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Saturday, June 2, 2012

Stanley Cup Finals 2012: 5 Adjustments New Jersey Devils Must Make for Game 2 - Bleacher Report

This is a bit tricky, for despite their poor play, the New Jersey Devils by no means got blown out on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. 

It was a tightly contested game where the Devils were a loose puck away from capturing that all-important Game 1 victory and had a number of chances to win regardless of their subpar play.  In short, New Jersey does not need to make too many adjustments for Game 2. 

They simply need to get back to playing their style of hockey at a high level.  New Jersey has already announced that their lineup will not change tonight; however they must recapture their aggressive mentality on both sides of the puck and find ways to light the lamp against Jon Quick. 

1. Be More Aggressive Offensively

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Paul Bereswill/Getty Images

The Devils have to start controlling the puck, taking more chances on net and looking for tips around the crease. 

No. 32 for the Kings is playing too well right now to be patient offensively and wait for an opening.  The Devils were limited to only 18 shots in Game 1 while Jon Quick is 13-2 in the playoffs this year, including 9-0 on the road with a 94.6 save percentage, and 1.46 goals against average. 

Eighteen shots will simply not get the job done.  In order to win Game 2, the Devils offensive superstars need to take advantage of some of the inexperienced defensemen on LA like Matt Greene, Slava Voynov and Alec Martinez by utilizing their immense offensive speed and skill. 

Once in the offensive zone, the team must absolutely pester Quick in net by using a lot of screens, looking for tips and simply taking more shots than 18 shots.  Anything to throw Mr. Quick off his game is essential for a Game 2 victory.

2. Get Kovalchuk More Involved

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Harry How/Getty Images

Ilya Kovalchuk is clearly one of the best offensive players in the game today. However, he only took only one shot during Game 1 and played a very reduced role throughout the game.

In order for the Devils to be successful not only in Game 2, but also for the rest of the series, Kovalchuk needs to be more aggressive in every sense of the word. 

When he is on the ice, his teammates and him need to make sure he receives the puck in almost all offensive situations and that he then press the defense into making a play, thereby creating offensive chances for the whole team.  Lastly, he simply has to get the puck on net and force Jon Quick to work all night long.     

3. Work Hard and Win the 50/50 Pucks

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Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The Devils have always been known for their aggressive forecheck and their control of the blue lines.  They are the masters at forcing turnovers and winning loose puck battles in between the zones. 

However, in Game 1 the Kings were able to limit New Jersey’s effectiveness in these situations and ultimately seemed to keep the Devils on their heels defensively, never allowing them to get comfortable.  The most obvious example of this was Anze Kopitar’s OT goal where the Devils lost control of the puck between the blue lines and allowed Kopitar to sneak in front of the defense.

Throughout the game, their lack of continuous defensive execution allowed the Kings to control the puck, get their offense set up and create great scoring chances off the break. 

This is not typical Devils hockey and I expect their defensive effort to be much stronger in tonight’s game.  As Jon Quick said after Game 1, “I think whoever wins this series is going to be the team that outworks the other.” 

4. Keep the Puck Away from Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown

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Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Kopitar and Brown are clearly the two best offensive players on the Kings roster so if the Devils can limit their production and force the other Kings to beat them, New Jersey has a great chance to win. 

Especially coming off an OT game-winner where Kopitar schooled Martin Brodeur, the young Slav will have all the confidence in the world going to the net. Therefore, the Devils must force him back to planet earth and lock him down.

However, they cannot solely focus of Kopitar as Dustin Brown is having a great playoffs as well. With 16 points in 15 games and a number of momentum-changing plays, Brown is just as dangerous as Kopitar and must be subdued. 

If the Devils can limit these guys’ opportunities, the Kings offense becomes much less potent and allows Martin Brodeur to easily take care of business in net.

5. Hold Momentum

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Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Hockey has always been a game of momentum.  In a closely contested series like this one, with both teams playing extremely hard, momentum is absolutely critical. 

By keeping the puck away from Brown and Kopitar, controlling the blue lines and playing hard-nosed defense, the Devils are capable of controlling Game 2 and swinging momentum in their favor for the rest of the series.

If the defense can hold up, a goaltender like Martin Brodeur can easily frustrate an offensive group while the Devils' offensive aptitude can easily demoralize a defense.  This will not be an easy task as the Kings have proven to be an exceptionally underrated team this playoffs and are very mentally tough, winning 11 consecutive road wins in the playoffs.

Nevertheless the Devils have all the pieces, both offensively and defensively, to dominate this series if they play up to their potential and manage to slow the Kings’ roll.

6. Enjoy the Game

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Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

I think the Devils will take Game 2 in New Jersey tonight and break the Kings’ incredible road record, but this series is really just beginning and looks to be developing into a great Stanley Cup Final. 

Both teams are playing great hockey right now and the matchup between longtime veteran Martin Brodeur and relative newcomer Jon Quick is very intriguing.  I anticipate the series going to seven games and can’t wait to see how it all plays out.

Enjoy the game tonight everybody!

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