After the game, head coach Sheldon Keefe spoke highly of the Lombardi-Glass-Boqvist line to the media, stating, “I wanted and needed them to be important in the game…[They] got better as the game went on and for most of that third period were our best line.”
In an interesting mid-game adjustment, Keefe placed Arseny Gritsyuk on the top line with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, in an effort to strengthen their top-six offense. Meanwhile, Anthony Mantha was moved to the third line with Evan Rodrigues and Dawson Mercer.
Despite having just 2:18 of 5-on-5 ice time, the Mantha-Rodrigues-Mercer line certainly made it count, recording six shot attempts, three scoring chances, and two shots on goal. Though this combination was only meant to shake things up temporarily, they showed plenty of potential in the third period.
Special Teams Woes Continue
Special teams were tested early on, but the first period did not start out as Devils fans might have hoped. They headed to the penalty kill just ten seconds into the game, after Timo Meier was sent to the box for high-sticking. It didn’t take long for the Mammoth to capitalize on the man advantage, taking a 1-0 lead courtesy of Clayton Keller.
The remainder of the first period was filled with penalties, with both sides eager to find the back of the net. However, the Devils were unable to convert on their first two power plays of the evening.
But the good news is that their power-play goal drought finally came to an end. Luke Evangelista took advantage of a 5-on-3 with a tip-in, tying the game 1-1. The Devils rounded out the night one for five on the power play, and are now 1-14 on the man advantage (7.1%).
The Mammoth, on the other hand, currently rank at the top of the league with a 61.5% conversion rate, and the Devils knew going in how hard it would be to keep their power play from scoring. In the end, Utah came away with two power-play goals, which gave them the go-ahead in both the first and second periods.
Overall, the Devils need more from their special teams. Establishing chemistry early on is crucial in order to avoid the same lapses that plagued them last season.
Unable to Recover From Deficit
One of the biggest factors holding the Devils back from success is how they respond to a deficit. On Saturday night, their offense crumbled after three unanswered goals in the second, setting the scene for a brutal 6-0 loss.
Though they didn’t win against the Mammoth, they still made a solid attempt at a comeback. The Devils tied the game in the first and second, and it was Evangelista’s netfront presence that bailed them out initially.
The team appeared to have found a spark again in the third, generating 12 shots and 14 scoring opportunities, per Natural Stat Trick. They also scored another much-needed 5-on-5 goal as a result of an end-of-game surge led by Boqvist.