Special Teams the Difference in Devils' Loss to Ducks | GAME STORY

The Anaheim Ducks special teams were extra special against the Devils, scoring two power-play goals and a shorthanded tally in a 4-0 victory at Honda Center Tuesday night.
Ducks goals came from Ryan Getzlaf, Terry Troy (2) and Isac Lundestrom. Goaltender John Gibson made 28 saves for the shutout.
The Devils went 0 for 5 with the extra attacker, while giving the Ducks seven power-play opportunities.
"It's frustrating. The power play needs to make a difference," captain Nico Hischier said. "Even just getting momentum back. That's not what we're doing right now. We just have to put pucks on net and get one dirty one to get the confidence back.
"Obviously, we have to get better. We don't have any confidence. We have to simplify it. It's not good enough. It's that simple."
The game against Anaheim for the Devils was their third in four nights, which included a seven-hour travel day in between. Those factors appeared to catch up with the team as the game went on.
"As the game went on we didn't skate very well," head coach Lindy Ruff said. "I thought maybe the travel caught up to us. Some fatigue and you're mentally not sharp. … We beat ourselves."

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WHAT'S NEXT
The Devils continue their West Coast swing with a contest in Los Angeles against the Kings on Friday night. The game can be seen exclusively on ESPN+ and heard on the Devils Hockey Network, including right here at NewJerseyDevils.com. Puck drop is 10:38 p.m. ET.
Here are some observations from the game...
- At 5-on-5, this game was basically even. There's no doubt the outcome was decided on special teams. The Devils failed to convert on their power plays, something of a troublesome theme, while the Ducks tallied two man-advantage goals and a shorthanded goal. That's a minus-3 for New Jersey in the special teams battle, and you won't win many (maybe any) hockey games with that kind of performance.

"We didn't have the hands. Sometimes when you don't have the legs you don't have hands," Ruff said. "There were plays to be made, we just didn't make them.

Bigger picture bad news for the Devils was the loss of defenseman Dougie Hamilton. He played the entire first period, came out and did a lap before the start of the second period. However, before the puck dropped on the second frame, Hamilton left and headed down the tunnel never to return again. His status right now is unknown.

- As a result, an already jetlagged and tired (seven-plus hour flight Monday) defensive corps had to play with just five men for the final two periods. Very much less than ideal.

"It definitely hurts not having Dougie out there," defenseman Ryan Graves said. "It's early in the year. I don't think you should be tired yet. … Guys should be so well conditioned. Back-to-backs and things like that maybe you're tired initially but once you get going you should be fine."

- With Hamilton's availability in question, the Devils really relied on P.K. Subban and Ty Smith. The latter was benched during the second period of the team's previous contest against Columbus. Following the game, he went home and re-watched film to examine his play. The following morning he put the game behind him and moved on.

Lesson learned. Smith looked better tonight than he has all season. One must keep in mind that Smith played in only his fifth game in six months due to various injuries. He missed the majority of training camp, all of the preseason and the first three games of the regular season. No doubt, he's had some catching up to do on timing and compete level. But he showed well tonight.

Smith's passes were on point, his reads were smart, he was active in the offensive zone and he even joined the rush, including leading it on occasion. When he's making those plays, Smith is at his best. And with Hamilton's status currently unknown, the Devils are going to need more of that from their young first-round pick (2018).

- Speaking of first round picks, not a game goes by where rookie Dawson Mercer (first round, 2020) doesn't make an impression. Early in this contest he generated two quality scoring chances, and both were at the blue paint. On the first a puck squirted free into the crease and Mercer had a wide-open net, but a stick check by Troy Terry disenabled him from getting his stick to the puck. On the second, Mercer drove the puck to the net and made a nice deke move, but goaltender John Gibson made a terrific split-toe save on the play. Mercer seems to make things happen when he's on the ice.

It's also noteworthy that the other day Ruff said that in order to fill the void of losing Jack Hughes, Mercer will need to step into his role. Ruff didn't say scoring by committee or that everyone needs to step up. He singled out Mercer, which both shows a lot of trust in the youngster and could be a lot of pressure. But the 20-year-old doesn't appear overwhelmed by what's being asked of him. In fact, he seems to be thriving with the added responsibility.

- Though he didn't play and had no bearing on the game, goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood did dress in a backup goaltender role. It was his first time doing so this season, a good sign that he will likely play in one of the team's two back-to-back games coming up this weekend.