New Jersey's power play has kept them near the top of the Metropolitan Division, despite the team's defensive struggles.
TNT studio analyst Paul Bissonnette made a keen observation after the Devils' 6-3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 7.
"So far this year, without this red-hot power play, I think (the Devils) are a .500 team," he said. "Five-on-five this year, they have not looked good. Way too many mistakes. ...They have to go in with a different mindset into these games."
As expected, those comments left a sour taste in fans' mouths, with most saying, "They're missing two of their best players."
The thing is, Bissonnette has a point.
Regarding goals against per game, the Devils are at 3.67, the fourth-highest in the league. The teams ranked above them? The Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, and San Jose Sharks. What those three clubs have in common is that none are in a playoff spot. The difference between them and New Jersey is the Devil's offensive prowess. That is what has kept them near the top of the Metropolitan Division thus far.
On the other side of the ice, the Devils have scored 3.83 goals per game, the fifth-most in the league, while their 1.67 power-play goals are the most in the league. To start the season, the club has become dependent on their offense and scoring three to four goals a night to earn the win.
With forwards Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier out of the lineup with respective upper body injuries, defenseman Kevin Bahl knows the team must focus on getting better in their own zone.
"We have to be stronger defensively, he said. "I mean, we can't win games 5-3, 5-4. We have to win them 2-1 or 1-0 now."
So the question becomes: Has the Devils' red-hot power play been masking the team's flaws? The answer to that question is yes.
Through 12 games, the Devils have scored 46 goals (fifth-most in the league), including 20 on the power play, 25 at even-strength (three empty net goals), and one shorthanded. They have generated almost half their offense while their opponent is on the penalty kill.
New Jersey has scored at least one goal on the man advantage in 10 of their 12 games. At least seven times this season, the team earned two or more power-play goals in a game. Currently, their 41.7 power-play percentage is the best in the league.
It is the team's biggest strength to start the season and is the reason for a handful of their wins, including their 5-4 win over the New York Islanders. Four of the team's five goals were scored that night on the power play.
Half of their wins to start the 2023-24 season have been one-goal games. Below is a breakdown of those wins and how many power play goals were scored.
There is no denying that associate coach Travis Green has done an unbelievable job to start the season. As the above table shows, the team's power play success has stolen a handful of games. And while the power play should always be a weapon in a team's arsenal, it should never be relied upon as a crutch, and that's a trend worth keeping an eye on.
After the team's Thursday practice, Erik Haula was asked what he wants to see from the team's five-on-five units on the ice.
"Probably just consistency. I feel like we haven't got to a full 60-minute game this season of just playing our way, at least in recent memory," Haula said. "We know how to do it. We have done it, obviously; I think that's a big thing."
Opposing teams know to play a disciplined game versus New Jersey to limit their power play opportunities. There have been two separate games where the Devils were only granted one power play opportunity, and in both instances, they did not capitalize. Interestingly enough, over the first month of the season, the team's record in those two games where they did not score on the man advantage is 0-2-0.
Keeping all of this in mind, the Devils currently hold a 7-4-1 record with a point percentage of .625. They are third in the Metropolitan Division, one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes, who have played one additional game.
"The season has gone pretty good considering certain things," Haula said. "We are working things out and trying to get better."
Hughes is expected to miss a few weeks with his shoulder injury, while there is no official timetable for Hischier. Without their two star forwards, the team will have no choice but to tighten up defensively and focus on improving their five-on-five play.