than a couple shifts.
Meanwhile, defenseman Yegor Rykov picked up an assist and once again led Russia in ice time vs USA. He has six points in three games thus far.
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