Here are some observations from the game:
• The Devils made some mistakes that led to Flyers goals. Nemec got turned around in the neutral zone, which allowed Tippett to get a step on him and score the game’s opening goal. The Devils allowed a goal to Michkov as he exited the penalty box. Nemec had rightly retreated on the play, but neither Hischier nor Mercer got above to prevent an odd-man rush and stop Michkov from getting alone on goal. After Bratt hit a post, the Devils over pursued and were caught flat-footed and trapped as the puck transitioned the other way leading to an odd-rush against and eventual Zegras tally.
Keefe: “We give up a breakaway coming out of the penalty box because the forwards are forcing the issue as time on the clock is expiring on the penalty. It shows where we need to grow. I can’t talk about it anymore than I do. I can’t show it any more than I have. … It’s with good intentions. Our guys are trying to do the right things. They’re trying to make plays. They’re trying to be on offense. And in some cases, they’re trying to close when guys get by them. That’s where have to get better.”
• The Devils weren’t without their opportunities. After Mercer pulled New Jersey to within a goal at 4-3, the Devils generated numerous scoring chances, including two power plays. The Devils threw everything they cold at the net, but couldn’t find a way to beat Vladar.
Meier: “We didn’t do it consistently enough over 60 minutes. We let them get behind us too much. Gave up way too many chances. … We had a good push. It wasn’t even. We would have liked to convert on the power play at the end. It was not the way we wanted this game to go.”
• Mercer scored a goal that you’ll see on highlight reels for the rest of this season, and perhaps for the rest of Mercer’s career. Zegras was attempted to chip the puck around him and regroup in the Flyers zone. Instead, Mercer played the body and eliminated Zegras. Mercer then raced to retrieve the puck, juked two Flyers on his way to the net and then beat Vladar with a backhander through the five-hole.
• Earlier in the game, Nico Hischier and Mercer had a 2-on-1. After a give-and-give-and-go, Mercer had a chance with an open net. Vladar instead did a split to get his pad on the puck. Mercer tried to beat Vladar near side on the side. On his goal, instead of trying at the post, he slid it through Vladar’s five-hole. It was a great adjustment by Mercer.
• There were two critical moments in this game that didn’t go the Devils’ way. The game was tied at 1-1 late in the first period when the Devils had a power play. Flyers goalie Dan Vladar made a split pad save on Nico Hischier with 15 seconds remaining. After that, Vladar made another split pad save to deny Meier at the buzzer. That kept it a 1-1 game after 20 minutes. The Flyers would score (at the expiration of that same penalty) to take a 2-1 lead. Instead of the Devils converting to grab control of the game, they found themselves behind.
Then in the second period with the Devils trailing 3-1, Jesper Bratt broke free for a breakaway. His shot went off the post and the Flyers went the other way and scored to make it 4-1 just seconds later. If Bratt had converted it would have been a 3-2 game. Instead, Philadelphia increased its lead.
Mercer: “Things happen. Chances go both ways. Bratt had a great chance and hit the post. It’s unfortunate it went back and ended up in the back of our net. Things like that can change the outcome, but it can go either way.”
Keefe: "Just because you miss a chance at one end doesn't mean they get a freebee going the other way. You still have to play the game. That puck could have easily fallen in our favor, but then you can't just open up the ice and let them have their way down the other end. That's how you lose games."
• Nemec pulled the old wax on, wax off. He took a penalty to start the game (which the Devils successfully killed). Then, Nemec got turned around in the neutral zone and got beat up ice by Owen Tippett, who would score the game’s opening goal for Philadelphia.
But Nemec would respond the right way, scoring the Devils’ opening goal to even the score at 1-1. He smartly jumped up on the play as the late man to create an odd-man advantage for the Devils. He found some open ice above the circles, opened his hips and cocked his stick for the pass. Then he just bulleted it into the net for the tally.
• With his assist on Nemec's goal, Jesper Bratt now has 470 helpers, passing Neal Broten for 8th place on the club's all-time list. Bobby Holik holds the 7th spot with 472. Bratt would add another assist to put him one behind Holik.
