Here are some observations from the game:
• The Devils may have played well enough to deserve a better fate. Unfortunately for them, when they did make mistakes, the Sharks capitalized with opportunistic goals. A blown coverage led to a Sharks goal. Two turnovers led to two Sharks goals. A bad neutral zone play led to another Sharks goal. San Jose didn’t get many chances. But the Sharks converted on those few chances.
• The first two periods for the Devils can be surmised in one play. Late in the second period Alexander Holtz made a beautiful deke in the slot, but his backhander hit the post. He retrieved his own rebound and made a spinning shot toward the net but Sharks defenseman (and former Devil) Nikita Okhotiuk got his stick on the puck, which had otherwise gone in.
The Devils outshot the Sharks 24-11 through 40 minutes, but trailed 3-1. The story for the Devils was posts, sticks blocks, missed shots, missed opportunities, some brilliant saves by goalie Kaapo Kahkonen. It all adds up to the Devils tilting the ice decidedly in their favor, but coming up on the wrong end of the final outcome.
• Prior to the game, defenseman Brendan Smith was given a two-game suspension for his third-period slash on Philadelphia’s Travis Konecny. With him unavailable, the team recalled rookie blueliner Simon Nemec for his NHL debut.
“If this first game is an indication, he handled the game well,” Ruff said. “He skated in position. Didn’t give up a lot. You’ve got to defend first. For a first game, I thought he handled it well.”
It was a rough start as Nemec was on the ice for the game’s opening goal – for San Jose. But Nemec settled down after that. His skating ability really stands out and he wasn’t afraid to shoot the puck. In fact, it was his shot attempt that led to the Devils’ first goal.
His shot caromed off the glass behind the Sharks net, hit the crossbar and started to fall to the ice. But Mercer knocked the puck in for the goal, and for Nemec’s first career NHL point. Nemec finished the game with two assists, three shots and a -2 in 22:38 minutes of ice time.
"I felt good on the ice," Nemec said. "It was crazy. It felt like a normal day. Maybe it'll feel different tomorrow or the next day. I felt good on the ice and tried to enjoy this moment."
Was he nervous for the game?
"Just the rookie lap," Nemec said.
• Mercer claims he didn’t play baseball growing up. He was a soccer kid. But his mid-air swing was a home run for his sixth goal of the season. Nemec’s errant shot went off the glass behind the goal, off the crossbar and was falling. Mercer took a baseball swing at the puck – as did former Shark Timo Meier – and batted it into the net for the goal. Great hand-eye coordination and execution on the swing. Perhaps Mercer missed out on another one of his many talents.
• The Devils made the interesting decision to start goaltender Akira Schmid in both games of back-to-back contests. Though the loss can’t be entirely pinned on Schmid, he couldn’t give the Devils the save they needed to keep it a close game.
“You got to get a save on one or two of those,” Ruff said. “You have to get some timely saves. Were they bad goals? No. But you’ve got to get some timely saves.”
Schmid made 12 saves on 17 shots.
• Timo Meier (lower-body) returned to the lineup against his former team.
