CJS Press Box

The Columbus Blue Jackets dominated the final period on New Jersey Devils’ home ice to extend their winning streak to six, with two goals from Mathieu Olivier, one from Dante Fabbro, and a 24-save shutout from Elvis Merzlikins – his first this season – on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

With the defeat, the Devils’ path to the postseason has narrowed significantly. The team is stuck in a 1-4 slump at a critical juncture – they are one game away from a 19-day Olympic break, and the trade deadline is approaching.

“Our guys are not taking advantage of the puck time that we have, individually, collectively,” said Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe in the postgame press conference. He acknowledged the number of opportunities lost throughout the game. “As a coach, we gotta do more, we gotta do better help them, clearly. But gotta find a way to make these plays.”

Though the Devils opened the game with a drive, using a 67% faceoff success rate to set their offense in motion, and firing eight shots in the first period. Despite the early pressure, they couldn’t find the back of the net. A 1:35 power play late in the period offered a chance to break through, yet with captain Nico Hischier losing two key faceoffs, the Blue Jackets managed to regain control and make an attack – even while a player short.

“Play fast.” That was Connor Brown’s message after the first period – there was an urgency the Devils were trying to maintain.

In the second period, the Devils’ early push held, but the Blue Jackets began pressing harder, winning more faceoffs and taking advantage of every chance to attack.

At one point, Brenden Dillion’s blade came off in the Devils’ half, and he had to grab a new stick from the bench, giving the crowd a pause.

Nine minutes in, the Devils got another power play in hand to regain control. Hischier won the faceoff, but the team failed to generate results. The Blue Jackets quickly picked up the chance with Boone Jenner breaking away for a dangerous snap shot that Jacob Markstrom saved. The pressure on the Devils started to build as the second period went on, threatening the early advantage they had worked to create.

After a Blue Jackets power play, the second period continued with the Devils firing more shots, but their faceoff success started to slip.

With the game still tied and no goals on the board, the final 20 minutes became decisive for both teams. Both sides came out pressing, looking for openings – the Devils drew a power play just a minute in, and the Blue Jackets responded with one the next minute.

“I thought we were a better team for two periods, and then we broke in the third, and they were able to capitalize, and they did a good job of really eliminating,” said Brown in the postgame interview after the loss. “They weren’t giving anything up.”

Fabbro’s wrist shot at 5:24 finally broke the tension, giving the Blue Jackets the first goal and the lead. But it wasn’t until Olivier’s goal that the Devils were pushed fully onto defense, realizing their offense couldn’t turn the game back in their favor.

By then, the once-packed seats were clearing out.

“We just wilt in the third period,” Keefe admitted, referring to the lack of both mental and physical toughness that dates to last season. He clarified that the issue isn’t about understanding the urgency of the playoff race; the players know, but simply aren’t executing.

Brown recalled a couple of power plays that didn’t generate much offense. “It would be nice to have Jack [Hughes] in those moments,” he said.

The absence of the top players, Jack and Luke Hughes, was immediately felt against the Blue Jackets. Since the Devils’ win over the Nashville Predators, Jack has missed two consecutive games, both resulting in losses, due to a lower-body injury and won’t return until after the Olympic break. Luke, sidelined on long-term injured reserve with a shoulder injury, is also expected back only after the Olympics.

The two-game losing streak without the Hughes brothers raises questions about how dependent the team is on their top scorers to convert plays into points. Even with moments of effort to push the attack, it’s becoming clear that the Devils’ depth might not be enough to finish the plays.

Keefe said that in such circumstances, other players have to step up.

Creating opportunities to shoot obviously isn’t enough for the Devils right now. “These guys are capable of it,” Keefe said. “We just haven’t been doing it much of this season.”

The Devils’ season so far has felt stagnant, whether due to reliance on injured players or the failure to have others take the puck. Frustrating, but “I think we’re still a very confident group in trusting the process of what we’re doing,” said Jespar Bratt on the loss.
With 26 games left until the playoffs, Bratt emphasized the team’s mentality: “We’re not looking longer than one game ahead, and we got one really important game until the break. So that’s just gotta be our focus now and then recharge.”

The Devils head into their next game against the New York Islanders on Thursday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. EST, hoping to make some changes at home.

*This story was originally reported following the Devils’ Feb. 3 game