The New Jersey Devils (15-7-2) will look to extend their winning streak to four games against the St. Louis Blues (10-12-1) at Prudential Center on Wednesday night.
The Devils, one of the hottest teams in the NHL going into Thanksgiving, are coming off a 5-2 win over the Nashville Predators on Monday night. New Jersey captain Nico Hischier scored his first career NHL hat trick in the win. His goal total is up to 13 on the season, tied for sixth in the NHL entering Tuesday’s action.
Since a four-game losing streak in late October, the Devils have won 10 of 13 games, sitting atop the Metropolitan Division with 32 points.
Match Overview
This is the best stretch of hockey we’ve seen the Devils play since 2022-23, when the team won 13 games in a row and went 18-1-1 from late October to December that season.
This current stretch includes two wins over the defending champion Florida Panthers and wins against the other top two teams in the Metropolitan Division in the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals. We’re seeing what happens when the Devils score on the power play and get average goaltending.
After a slow start to the season, the Devils rank second in the NHL in power play success rate at 31.5% while the penalty kill remains a top-10 unit. Special teams were a big issue last season on top of goaltending, but we’re seeing that all come together with the new additions and systems implemented by head coach Sheldon Keefe and the coaching staff.
Both Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen have also been exactly what the team needed. Over his past nine games, Markstrom hasn’t allowed more than three goals and is 5-2-0 with a .912 save percentage. Allen has been exactly what the Devils needed in a backup goalie. He’s 5-2-1 in eight starts and has allowed two or fewer goals in six of those games.
One aspect to note is Timo Meier was suspended one game by the NHL Department of Player Safety due to his illegal cross check to a head of an opponent against the Predators. He will miss Thursday’s game.
As for the Blues, after beginning the season 9-12-1, the team decided to fire head coach Drew Bannister and replace him with Jim Montgomery, who was fired by the Boston Bruins on November 19. In his Blues head coaching debut, Montgomery picked up a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers on Monday night.
Goaltending and defensive play have been major issues for the Blues this season. St. Louis ranks 25th in the NHL in goals allowed (3.30) and 22nd in team save percentage at .894. Montgomery, a Jack Adams Trophy winner with Boston, should help solve some of those issues after being implemented.
Projected Lineup
New Jersey Devils
Forwards
Check back closer to puck drop given the Timo Meier suspension.
Defense
Dillon – Hamilton
Hughes – Pesce
Siegenthaler – Kovacevic
Goalies
Allen
Markstrom
St. Louis Blues
Forwards
Buchnevich – Thomas – Neighbors
Saad – Schenn – Kyrou
Holloway – Sundqvist – Bolduc
Toropchenko – Faksa – Walker
Defense
Suter – Parayko
Perunovich – Faulk
Joseph – Kessel
Goalies
Binnington
Hofer
What to Watch For
Jesper Bratt
Bratt is quietly having an MVP-level season through 24 games so far. He’s up to 28 points with 10 goals and 18 assists, registering 13 points on the power play. He’s outproducing Jack Hughes and Hischier on the scoresheet, who are playing over 2:00 more of ice time per game. He ranks eighth among forwards with at least 400 minutes of ice time in points per 60 minutes (3.89). Bratt also ranks fifth in expected goals per 60 minutes among forwards with at least 400 minutes played, higher than both Hischier and Timo Meier.
None of the Devils’ forwards are getting much respect in the Hart Trophy market at the moment. Hughes has dropped to +10000 on FanDuel Sportsbook. Hischier sits at +20000 and Bratt is at +30000. It’s not crazy to think Bratt could be the leading scorer while the Devils finish first in the Metropolitan Division.
Timo Meier
As mentioned, Meier has been suspended for Thursday’s contest.
Regardless of the suspension, the Devils really need Meier to get going. He’s shooting below 10 percent and has just three goals over the past 13 games. That isn’t for lack of shot generation as well. Meier is averaging 3.36 shots on goal per game in November and has at least five shots on goal in four of the past five. Either Meier remains snake-bitten to an extent or the goals start to come, which would be a huge boost for New Jersey’s offense, an already formidable group.
Where to Watch
Thursday nights game at the Prudential Center is set for a 7:00 pm ET puck drop and can be found on MSG.