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His line with Timo Meier and Nico Hischier certainly played well, in fact, they didn’t allow a single rush chance in 12:21 of ice time against some dynamic talent for the Avs. “[Arseny] has come in here and played really good hockey,” said Jack. “I think people probably didn’t know what to expect with him, and I know myself and the guys in this room are really pumped with how good he is. He’s a guy that can be part of our core for a long time, hopefully.” Brenden Dillon Continues to be Rock-Solid Brenden Dillon had 16 points all of last season; he’s now on pace for ~45 as he added another assist today. While that pace may not be sustainable, it’s not just the offensive production that’s made him such an important piece during this streak: After undergoing artificial disc replacement surgery in the offseason, he looks like he hasn’t missed a beat. According to NHL EDGE, his max skating speed of 21.29 miles per hour (MPH) is above league average, placing him in the 64th percentile. Today, the Devils had to lean on him more once Pesce went down; he played 19:31 in total. Despite some tough competition, the Devils out chanced the Avs 9-6 with Dillon on the ice. (via Natural Stat Trick) Aside from the numbers, there will always be little things that don’t show up on the scoresheet when it comes to Dillon. In the second, he had a massive hit that Keefe credited for giving the team “a boost”. With about 5:30 left in the third, the Avs were buzzing in their zone but Dillon used an active stick to effectively break up a scoring chance that would have led to a high-danger shot on goal. “He had this little stretch where he shot a couple in the net for us, but that’s him stepping out of character. But what you do come to expect is him being solid and competitive,” added Keefe. His steadiness has helped young defenseman Simon Nemec get off to a very solid start — seven points in nine games, including three assists today. The fact that the Devils’ defense is deep enough (when healthy) to have Dillon on the bottom pair is an absolute luxury. Nemec and Dillon are on pace for a combined 108 points this season — while that is surely unsustainable, it truly speaks to the depth of their defense. Moving Forward These two teams will face each other once more to finish their home-and-home on Tuesday (Oct. 28) in Colorado (9:00 PM EDT).
