Today is a special day for the New Jersey Devils as they are set to induct Sergei Brylin into the Devils’ Ring of Honor. This is a tremendous honor and Brylin gets the recognition that he deserves. What’s special about this game is that the opponent is the Dallas Stars, whom the Devils defeated to win the Stanley Cup in 2000.
In today’s world, Dallas is coming off a crushing 5-1 defeat to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday and are storming into New Jersey with a chip on their shoulders. Meanwhile, the Devils took care of business against the Blue Jackets just last night.
This is a crucial matchup for the Devils, who enter the second of a back-to-back. New Jersey has had little success in these games, posting a 1-7-1 record. The Stars present a great challenge and have been one of the best teams out west. With both teams without key players, it will be something to watch to see which team overcomes those the best.
Projected Lineups
Dallas Stars
Forwards
Robertson-Hintz-Johnston
Marchment-Duchene-Seguin
Benn-Steel-Pavelski
Smith-Faksa-Dadonov
Defense
Lindell-Hakanpaa
Suter-Lundkvist
Harley-Hanley
Goalies
Oettinger
Murray
New Jersey Devils
Forwards
Toffoli-Hischier-Bratt
Meier-McLeod-Mercer
Haula-Lazar-Bastian
Willman-Tierney-Holtz
Defense
Marino-Nemec
Hughes-Miller
Bahl-Foote
Goalies
Daws
Vanecek
What to Watch For
Matching Up Against the Stars Depth
Tonight’s matchup is against a strong Dallas Stars team that is one of the best teams in the Western Conference. Offensively, they have been among the best in the league, as they average 3.61 goals per game (third in the league). They have depth to thank for that and have multiple lines they can rely on for goal scoring. In fact, they have two lines that rank in the top-15 in terms of generating offense.
The line of Matt Duchene, Tyler Seguin, and Mason Marchment has been everything you could ask for. They have generated 20.1 xGF as a line and have scored a league-best 29 goals as a line. The Stars’ usual top line is not far behind, as they have 24.
The Devils’ defense will need to be sharp. Matching up against these two lines will
Coming Out Strong in the Second of a Back-to-Back
It will be a special night inside Prudential Center and the Devils will want to come out strong. The second of a back-to-back have not been kind to the Devils, as they’ve often come out slow and look worn down. The team played on the road the night prior and will look to have their legs under them.
The Devils are coming off a big victory against a division opponent and will look to build off of that. With the playoff race tightening up, every two points matters. Having a strong first period, especially getting the first goal of the game will be crucial.
How to Watch
Tonight’s puck drop is at 7:00 pm ET and can be found on MSG.