After what appeared to be a dominant start to the series, it will now be a best of three. The New Jersey Devils were beaten to a pulp at home. However, they strung together two impressive road wins to even the series. How did the Rangers manage to lose two straight after a dominant start? What did the Devils do right? Here is what has gone on in the Rangers vs Devils series and what needs to change going forward.
Rangers Vs Devils Series All Even
“That was a massive win for us.”
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— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) April 25, 2023
This series has seen the road team win every game so far. Home ice advantage has not been a factor and likely won’t be going forward. After a convincing start that saw the Rangers outscore the Devils 10-2, the Rangers have scored just two goals since. Lindy Ruff made his necessary adjustments and silenced the Rangers. For the turnaround that has happened, here is why this series is now all even.
Akira Schmid
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
The biggest thing to happen in the Rangers vs Devils series is the goaltending. This change came from the Devils after Vitek Vanecek let in 10 goals the first two games. Vanecek has a 4.52 GAA and a .827 save percentage. In addition, his -2.4 goals saved above expected is the third worst in the playoffs. Lindy Ruff knew he needed to make a change. You’d think it would be Mackenzie Blackwood? Wrong. Ruff turned to the rookie Akira Schmid.
Entering Madison Square Garden done 2-0 in a series is not an easy feat. However, the young goaltender stood tall and shut the door. Schmid has a 0.92 goals against average, a .966 save percentage, and a 2.4 goals saved above expected. He has allowed two goals and has stopped 57 of 59 shots. It is not for a lack of trying on the Rangers part. It is just they are not facing Vanecek. New York will need to find ways to make life hard for him. At this rate, Schmid will see the blue paint for the remainder of the series.
The best part of his story, he is the first rookie goalie to win a playoff game since Martin Brodeur.
Rangers PP Not Lethal At Home
What a change in the tides. After suffocating the Devils and Chris Kreider owning real estate in Newark, it’s been crickets. The first two games saw the Rangers go 4/10 on the power play. They made New Jersey pay for every penalty they took. But when the series shifted to New York, life was not that easy. In fact, New York was given the chances, but could not capitalize.
The Rangers went 0/8 on the power play on home ice. For an area of the ice which is their bread and butter, it did not factor one bit. New Jersey made life difficult for the unit. The Rangers could only muster 10 shots on goal, 19 scoring chances, and only two high danger shots. Compared to the first two games, the Rangers have simply no answer for the Devils penalty kill.
They have tightened up defensively and have forced the Rangers to stray away from their game. And while the Rangers have lost a step in theirs, the Devils have found theirs.
New Jersey Finding Their Identity
This Rangers vs Devils series has gone exactly as you’d expect. The Rangers have the better goaltending and special teams, but the Devils are the better team at 5v5. It was noticeable in the first two games, but even more so in the next two.
The last two games the Devils have won, but also dominated in this regard. Overall, they rank second in Corsi For (55.96%) and first in xGoals for (57.64%). Not only are they possessing the puck, but are also generating chances. However, they only have three goals at 5v5 play. A lot of that has to do with facing Igor Shesterkin.
In the last two games, the Devils had better possession play and generating chances. In addition to killing penalties, they have found their identity at 5v5. They went on to dominate the high danger area of the ice, play to their speed, and generate chances off the rush. However, Game 4 was the best game the Devils played all series.
The Results
This is the game where you saw the Devils play at their best. It was their style of play that got them to winning 52 games in the regular season. New Jersey would control possession (51.72% CF), xGoals for (2.34-1.19), and outchanced New York 15-7 in the high danger area. Overall they outshot the Rangers 19-9 in that area the last two games. Fundamentally the Devils got back to their game and found their identity.
Series Becomes Best Of Three
The Devils found answers and now the Rangers are searching for solutions. After becoming a threat, the Devils have neutralized that threat. While the Rangers top guys have cooled down at home, some of the Devils top guys have found new life. Jack Hughes continues to carry the load, and Nico Hischier continues to make an impact. This is what makes playoff hockey great and exciting. One of the better rivalries in hockey has a great story going on.
The Devils now head home for a pivotal Game 5 Thursday Night.
Main Photo: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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