The New Jersey Devils trailed throughout most of their Tuesday night game against the Utah Mammoth, a game where they looked like the less-talented team, and the final score reflected it with a 5-3 loss. However, what gave them hope was a pair of goals from Luke Evangelista, in which he deflected shots on the net into the goal, keeping the Devils in a game where they were otherwise outmatched. 

This team needed a bright spot and a positive sign following back-to-back losses where they were outscored 11-3. Evangelista is that. He’s the player who was acquired to drive the offense, and he not only does that but also impacts the game in multiple ways, more than the Devils initially anticipated. 

Evangelista competes on the wing. He fights for pucks and skates hard, something that isn’t a given for wingers, especially wingers with skill. It makes sense that he plays that way, having played junior hockey with the London Knights and learned from Dale Hunter, who makes his young players work hard for ice time.

Whether it's Easton Cowan or Denver Barkey, two young up-and-coming names in hockey, or Bo Horvat and Nazem Kadri, players from London are expected to play above their weight because they did throughout their time in junior hockey. Evangelista did that throughout his career, and the Devils are seeing it firsthand. 

He’s willing to skate to the dirty areas. It’s one thing for Evangelista to play along the boards knowing he can deliver a hit. It’s another to skate to the net and know a hit or a cross-check might be around the corner. Yet, he got into the shooting lanes and into the dirty areas. It’s how he scored twice and nearly netted a hat trick, with a second-chance shot hitting the post late in the third period. 

“The mentality today is: get traffic, get sticks in there, be greasy in front of the net. That's where you want to score goals, that's where you've got to go, and just try and be greasy down there,” Evangelista noted after the game. The Devils needed to get to the dirty areas, and Evangelista set the tone in the 5-3 defeat. 

When Evangelista was acquired, the expectation was that he’d be a playmaker. He still has that skill but also has a scoring touch, whether it’s a shot or finishing ability near the net. It’s something the Devils needed in the lineup, and now they have it. 

The Devils are struggling to begin the season. Only two lines have generated offense through three games, and star players like Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt have yet to get going. Plus, the defense has played poorly, allowing multiple goals in each of the past two games. 

Through the rough start, Evangelista is one of their best players. Along with the two goals in the latest game, he’s made plenty of great plays on the net. More importantly, he’s playing with a competitive edge that the rest of the Devils can emulate. 

Along with his strong play in the latest game, Evangelista was a part of the opening-night win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Sure, that win is now taken with a grain of salt, considering the Flyers look like arguably the worst team in hockey (certainly one of them). That said, he’s proven he’ll be a key part of the Devils' success. 

The Devils are built around Jack Hughes and Hischier, the star players centering the top two lines. The team goes as they go. It explains some of the struggles, with Hischier in particular weighing the team down early on. 

Eventually, the Devils will find their footing and be a competitive team, possibly a great one in the Eastern Conference. Once that turnaround starts, Evangelista will be a big part of it, not leading it, but being a pivotal part of the forward unit. 

Many fans wondered whether the bet by general manager Sunny Mehta would pay off. He not only acquired Evangelista but also extended him before playing a game with the team. So far, that bet has paid off, with Evangelista looking better than many fans thought.