Morning Observations is a feature where we break down the previous night's game with an analytical eye.
Ever since the mid 90s, the New Jersey Devils have owned the same, distinct identity. Their whole strategy is to choke the life out of teams, and win low-scoring games that contained little in the way of shots or quality chances. The specific tactics in order to achieve that end have changed — their famed “neutral zone trap” can no longer be employed exactly as it was during the franchise’s heyday due to NHL rule changes — but the philosophy remains. Now, the Devils use a persistent offensive zone forecheck combined with a very high third forward to both slow down breakouts and clog up the…
