Islanders dominate Devils 4-1

   The news started badly for the New Jersey Devils before their game against the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum when Mackenzie Blackwood was placed on the Covid-19 protocol list as a precaution.

The game was even worse as the Devils were not very good, to be kind, as the Islanders dominated the game in a 4-1 win that had the feel of a contest that was not that close.

Nathan Bastian scored (1) the only Devils goal in the second period sandwiched in between the four Islander goals.

The two teams will rematch Sunday on the Devils ice in Newark.

Hell Raisers

1) The word before the game that Mackenzie Blackwood had been placed on the Covid-19 list came at the worst possible time- before the Devils could activate Aaron Dell.

While being placed on the Covid list doesn't always mean that a person may have it,  the Devils and their fans are waiting with some trepidation until they know the status of Blackwood, who played so well in the first three games of the season.

2) While the Devils weren't exactly comfortable with Scott Wedgewood being the fallback option at goaltender, Wedgewood wasn't awful in this game, and although Wedgewood did allow four goals, one of those was a sharp angle shot that happened to hit the right angle with the other three not east saves either.

3) The Devils penalty killers are emerging as a problem with the Islanders scoring both of their third-period goals on the power play. 

I don't have a solution, but the situation is getting worse and worse every game.

4) For the third time in four games, New Jersey was called for too many men on the ice.

Can that be attributed to sloppiness, laziness, or players still adjusting to a new coach's system?

Could be any or all of those reasons, but that is an abnormally high number for only four games.

5) The Devils need more performance from Kyle Palmieri and Nikita Gusev have each struggled mightily in these four games.

Palmieri has only two assists, Gusev doesn't have a point at all, both appear lost at times and both have appeared badly out of sync.

Both are playing without their regular line partners currently and that likely is much of the problem, but for what the Devils need from the two offensively, they had better hope that can be rectified by the return of their usual linemates.