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Devils Defensive Woes Are Becoming A Red Flag: Should Mehta Address It?
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- Devils Defensive Woes Are Becoming A Red Flag: Should Mehta Address It?
The New Jersey Devils allow 3.37 goals per game. That doesn't do their defensive woes justice. They've allowed four goals or more in five of the eight games they've played, four of which have resulted in defeats.
The latest game was another showcase of their struggles: a 4-2 defeat against the Washington Capitals, in which they allowed three goals in the second period and let the game slip away. Ryan Leonard's highlight goal saw him skate past Luke Hughes without much resistance. The Ilya Protas goal came on a centering pass by Alexander Ovechkin, which he threaded the needle, a reminder of how talented the future Hall of Famer is.
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Then Dylan Strome and Boone Jenner scored. Both forwards skated to the net front and powered the puck into the net. Both goals looked similar to the goals the Devils have allowed throughout the first eight games and put the weakness on display.
Why The Defense Is Turning Into A Red Flag
October hockey is too early to make an assessment of a team. It's not when the good teams separate themselves from the pack; the bad teams can put themselves behind the eight ball and doom themselves early. The first few games are when teams find their identity and look at how they've played rather than the results.
Eight games into the season, the Devils are starting to find their identity. The forwards are exciting and can take over games like the one they did against the New York Rangers, especially with their skill on the offensive end. The goaltending isn't a weakness, but it's far from a strength or a unit that can lead them to victories.
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Then there's the defense. It's the unit that's let them down in each of their four losses. The Devils are 3-0 when they've limited their opponent to three goals or fewer. The problem is that they haven't.
Hughes continues to struggle on the defensive end, which is expected for a young scoring blueliner, but it has resulted in multiple goals for the opponent. Much like Evan Bouchard and the Edmonton Oilers, they'll take the good with the bad if the offense is good enough. Then there are the shutdown options who haven't stepped up, and for a few of them, they've started declining with age. It's left the defense looking more like a weakness that can derail their season than a strength that fuels a successful one.
Do The Devils Have A Fix?
The hope is that the Devils can solve these problems from within. The individual talent is good enough to have a good defense. The problem is that they've struggled as a group and look out of place on many shifts.
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Some of that will change with coaching. Eight games is a good sample size, yet the Devils are only a few weeks into the season. It takes time to find chemistry, and the Devils need a few weeks of practice to stabilize the unit.
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The other hope is that the Devils have the players who can step up and become more than just depth options. Declan Chisholm, who was acquired this summer, has been a reliable third-pair option as the injuries have piled up. He's one of the defensemen who can be a reliable second-pair player by the end of the season, or at least that's the hope.
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Ideally, the Devils solve this problem from within. Ideally, it doesn't let them down all season either. That said, the defense keeps costing them games, and the way things have gone, it might be what leaves them in the middle of the Metropolitan Division.
Does Mehta Make A Move? Should He Make One?
For many Devils fans, the demand for a Connor Hellebuyck trade grows; certainly, the urgency to acquire the star goaltender has grown, knowing he might report to the Winnipeg Jets soon. For the Devils new front office, it's easier to improve the team with a depth defense add or with a trade to bolster the blue line.
If the Devils are in the middle of the Eastern Conference, it's the type of move that makes sense. The defense can use help, and it won't come with a high cost either. It's also the type of move that can take a good Devils team and make it playoff-caliber or better. If the defense is the one issue holding them back, then Mehta will fix it.
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This is dependent, of course, on where the Devils are in a few weeks or, more importantly, a few months. Right now, they are an average team, one that might sneak into the playoffs but is more likely to end up on the outside looking in. That's not the type of team that should look to add at the trade deadline or well beforehand either.
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There is also the possibility that Mehta addresses the issue by making a coaching change. If the talent is there to have a good defense and the message isn't working, it's time to have a new coach send a different message.
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A change won't happen exclusively because of defensive struggles. To force Mehta's hand, the entire team must play poorly and look disengaged. So far that hasn't happened. Moreover, the new GM won't make an impulsive decision, and it's the type of move he'll make if the Devils are falling apart down the stretch or at the end of a disappointing season, if it gets to that point.
It's why this issue, like many of the trends the Devils have displayed through eight games, is being monitored now but won't have a reaction from Mehta. Without question, he's looking at the defensive woes and wondering whether they require a fix, but he's waiting things out. Moreover, he wants to see how the Devils look in a few months before making a move one way or another. This is a team that can still make the playoffs but also might need a reset, and the Devils must have both doors open at the moment.
