Boston Bruins: Top 3 impact players to watch on the Devils
By jc
When the Boston Bruins face the New Jersey Devils, they’ll square off against one of the NHL’s most improved teams.
New Jersey finished near the bottom of the league last year. The Devils could not recover after injuries to their best player and starting goaltender. The Devils loaded up this offseason with new additions, including the first overall pick in the draft. As a result, the Boston Bruins will have their hands full with some impact players.
Taylor Hall
Taylor Hall undoubtedly starts the season as New Jersey’s most important player. He’s yet to score, but Hall does have three assists in the first four games.
Hall comes off an injury-plagued 2018-2019 season. He needed knee surgery, so he only played in 33 games. In these 33 games, Hall managed to record 37 points.
Two years ago was Hall’s most successful NHL season. After Edmonton traded him to the Devils, Hall lit up the Eastern Conference.
He had 39 goals and 93 total points in 76 games. Hall won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player.
Hall is one of the league’s best left wings. He’s a powerful and dynamic skater who can get by pretty much any defender. He then can fire powerful shots on net with a quick release.
Hall also has the size and strength to protect the puck in the offensive zone. He’s extremely physical and can be a terror along the boards.
In fact, Hall’s physicality is one of the reasons why he finds himself on the injury list so much. He involved in some many high impact players every game, and this can take its toll.
Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy will likely match up against Hall. He’ll see a lot of Chara all night long.
Chara doesn’t have the speed to handle Hall, but he certainly has the strength and reach. Look for Chara to be especially physical against Hall.