Punchless Devils Blanked by Panthers

It’s going to be a very long two months.

Just a week after losing Jack Hughes to a freak injury at a team dinner, the Devils are finding out just how much they’re going to miss their leading scorer and franchise player. And, it’s a lot.

Sam Reinhart scored the game’s only goal and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped all 31 shots the Devils fired his way as Florida beat New Jersey 1-0 Thursday night at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fl.

Reinhart outmaneuvered Luke Hughes and picked the corner on Jake Allen at 12 minutes, 58 seconds of the first period.

It was all the offense the Panthers would need to beat the Devils, whose only goal in six periods of hockey in the Sunshine State this week was one that Lightning defenseman J. J. Moser gloved into his own net on Tuesday.

New Jersey has played three games without Hughes and has three regulation goals to show for it.

The offense Thursday was non-existent.

Not only didn’t the Devils score, they didn’t even really make things interesting. Yes, they managed 31 shots on Bobrovsky, five of which were high danger per Natural Stat Trick. But they didn’t test him with many rebounds. They struggled all night to establish any type or forecheck, or cycle the puck, and spent most of their offensive zone time at the periphery. They failed to convert on either of their two power plays late in the second period and are now scoreless on their last seven power play attempts.

The big names continue to be ineffective, which had been a developing trend even before Jack Hughes went down.

Jesper Bratt, who took six of the 31 shots, has just one goal in his last 12 games. Timo Meier has two in his last 15. Hischier, who was credited with the Moser own goal on Tuesday, also has just two goals in his last 15.

Your most talented players not contributing regularly is anything but a winning recipe. Indeed, Thursday night’s loss probably would have looked as ugly as Tuesday’s if not for Allen.

Allen continued to look sharp stopping 28 of 29 Panther shots.

Up Next

The Devils wrap up their five-game road trip when they visit the Philadelphia Flyers at 7 pm on Saturday night. The Flyers, who beat St. Louis 3-2 on Thursday are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games.

Your Thoughts

Was it just a tough two games against two very good teams in Florida, or are the cracks are starting to show? A quarter of the way through the season they’re seven games above .50o, second in the division and the conference, and fifth in the league. But to lose your best player at the time the five other guys in your top six go stone cold. …