New Jersey Devils

How New Jersey plays, trait by trait, against the rest of the league.

Real numbers through Oct 10: 3 games this season, blended with last season. Traits that take longer to settle lean more on last season.

Real numbers through Oct 10, from this season’s 3 games only. Expect these to swing a lot this early, which is why the likely ranges are so wide.

Offense

• Shot volume
  SelectiveRelentless

  63.9 shot attempts per 605th of 32

  71.1 shot attempts per 602nd of 32

• Shot quality
  HopefulDangerous

  a 6.1% chance of scoring on the average shot25th of 32

  a 6.3% chance of scoring on the average shot20th of 32

• Second chances
  One-and-doneCrashers

  9.8% of chances come from rebounds32nd of 32

  8.2% of chances come from rebounds19th of 32

• Off-turnover offense
  PatientOpportunist

  7.7% of chances come right after a turnover7th of 32

  10.1% of chances come right after a turnover13th of 32

• Shots from defensemen
  Forward-ledActive D

  36.1% of shot attempts come from defensemen7th of 32

  38.1% of shot attempts come from defensemen2nd of 32

• Shots from in close
  From distanceIn close

  28.9% of shots come from within 20 feet29th of 32

  28.2% of shots come from within 20 feet24th of 32

Defense

• Shot suppression
  PorousStingy

  55.1 shot attempts allowed per 6012th of 32

  51.1 shot attempts allowed per 609th of 32

• Quality allowed
  ExposedSheltered

  a 6.5% chance of scoring on the average shot against26th of 32

  a 6.9% chance of scoring on the average shot against25th of 32

• Breakdowns avoided
  Fire drillComposed

  0.44 defensive breakdowns per 6026th of 32

  1.30 defensive breakdowns per 6032nd of 32

• Goaltending
  SieveWall

  +0.11 goals saved above expected per 6016th of 32

  −1.12 goals saved above expected per 6026th of 32

Tempo and edge

• Pace
  SlogTrack meet

  83.6 shots per 60, both teams combined8th of 32

  87.5 shots per 60, both teams combined6th of 32

• Forecheck pressure
  PassiveHounding

  forecheck score 95 (100 is league average)17th of 3220.7 forecheck plays recorded per 6023rd of 32

  forecheck score 99 (100 is league average)16th of 3223.0 forecheck plays recorded per 6017th of 32

• Physicality
  FinesseBruising

  hit score 78 (100 is league average)30th of 3219.8 hits recorded per 6031st of 32

  hit score 68 (100 is league average)31st of 3218.5 hits recorded per 6031st of 32

• Depth
  Top-heavyDeep

  40.5% of forward ice time at 5-on-5 goes to the bottom six28th of 32

  40.8% of forward ice time at 5-on-5 goes to the bottom six25th of 32

Special teams

• Power play
  HarmlessLethal

  8.2 expected goals per 60 on the power play7th of 32

  4.9 expected goals per 60 on the power play25th of 32

• Penalty kill
  LeakyAirtight

  7.4 expected goals allowed per 60 shorthanded14th of 32

  10.4 expected goals allowed per 60 shorthanded31st of 32

• Power kill
  BunkeredPredatory

  1.1 expected goals created per 60 shorthanded4th of 32

  0.1 expected goals created per 60 shorthanded26th of 32

• Discipline
  RecklessClean

  0.06 more penalties drawn than taken per 6011th of 32

  1.31 more penalties drawn than taken per 602nd of 32

Forecheck pressure and physicality are shown as arena-adjusted scores; switch “Hits and takeaways” to Raw in the settings to see the numbers as recorded. How the arena adjustment works.

Who New Jersey leans on, and what they do best.

• Jack Hughes

  #86 · Center · 22:47 a game

  2 P in 3 GP (1 G, 1 A)

  
  • Most ice time
  • L2 · Mantha, Bratt
  • PP1
  • Shooting volumeTop 5
  • Creating his own chancesTop 5
  • Staying out of the boxtop 3%
  • Hittingbottom 1%
  • Shooting volumetop 14%
  • Distance skated2nd
  • Hittingbottom 11%

• Nico Hischier

  #13 · Center · 20:28 a game

  0 P in 3 GP (0 G, 0 A)

  
  • 2nd in ice time
  • L1 · Meier, Evangelista
  • PP1
  • Kills penalties
  • Tough minutes
  • Power-play chancesTop 10
  • Shorthanded threatTop 10
  • Staying out of the boxtop 15%
  • Hittingbottom 25%
  • Distance skatedbottom 9%

• Jesper Bratt

  #63 · Left wing · 18:43 a game

  2 P in 3 GP (0 G, 2 A)

  
  • L2 · Mantha, Hughes
  • PP1
  • Tough minutes
  • Creating chancesTop 5
  • Shorthanded threatTop 5
  • Staying out of the boxTop 10
  • Shot blockingbottom 1%
  • Distance skatedTop 10
  • Top speedtop 11%
  • Fast burststop 11%

• Luke Evangelista

  #77 · Right wing · 18:28 a game

  3 P in 3 GP (2 G, 1 A)

  
  • L1 · Meier, Hischier
  • PP1
  • Tough minutes
  • Creating chancestop 5%
  • Setting up goalstop 9%
  • Preventing chancestop 10%
  • Hittingbottom 10%
  • Fast burstsbottom 2%

• Luke Hughes

  #43 · Defenseman · 24:04 a game

  1 P in 3 GP (1 G, 0 A)

  
  • Most ice time
  • P1 · Pesce
  • PP1
  • Kills penalties
  • Creating his own chancesTop 10
  • Shooting volumeTop 10
  • Distance skatedTop 10
  • Shot blockingbottom 1%
  • Shooting volumetop 12%
  • Creating his own chancestop 14%
  • Distance skated2nd
  • Shot blockingbottom 18%

• Dougie Hamilton

  #7 · Defenseman · 22:11 a game

  2 P in 3 GP (1 G, 1 A)

  
  • 2nd in ice time
  • P2 · Siegenthaler
  • PP2
  • Kills penalties
  • Shooting volume2nd
  • Shorthanded threatTop 5
  • Creating his own chancesTop 10
  • Shot blockingbottom 20%
  • Shooting volumetop 7%
  • Creating his own chancestop 7%
  • Creating chancestop 19%
  • Top speedbottom 6%

The 4 forwards and 2 defensemen with the most ice time a game (at least half the games played). Tags show how each is used; rows show his clearest strengths, and a weak spot in grey, as a percentile against his position. Point at anything for details. All Devils players.

Who plays together at 5-on-5, and how each group is doing.

Lines and pairs are numbered by 5-on-5 ice time together over the team’s last 10 games (3 so far this season), with each older game counting half as much as the one after it, so the latest combinations come first. With so few games, each group’s results are pulled toward the average for its line number.

Last game

Against Utah Mammoth, the team used the same lines and pairs as above.

Which opposing lines each New Jersey group has actually been out against at 5-on-5.

Each strip adds to 100%: it shows how one New Jersey group’s 5-on-5 time is split across the opponent’s four forward lines, numbered the same way as above. Sized by ice time, a wider box means more time against that line; even columns line the boxes up so you can compare groups straight down. At home the coach changes last and picks these matchups; on the road the other coach does. Faded rows have under ten minutes.

What “with no line matching” means: if a coach just rolled his lines and took whoever was out there, each of his groups would face the opponent’s first line about as often as that line is on the ice. If opposing first lines play a third of the time against New Jersey, every New Jersey group would see them for about a third of its shifts. A number well above that means the coach is sending that group out against them on purpose; well below means he is keeping it away.

Who New Jersey sends out with a man up and a man down.

Each power-play unit is built around its quarterback, the defenseman running it, plus the four players most often out with him over the last 10 games (3 so far). Power-play units’ expected goals per 60 are pulled toward league average while samples are small. Penalty kills are too loose for fixed units (the most common foursome covers only about a tenth of a typical team’s shorthanded time), so penalty killers are grouped by when they go on: the ones who start kills, the second wave who come on after the first change, and spot duty. Point at a power-play name to see his shots on the map.

What the tags mean

Quarterbackthe defenseman who runs the unit from the blue line.

Triggerthe unit’s main shooter, with the most dangerous power-play shots on the team over this season and last.

Distributorthe main passer, with the most first assists on the team’s power-play goals over this season and last.

Net-frontparks in front of the net. At least 40% of his power-play shots come from within 15 feet.

Pointa second defenseman on the unit, alongside the quarterback.

Is he stopping more than he should, and what is his team asking him to face?

J. Allen39 starts · 1088 shots faced, this season and last

+11.7 goals saved above expected

Low-danger save %

.979 536 shots

Medium-danger save %

.905 380 shots

High-danger save %

.651 172 shots

Shots faced per 60

28.3

Defensive breakdowns per 60

0.39

Quality starts

56%

Night to night: goals saved above expected in each start

Helping, or hung out to dry?

Show the full picture for J. AllenHide the full picture

• Stopping more than expected
  SieveWall

  +11.7 goals saved above expected in 39 starts

• How busy he is
  QuietUnder siege

  28.3 shots faced per 60

• How dangerous the shots are
  ShelteredExposed

  the average shot he faces has a 7.2% chance of going in

• Breakdowns in front of him
  RareConstant

  0.39 defensive breakdowns in front of him per 60

• Waiting between shots
  Steady workLong waits

  a typical wait of 70 seconds between shots; 21% come after three quiet minutes

• Night-to-night steadiness
  StreakySteady

  a quality start 56% of the time

Really bad starts

21%

Overall save %

.902

J. Allen2 starts · 56 shots faced, this season

−1.1 goals saved above expected

Low-danger save %

.960 25 shots

Medium-danger save %

.826 23 shots

High-danger save %

.750 8 shots

Shots faced per 60

27.8

Defensive breakdowns per 60

0

Quality starts

50%

Night to night: goals saved above expected in each start

Helping, or hung out to dry?

Show the full picture for J. AllenHide the full picture

• Stopping more than expected
  SieveWall

  −1.1 goals saved above expected in 2 starts

• How busy he is
  QuietUnder siege

  27.8 shots faced per 60

• How dangerous the shots are
  ShelteredExposed

  the average shot he faces has a 7.7% chance of going in

• Breakdowns in front of him
  RareConstant

  0 defensive breakdowns in front of him per 60

• Waiting between shots
  Steady workLong waits

  a typical wait of 67 seconds between shots; 21% come after three quiet minutes

• Night-to-night steadiness
  StreakySteady

  a quality start 50% of the time

Really bad starts

50%

Overall save %

.875

N. Daws4 starts · 119 shots faced, this season and last

−1.2 goals saved above expected too few starts to rate

Low-danger save %

1.000 53 shots

Medium-danger save %

.905 42 shots

High-danger save %

.583 24 shots

Shots faced per 60

29.4

Defensive breakdowns per 60

0.99

Quality starts

50%

Night to night: goals saved above expected in each start

Helping, or hung out to dry?

Show the full picture for N. DawsHide the full picture

• Stopping more than expected
  SieveWall

  −1.2 goals saved above expected in 4 startstoo few starts to place him

• How busy he is
  QuietUnder siege

  29.4 shots faced per 60too few starts to place him

• How dangerous the shots are
  ShelteredExposed

  the average shot he faces has a 7.7% chance of going intoo few starts to place him

• Breakdowns in front of him
  RareConstant

  0.99 defensive breakdowns in front of him per 60too few starts to place him

• Waiting between shots
  Steady workLong waits

  a typical wait of 62 seconds between shots; 23% come after three quiet minutestoo few starts to place him

• Night-to-night steadiness
  StreakySteady

  a quality start 50% of the timetoo few starts to place him

Really bad starts

50%

Overall save %

.882

N. Daws1 start · 32 shots faced, this season

−2.2 goals saved above expected too few starts to rate

Low-danger save %

1.000 12 shots

Medium-danger save %

.818 11 shots

High-danger save %

.556 9 shots

Shots faced per 60

32.1

Defensive breakdowns per 60

2

Quality starts

0%

Night to night: goals saved above expected in each start

Helping, or hung out to dry?

Show the full picture for N. DawsHide the full picture

• Stopping more than expected
  SieveWall

  −2.2 goals saved above expected in 1 starttoo few starts to place him

• How busy he is
  QuietUnder siege

  32.1 shots faced per 60too few starts to place him

• How dangerous the shots are
  ShelteredExposed

  the average shot he faces has a 9.0% chance of going intoo few starts to place him

• Breakdowns in front of him
  RareConstant

  2 defensive breakdowns in front of him per 60too few starts to place him

• Waiting between shots
  Steady workLong waits

  a typical wait of 47 seconds between shots; 25% come after three quiet minutestoo few starts to place him

• Night-to-night steadiness
  StreakySteady

  a quality start 0% of the timetoo few starts to place him

Really bad starts

100%

Overall save %

.812

Expected-goal models can’t see passes before a shot, so a goalie whose team gives up a lot of cross-ice passes will look worse here than he really is. Ratings compare him with goalies who have at least 10 starts over two seasons, or 2 this season.

How New Jersey’s goals are scored and allowed, against the league average, and how much of any difference luck alone could explain.

Every goal counts once, in the first of these that applies: empty net, power play, shorthanded, goalie pulled, then rebound, turnover, faceoff win, and everyday play. These mixes are mostly luck: over three seasons, teams’ goals came from much the same places, and most of the differences here didn’t last.