OVER DEZE AFLEVERING
Devils 4, Islanders 1. Final preseason. This was the Opening Night group.
Luke Evangelista scores twice. The first is a moving power play: Jack Hughes finds him in the slot and he beats Ilya Sorokin. The second is wall work, two spins off Isaiah George, and a tap in the crease. The Gritsyuk–Rodrigues–Mercer line was the most noticeable unit. The Lombardi–Glass–Brown fourth line dominated chances. The Hughes–Mantha–Bratt line is still a work in progress.
James Nichols breaks down the 4-1 win, the lines, the blue line, Jake Allen, and your questions: Seamus Casey’s status, whether Lombardi would clear waivers, and if Gritsyuk should move up to line 1.
Opening Night: Thursday vs. the Flyers at the Rock.
0:00 Power play movement vs. last year
0:32 Devils win 4-1 — Opening Night lineup
3:40 First PP: Evangelista scores
6:00 Second PP gets too cute
7:50 Evangelista’s wall work and second goal
10:30 Gritsyuk–Rodrigues–Mercer take over
14:50 Fourth line: Lombardi, Glass, Brown
18:00 Hughes–Mantha–Bratt still a work in progress
20:40 Chisholm, Hamilton, Siegenthaler
23:30 Depth: Noesen, Boqvist, cuts, Casey
26:30 Allen, Daws, and the Rittich question
28:50 Viewer questions
29:40 Speed, skill, 2022-23 identity
31:10 Would Lombardi clear waivers?
33:10 Who stands up if it gets nasty?
34:50 Should Gritsyuk move to line 1?
36:40 Lombardi vs. Noesen and Boqvist
39:30 Opening Night Thursday vs. Flyers
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