Pack It In
The Devils may need to relocate the franchise based off this abhorrent defensive play alone
As a defenseman, there are few situations more impossible to defend than a 2-on-1. All your goalie asks for, though, is a little bit of effort. Lay down to block the pass, take the body and give up the pass, go for the heroic stick check, etc. Just do literally anything to avoid giving up an easy one-timer.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Damon Severson opted for zero of those options against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night. Yes, zero. Late in the third period, with the game tied 4-4 and the Devils on the power play, the Maple Leafs penalty kill unit created a turnover and they were off to the races on a shorthanded 2-on-1, with Severson being the "1." What happened next was straight out of a video game, and by video game we mean Severson's controller must have disconnected:
El Oh El-ing at the Toronto Maple Leafs social admin describing this as "patience" by Alexander Kerfoot. Yes, he patiently waited for Severson to just ... do ... nothing. I'm most fascinated by whatever it is Severson was doing at the nine-second mark. That seems to be the moment he made the decision to no longer participate in the play:
What was he defending here? The open ice? Woof. He owes goalie Akira Schmid one after that.
What made Severson's gaffe even uglier was that it was the third of four unanswered third period goals for the Leafs, who trailed 4-2 after two periods and left with a 6-4 victory. It marked the Devils fifth straight loss, making them 2-9 in their last 11 games. You'd think Severson would be in desperation mode here, but you'd be wrong.