GDT: #8 NJD @ Buffalo - We're going streaking!!!

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

Dude is playing his ass off but he's shooting 30%. Devils really need Zajac, Tlusty and JJ to start producing at ES or else we're screwed when the top line goes cold

Yeah, I like Henrique's game so far, but halve his shooting percentage and his start looks much more pedestrian.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

We need to keep an eye on defensive zone starts.

http://stats.hockeyanalysis.com/rat...eamid=18&type=fenwick&sort=DZPCT&sortdir=DESC

Zajac is leading Devils forwards by starting 43.2% of shifts in the defensive end.

On the other end of the spectrum, Henrique is only starting 21.6% of his shifts in the defensive zone.

It's becoming apparent that Hynes likes to employ his shutdown guys in heavy defensive roles and his offensive guys in offensive roles. So that will skew possession stats.

I think a tough shutdown role has weighed particularly heavy on Palmieri and Tlusty. They're not floaters at all, but they're no Parise or Elias when it comes to possessing the puck. I think Tlusty especially has a lot of people down because you don't notice him much in the defensive zone, and he hasn't gotten the PP time that Palmieri and Zajac have.

 

[Devils Dominion]

I think a tough shutdown role has weighed particularly heavy on Palmieri and Tlusty. They're not floaters at all, but they're no Parise or Elias when it comes to possessing the puck. I think Tlusty especially has a lot of people down because you don't notice him much in the defensive zone, and he hasn't gotten the PP time that Palmieri and Zajac have.

I'd like to notice Tlusty more on the scoresheet.