How NJ Devils' Pavel Zacha changed his game in the AHL

Abbey Mastracco | NHL Writer

Show Caption Hide Caption WATCH: NJ Devils' Pavel Zacha after 2 goals against Habs Pavel Zacha breaks down his two goals against the Montreal Canadiens.

NEWARK -- The 2015 NHL Draft class was absolutely loaded with talent. But the player drafted at No. 6, just below Carolina’s Noah Hanifin and above Philadelphia’s Ivan Provorov, was labeled with the “late bloomer” tag, which is better than the alternative -- being labeled a “bust” -- but still isn’t exactly flattering.

The Devils badly needed Pavel Zacha to, well, bloom this season. The 21-year-old Czech forward tasked with centering a line with Marcus Johansson and Jesper Bratt needed to prove capable of scoring at the NHL level. His defensive play was never a question but the Devils needed this line to take pressure off the top line and they needed another sniper on the power play.

But after about a month of skating around the perimeter and looking to pass instead of shoot, Zacha was sent down to the American Hockey League. While many predicted doom and gloom, the organization remained confident that their development system would be beneficial for Zacha.

Four goals in three games would certainly show that the few weeks of extra development in Binghamton have paid off.

“He’s really playing to his strengths,” coach John Hynes said after the Devils’ 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night at Prudential Center. “He’s got an excellent shot and he needs to have a shot-first mentality.”

It’s taken a couple years and a demotion to Binghamton but Zacha has finally embraced that mentality. His power play goal on Wednesday night was a perfect example.

With time expiring on the power play in the second period, Zacha got the puck on his stick over the red line and looked for someone to pass off to. He noticed Jesper Bratt behind him and Miles Wood over on the half wall. He could have made a fancy play but instead, he used his skating abilities to split two Montreal defensemen and took the shot himself.

The decision proved to be a smart one.

“I probably wouldn’t have done that two months ago,” Zacha said. “The confidence is a little bit better now than it was before I went to the AHL.”

Before Zacha went down to the AHL the Devils had thought about using him on the power play but they didn’t feel he was a confident enough player to take shots like the one he took on Wednesday. So, when they sent him to Binghamton, the did so with the intention of using him in all situations in order to put him in positions to score and make plays.

Some success in the minor leagues made all the difference. Once Zacha saw what he was capable of, he began trusting his own offensive skillset more and more. By the time he was recalled to the NHL, he knew he would be able to trust his instincts.

And if he trusted his instincts, the Devils knew they could trust him on the power play.

“He’s doing everything well right now,” his linemate Marcus Johansson said. “He’s playing the right way, he’s keeping it simple. We’re not forcing things, we’re taking what’s there. He’s having some confidence with the puck and coming into the offensive zone and it’s fun to see.”

Now, the challenge is doing it consistently. Three straight games with a goal could be indicative of a streak but he’s had streaks in the past that he’s failed to build from.

But the difference then was that he didn’t trust his instincts. The Devils think they’re finally seeing the Zacha they always envisioned when they drafted him in 2015 because he’s believing in himself.

“He’s such an all-around good hockey player,” Johansson said. “If he keeps playing like this, he’s going to have a good year.”