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Devils Dissected: Kraken Loss Came Down to Goaltending & One Shockingly Bad Line
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- Devils Dissected: Kraken Loss Came Down to Goaltending & One Shockingly Bad Line
Jacob Markstrom was less than stellar, again. We've become accustomed to that development in the New Jersey Devils ' 2025-26 season. However, what we're not used to is a Nico Hischier-driven line performing so poorly. Yet, that's exactly what happened in the Devils' 4-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken.
Now, the Devils' three-game win streak has been snapped. Coming into Sunday, the Devils were winners in five of their last six games. One of those wins happened to be against the Kraken when the Devils hosted Seattle 11 days ago at the Prudential Center.
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Yet, in Climate Pledge Arena, the Kraken won their first game in regulation against the Devils in their five-year existence.
Unfortunately, it's a game New Jersey probably should have won.
Let's get to some observations.
Observations
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With the Devils holding a 1-0 lead, Ryker Evans tied the game on a shot that had a 1.3% chance of being scored. 1.3%!!! Sure, it was a redirected shot by Johnathan Kovacevic. However, it was a favorable bounce, one that Markstrom seemingly tracked, yet let trickle by him anyway. However, the Matty Beniers goal might have been even worse. I'm not quite sure what was hindering Markstrom in the moment, but Beneirs skated from the left to the right circle with the puck on his backhand and scored. Markstrom seemingly struggled to move post to post in the butterfly. That goal? A 1.2% chance of being scored.
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Overall, Markstrom allowed 2.6 saves above expected, and that was the difference in this one.
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Markstrom's performance was poor. However, had one of the Devils' top lines played stronger in front of him, perhaps one or two of those Kraken chances don't ever happen at all. The Hischier line was awful on Sunday. Collectively, Hischier, Dawson Mercer , and Ondrej Palat accrued a 6.86 xGF% and a 0-3 scoring chance differential. The second line was the Devils' worst line all night, and that can't happen for a team striving to return to the playoffs.
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On the bright side, it was another solid game for the Cody Glass line. They didn't score a goal for the first time in two games. However, they accrued a 9-3 scoring chance differential, a 2-1 differential in high danger chances, & 71.91 xGF%. Glass and Arseny Gritsyuk continue to be drivers, with a 13-3 & 12-3 individual scoring differential, respectively. Lenni Hämeenaho totaled a personal 10-6 scoring chance differential. This is becoming less of a trend and more of a routine.
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Dougie Hamilton , man. He continues to tear it up ever since he was benched. He got on the board early, scoring for the first time in 10 games, putting five shots on net, and accruing a personal 8-0 scoring chance differential. He came into Sunday on a seven-game point streak with eight assists. Now, he's filling the net. At this point, the Devils trade discussions involving him have cooled off. If they're going to move him, which could still happen, it won't be for anything besides a significant return.
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Sheldon Keefe said it himself. "We don't score enough or generate enough at 5-on-5 to be able to absorb some of the way we defended on the first two goals. Their first two just can't defend like that to allow pucks to get at our net and people to get at our net. That's on us… You score two power play goals in the game; you should win it every single time. So that is disappointing."
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Now, it's true, the Devils' defense flailed, and Markstrom was poor in goal. However, focus on the first part here. The DEVILS don't score enough! That makes the urgency, or lack of it, to move Hamilton even more interesting. Because now GM Tom Fitzgerald has to find a goalscorer another way. The Devils are desperate for a legitimate shooter, and one that will displace Palat from the top six.
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