The Devils were beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 entering the third period on Tuesday. They ended up losing 6-3.
Two of the three players interviewed after the game chalked their latest brutal collapse up to one thing: Fear.
“We almost looked like we were scared after they scored,” said forward Timo Meier, who scored his 25th goal of the season in the first period. “That’s not how you win.”
“We played good hockey in the first, second and third, but after that (Sidney Crosby) PK goal, we got scared and stopped playing hockey and didn’t make the plays,” said defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler.
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It’s hard to argue otherwise. In another do-or-die game in front of their home fans, New Jersey managed to put up just five third period shots on goal and two measly scoring chances against an aging Penguins team playing the second half of a back-to-back.
The effort, as Siegenthaler mentioned, was there at the beginning. They trailed early until Meier tied the game with a power play missile in the waning seconds of the first period. Curtis Lazar and Jesper Bratt carried that momentum to give them a two-goal lead a period later.
But the Devils, now 36-35-4 and losers of two in a row, let fear creep in their mind –– a trend that’s haunted them all season.
Asked how concerned he was about his players’ comments, interim coach Travis Green said he would be “surprised” if they were actually scared, citing lack of confidence as the real reason for Tuesday’s collapse.
“I think that can get overstated,” Green said. “I don’t think they were scared. We weren’t making plays and the other team had some momentum and found their game. I don’t think they were literally scared –– and if they were, I’d be surprised.
“It’s frustrating to see how we played, especially with how well we were playing. That’s frustrating. The ‘scared’ part is probably more of a confident thing than a scared thing. When the other team gets momentum, your confidence and your abilities to make a pass can change.”
According to MoneyPuck, New Jersey’s already-slim –– but not mathematically dead –– playoff chances dipped from 6.5% to 1.7% with the loss. They have the league’s ninth toughest schedule with seven games to go.
They face the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, before opening up another back-to-back slate against the Senators (in Ottawa) and Predators (in Newark) on Saturday and Sunday.
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Ryan Novozinsky may be reached at rnovozinsky@njadvancemedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter @ryannovo62.
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