First-year coach John Hynes has Devils exceeding expectations
New Jersey Devils players understood how aggressive their new coach John Hynes was in the second game of the season when he pulled his goalie with 3:16 remaining while the Washington Capitals were on a power play.
The Capitals led 4-2 at the time. Then defenseman Matt Niskanen scored a rare empty-net power play goal to make it 5-2.
Defiant Hynes pulled his goalie again, and the Devils scored to make it 5-3. “We just missed making it 5-4, and we had other chances,” Devils general manager Ray Shero recalled. “I saw (Washington coach) Barry Trotz after the game, and he said, ‘Holy crud, you guys were coming at us and coming at us.'”
The media quizzed Hynes about why he embraced that strategy, but Shero already knew why Hynes had done that before he answered. He hired Hynes because he has no understanding of the word 'quit.'
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“He was sending a message to the team that we are never going to give up,” Shero told Paste BN Sports. “We are going to play until the end, and we’ve done this all season. Against Ottawa, we were down two goals in the last few minutes, pulled the goalie, scored and then tied it and won in overtime.
"If we are down 2-0 in the first period, it’s not going to be the end of game. John’s message is: 'It doesn’t matter what the score is.'”
All of this was important for a Devils team that ranked 25th last season before Shero was hired and chose Hynes to be his coach. That change, coupled with strategic alterations to the roster, has resulted in the Devils being far more competitive in 2015-16. The 14-10-3 Devils are in the thick of a playoff race in the Metropolitan Division.
“We are looking for an identity,” Shero said. “We are in the middle of the pack. It’s not like we are leading the division, but we aren’t last either.”
The Devils’ improvement has been driven by Cory Schneider’s stellar goaltending, no-surrender defensive play and a rejuvenated offense.
Last season, the Devils ranked 28th in goals per game; now they are 19th. Even though they haven't made major changes up front, they find ways to score enough.
Shero’s additions of Kyle Palmieri and Lee Stempniak have made a difference: Journeyman Stempniak has 21 points in 27 games and Palmieri, picked up in a trade from Anaheim, is tied for second on the team in goals with 11. He has 20 points.
But holdovers such as Mike Cammalleri (11 goals) and Adam Henrique (13 goals) have been equally important because they have stepped up their game amid the fresh optimism surrounding the team.
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Schneider’s 2.11 goals-against average and .925 save percentage are well above average. His numbers would suggest he should earn a place on USA’s World Cup team. You can make a case that he should start, although Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick is a popular incumbent.
“He has proven he is an elite goalie,” Shero said. “He’s leader on this team.”
The Devils had long held a tradition of responsible defense, developed over Lou Lamoriello’s successful reign as general manager. But Hynes seems to be squeezing even more stinginess out the group.
“I think it only took guys three or four days of training to realize that (Hynes) is a good coach,” Shero said.
At 40, Hynes is the NHL’s youngest coach. He’s already being mentioned as a candidate for the Jack Adams as the coach of the year.
“He’s a real good teacher and communicator,” Shero said. “This is a profession that John has really worked at. He’s a career coach. He has paid his dues. He is always well prepared. Everyone wants to play fast. But we want to practice faster. We want to defend and attack quicker.”