Match Overview

It’s been a tough bout to say the least, but it’s finally upon us—the last Devils game of the season. Tonight, New Jersey will take on the Philadelphia Flyers in what is essentially an exhibition game. Neither team has qualified for the playoffs, and both have faced considerable struggles this year. Though there are no stakes, these teams are young and fighting for pride, bringing potential for a great rivalry matchup.

The Flyers are 24-23-8, sixth in the East Division. Considering the hopes placed on them after last year’s playoffs, the Flyers had an atrocious season, boasting some of the worst defense and goaltending in the league. Below them at seventh are the Devils with a 19-29-7 record. Despite the inferior record, New Jersey has had a productive season, advancing the rebuild and flashing its young talent. Both teams will have much to work on over the offseason.

Projected Lines/Pairings

Devils Lines

Check our social media pages closer to game time for more information.

Flyers Lines

Forwards

Giroux-Couturier-Koneckny

Farabee-Hayes-Voracek

Van Riemsdyk-Laughton-Kubel

Lindblom-Patrick-Allison

Defense

Sanheim-Provorov

Morin-Myers

York-Braun

Goalies

Elliot

Lyon

What/Who to Watch

Pavel Zacha

This season has been a revelation for Pavel Zacha. An underachiever for most of his career, Zacha has had his best season as a Devil. He reached his highest season goal total (16) in just 49 games, along with 18 assists to boot. In his last eight games, he has six goals and nine points. No one expected this kind of production from Zacha, but if this isn’t a fluke, he could factor into the Devil’s future in a big way. Let’s see what he can do in the final game of the season.

Coaching Reshuffle

Everyone calm down, Lindy Ruff is not getting fired. There are some coaches, however, that may soon be out of the Rock. Namely, Alain Nasreddine and Mark Recci are on the hot seat. Why? They are respectively in charge of the penalty kill and power play. Special teams has been a disaster this season, ranking near the bottom of the league. On the PP, the Devils are lifeless and rarely dangerous. On the PK, other teams can simply cycle through until a prime opportunity inevitably arises. These coaches may not be fired, but I would not be surprised if it happened.

Tonight’s game can be seen on MSG+ at 7:00 pm.