The Devils are seventh in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 8-8-1.
"At the end of the night, we got exactly what we deserved."
New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff was brutally honest and visibly frustrated after his team's 4-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday night.
"We didn't skate. We didn't compete. Our puck play wasn't good. It wasn't crisp," Ruff said. "It's on me to get them in a better place. It's on me to have them ready. I don't care what the situation is. We've got to play a lot better than that."
The Devils looked good for the first several minutes of the first period, but a lapse near the end of the opening frame proved costly as the Red Wings scored three goals on three shots. Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin, and Robby Fabbri scored within the final three minutes of play.
Detroit added a power play goal in the middle frame courtesy of Moritz Seider to secure a 4-0 lead over New Jersey. Over the final forty minutes, the Devils fired nine shots at Alex Lyon, including two in the third period.
"They wanted this a lot more than we did," Ruff said. "They outskated us and outcompeted us."
The Devils have lost five of their last six games and are seventh in the Metropolitan Division with 17 points.
Five Things
1. The Devils Suffer Their First Shutout in 101 Games
Before Wednesday night's game, the Devils were shut out last April 24, 2022. Ironically, that shutout loss also came at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings.
Per the media notes, the team's 101 consecutive games without being shut out was the third-longest stretch in franchise history. The streak was also the second-longest active marker, while Toronto ranks first at 162 straight games without being shut out.
2. A Costly Two Minutes
One thing the Devils have been unable to do this season is put forth a 60-minute effort. There have been segments of great play, but a total, consistent effort has been lacking all season. Detroit scored three quick goals in less than two minutes at the end of the first period, creating a hill too steep for the Devils to climb.
3. "We Are Shooting Ourselves in the Foot"
New Jersey had six turnovers in the opening period, directly leading to chances against them. Defenseman John Marino was on the ice for two of the Red Wings' four goals. After the game, he spoke to the media and said the team is shooting themselves in the foot.
"We have to get back to our game. We're doing it to ourselves out there," Marino said. "All these turnovers in those crucial areas and then it comes back right in our face. We have to get back to simplifying and playing behind them."
4. Toffoli Takes Responsibility
Multiple players struggled at Little Caesars Arena. This was not a loss where the blame can be put on the shoulders of one or two players, but when asked about the game, veteran Tyler Toffoli took full responsibility.
"I turned the puck over twice, and they went down and scored," Toffoli said. "Definitely not good enough. I'm very disappointed in myself and in my game tonight. I take the blame on two of those goals."
5. New Jersey Utilized an 11/7 Lineup
The Devils utilized 11 forwards and seven defensemen for a third straight game. A lineup earned the club a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins but two consecutive losses to the New York Rangers and now Detroit Red Wings.
Before the team left for Detroit, Ruff acknowledged that it fatigued his group versus New York, and he "would hate for that to happen again."
Fatigue may not be the correct word to describe the team versus Detroit because, as a whole, the Devils did not look exhausted. On Wednesday night, they looked flat and out of sync. Passes were missing the mark, multiple defensive breakdowns, and horrible puck management were the game's themes for New Jersey.