The New Jersey Devils visited the New York Rangers in what looked like a regular season NHL game. Each squad dressed their best, as much as they could with injuries, with what looked like their regular season lineups.
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The Devils walked away with the win thanks to some depth scoring. Reflecting on what general manager Tom Fitzgerald’s goal this summer was, that’s great news.
The 3-1 win was a solid one. By no means was it perfect. Even the Devils’ head coach mentioned he’d like to see more at even strength. But there was plenty to like about the Devils’ efforts on Thursday.
Let’s get into who stood out.
Devils Standouts
Simon Nemec
The confidence is obvious in Simon Nemec.
Sheldon Keefe said it best. He’s ready to go, and he’s certainly proved it thus far.
The thing that stuck out most on Thursday against an NHL-heavy Rangers lineup was the strength that was on display. On consecutive shifts, Nemec pushed the big, menacing Matt Rempe off the puck to force a turnover.
What’s apparent is his decision-making has also improved, which is a result of an increase in confidence. Nemec is making the right small plays such as chipping pucks forward, keeping the game in front of him, and playing responsible defense, while also transitioning the puck well, creating offense, and finding shooting lanes.
He had one blunder, committing an own-goal. An attempted zone clear banked off Adam Edstrom and past Jacob Markstrom for a New York goal. However, he rebounded well, and didn’t let the blunder impact his confidence, something that would have happened in 2024-25.
He’ll need to prove it when games matter most, but it could be a breakout season for the Slovakian defenseman.
Arseny Gristyuk
Keefe explained that he’s encouraged by what he saw from Devils rookie, Arseny Gritsyuk. However, he has some things to work on. Namely, the Devils head coach mentioned the rookie forward turns over the puck a bit more than he’d like.
Against the Rangers on Thursday, it was evident that message was heard.
Not only did he commit zero turnovers, but he helped foster an attack with Paul Cotter and Luke Glendening on the fourth line that kept the Devils in the offensive zone.
That’s saying a lot, as the trio is deployed as the fourth line. And for the shifts where they found themselves in the other end of the ice, the Gritsyuk and Co. were able to limit Ranger chances, and send the puck away from danger.
The Devils’ fourth line opened the scoring in the first period, after Gritsyuk was sprung for an odd-man rush, created a passing lane to Cotter through the Ranger defender, who scored to give New Jersey a 1-0 lead.
A mix of skill, grit, and defensive responsibility from Gritsyuk and the fourth line should make for fun, dangerous depth.
Paul Cotter
Gritsyuk might be the exciting shiny new toy, but Cotter’s got some skill of his own. Yes, the winger is playing in a fourth line checking role, but he’s got a silky set of mitts, scoring touch, and speed to burn as well.
It’s a unique opportunity for the Devils to be able to ice him and Gritsyuk with the likes of the defensively responsible Luke Glendening that gives New Jersey a new look of speed and checking on the fourth line.
Against the Rangers, Cotter asserted himself well in all three zones, scoring on two shots, throwing three hits, and blocking a puck from making its way to Markstrom.
“I think it just having that ability to do both [checking & scoring] up and down, throughout the lineup is really special,” Cotter said.
Last season, Cotter scored a career-high 16 goals. Even as a fourth-liner, with the chemistry he’s displayed with his upgraded linemates, there’s no reason he can’t reach new heights.
