Devils Concern-O-Meter: Blown Lead, Special Teams, Finish

James Nichols evaluates key areas of concern for the New Jersey Devils despite their three-game winning streak and 11-5-0 record. Following a 5-4 overtime win against the St. Louis Blues where New Jersey blew a 4-1 third-period lead before Jesper Bratt scored the game-winner, head coach Sheldon Keefe expressed frustration with how the team managed the game. Nichols identifies closing out leads, penalty killing, and forward finishing as prominent issues.

The Devils rank 29th on the penalty kill at 67.6 percent and have been outscored 20-15 in third periods this season. Nichols notes that Timo Meier has struggled to finish, converting just one goal on 57 shots, while the power play sits tied for 22nd. However, Nichols keeps overall concern low due to New Jersey's strong underlying 5-on-5 analytics and Connor Hellebuyck's 4-0-0 start.