The Devils have gotten some finish from their biggest guns. Captain Nico Hischier has a career-high five-game goal scoring streak. Hughes has 17 goals in his last 19 games. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton has posted 18 points (3g-15a) since Dec. 6 - the second most by a blueliner in the NHL. Forward Jesper Bratt has four goals and nine points in his last eight games played.
However, the club isn't getting much help beyond those Big Four. Michael McLeod and Alexander Holtz chipped in Wednesday against Detroit. The result was a 5-1 dominating victory. But that is the only game in the past five where someone other than Hughes, Hamilton, Hischier or Bratt scored.
"You want to use that momentum and get those offensive chances to create a better flow through the game," said Dawson Mercer. "The more offensive time, wear them down. The more you wear them down, they get more tired, and you can create more opportunities. That's something that we want to keep pushing toward."
Mercer had a shorthanded breakaway against St. Louis but when he went to deke goalie Jordan Binnington, the puck rolled off his stick.
A goal there would have tied the game. Instead, seconds later the Blues converted on the power play to make it 4-2.
"I thought the turning point really for me momentum-wise was the Mercer breakaway," Ruff said. "You at least have to shoot it, you have to find a hole. If you're deking that goalie has to make a heck of a save. We miss that opportunity and they turn around and go the other way. We had other missed opportunities obviously, but that was the biggest one for me."
"Obviously, that's an opportunity that I'd like to have back and have a better chance on it," Mercer said. "I faked and he did go down, but I have to make a better play on that. It was an opportunity to put that one up over his glove or something. That's an opportunity you really like to put in the back on the net."
Converting on those chances, particularly from the secondary scoring group, will go a long way in the Devils finding their early-season success.
"I want to make sure when I have those opportunities, I use my skill and hockey sense to put those behind the net and make plays with my linemates," Mercer said. "We're all here for a reason, talented players. The best defense is when you play in the O zone and we really want to focus on that too.
"Last game I focused really hard on skating hard, putting pucks deep and making sure I'm playing that simple game. Last night I felt I did that well. When you get those few opportunities you like to capitalize. We had lots of shots last night but a few of them have to get put behind by the full group."
The Devils have done all the little things to create a plethora of scoring chances. All that's left to do is break the dam.
"You have to create the opportunities. If you create them, it's finding the holes," Ruff said. "I really felt the last two, three games we're starting to generate the opportunities that we did on a consistent basis when we were really going well. If we finish, we're in a lot better place."
