After being shutout in Game 1 the Devils knew that there were changes that needed to be made if they were going to get back in this series. The changes helped which gave the Devils a 3-2 victory in Game 2. They were getting more bodies in front of Henrik Lundqvist who saw every shot in Game 1. By getting bodies in front lead to 2 Devils’ goals including the game winning redirect from David Clarkson. Another big adjustment the Devils needed to make from Game 1 was controlling the flow of play in the 3rd period. Game 1 the Devils surrendered the first goal of the game 53 seconds into the 3rd to Dan Girardi. They didn’t allow that to happen in game 2 out shooting the Rangers 10-8in the 3rd period. If the Devils want to win Game 3 they will have to make sure Lundqvist can’t see a thing and control the pace of play the whole game but most importantly the 3rd period.
With the Devils coming off a loss at home against the Toronto Maple Leafs last night they look to end this three game losing skid in Philadelphia. Even though the Devils connected twice on the powerplay last night, they won’t get as many scoring chances against the Flyers. The Devils will have to score more even strength goals. Kovalchuk must provide here.
Probably the most concerning aspect of the Devils’ game last night was their play in their own zone. They looked very weak defensively. If the Devils want to have any chance to win this game they MUST play better in their own zone. Giving up too many chances against the Flyers will end this game very quickly.
With Hedberg resting last night, he should be fresh tonight. He needed the break from the trip out west. If the Devils can play strong defensively and score even strength they can win this game.
Tonight I’ll be breaking down each period with how the Devils played…
