Devils Butcher Colorado in opener 4-1.

The New Jersey Devils scored three goals on the man advantage and won their opening game with a 4-1 win over the visiting Colorado Avalanche in Newark.

Rookie Will Butcher assisted on all three power play goals with fellow rookie Jesper Bratt scoring on one of the power play goals (1) and assisted on a John Moore shorthanded goal (1).
Adam Henrique (1) and Jimmy Hayes (1) completed the Devils scoring tally on the stat sheet.
New Jersey travels to Buffalo Monday for a Columbus Day three o'clock start...

Hell Raisers

1) It didn't take long to see why so many were excited about the Devils managing to sign Will Butcher to a contract and Butcher's three assists on the power play showed the offensive potential that Butcher brings.
He'll need work and refinement in his own end, but Butcher looks to be an able puck mover and a pretty nice shot as well.

2) Jesper Bratt's goal on the power play was nice, but his big play was the assist on the shorthanded goal by John Moore,
Bratt looked across the ice, found his man in Moore and put the pass right on the money.
That's the type of play that young players don't often make, but Bratt was more than able.
A decision on Bratt will have to made after nine more games, Bratt might be on the verge of making that a very tough decision...

3) Nico Hischier didn't earn a point in his first pro game, but he showed offensive aggressiveness (six shots on net) and I loved when he challenged Erik Johnson after his cheap hit on Kyle Palmieri.
This guy is going to be a really good one.

4) I thought Erik Johnson's knee to knee hit on Kyle Palmieri was a cheap shot and deserved more than a two minute penalty.
Bet on Johnson getting more punishment from the league....

5) Drew Stafford was injured along with Palmieri.
No word on how long either will be out, but losing the right wings on each of the top two lines will cause some shaking up in the lines and on the roster as well.

6) I wrote in the preview that Cory Schneider was going to have to raise his game and with 40 saves, he did just that and showed signs of the Schneider that played before last season.
Andrew Gross of Fire and Ice, wrote that the new goaltender coach Rollie Melanson has Schneider deeper in the crease and for one game it seemed to help.

7) Watched the Devils broadcast for most of the game (due to a tv signal issue, we watched the first period on the Colorado feed), I really liked what Bryce Salvador brought to the broadcast.
Salvador is good on the mic and had some interesting things to say, such as Cory Schneider blaming himself for Chris Terreri losing his job as goaltending coach.

8) Chico Resch is back with the team, but as the team's radio color commentator.
Chico is replacing Sherry Ross, who I really liked, but I'm not sure this is for Chico.
Hockey on radio is not an easy call and Chico's folksy stories might not mesh as well in an audio medium.
If the Devils really wanted Resch back, I would have moved him back to television and Ken Daneyko to radio, as Daneyko is more likely to make that conversion successfully.

9) Deb Placey is back and she's still awful.

Back later with thoughts on Ohio State's crushing of Maryland,if I have time!

Devils sign Will Butcher

The badly lagging defensive corps of the New Jersey Devils needed a infusion of talent and youth for a questionable unit as training camp neared.
The Devils hope that they have found a player capable of providing both as they signed free agent college defenseman Will Butcher of the University of Denver to a two year contract.

Butcher declined to sign with the Colorado Avalanche after being picked in the fifth round in the 2013 draft and spent the last four years in the same town with the local university.
The 22 year old Butcher was the captain at Denver last season,won the Hobey Baker award as the player of the year in the NCAA and led the Pioneers to the NCAA championship on his way to being one of the more coveted young free agents available.
Ironically,one of the other free agents that was pursued by so many has parallels to Butcher-Alex Kerfoot was drafted by the Devils and signed with the Avalanche (as noted,Butcher was drafted by the Avalanche before signing with the Devils),finished second to Butcher for the Hobey Baker and both being captains for their schools that made the Frozen Four.

Butcher scored seven goals with thirty assists in forty three games and is noted as an offensive defenseman that moves the puck well,a role that the Devils are in desperate need of filling.
Those types of defensemen aren't usually available in free agency,so it goes to show why over half the league was linked to the pursuit of Butcher at various times after the season.
I don't think Butcher steps into one of the first two defensive pairings right away,but I think he gets plenty of ice time and maybe by the end of the season has a chance to earn playing time in important situations.

Not only is this is a big signing on the ice,it could eventually pay dividends off the ice as well.
A standard cliche' of new management teams in sports is about "Changing the Culture" and so often,it's lip service and a nice line to explain why you are getting rid of so many of the old management group's players and employees.
In the Devils case,I think it's legitimate.
Ray Shero is trying with every deal and with every draft pick to bring in fast skaters with an offensive mindset and it shows.
I love the Lou Lamoriello Devils and they'll always have a special place to me as a Devils fan,but the style of play handicapped them often in getting players to come to New Jersey and sometimes in being able to keep them there.
The culture change is real and so is the commitment to a more freewheeling style of play.

Which brings me to how this could be an even bigger deal than just signing a good prospect.
If the Devils can play fun hockey with skilled young players with Taylor Hall,Nico Hischler etc,players like Will Butcher will want to come to New Jersey and they'll want to stay.
But there has to be a first step-a step where someone looks at the situation,believes in what's being done and takes a leap of faith.
Will Butcher believes.
It'll still be some time away,but I believe the Devils are on the right track and tonight might be one of those nights that is a bigger deal later than it even is tonight....