The New Jersey Devils enjoyed their home cooking and now begin a two game road trip. Their first matchup is against the St. Louis Blues, who have had quite an interesting season.
Matchup Overview
The Blues have already fired their head coach, David Bannister, and went on to hire Jim Montgomery. Things have been better under Montgomery and the Blues have taken a nice stride. Ironically, the Blues won Montgomery’s debut against the Devils in a 3-0 victory.
Under Montgomery, the Blues are 6-2-2. Despite having a goal differential of 19-13 at five-on-five play, the Blues are chasing the game more than controlling it. Their Corsi-for percentage (CF%) is 45.13 and they are also getting outshot by a heavy margin nightly. Despite this, they are getting results.
The Devils are coming off a nice homestand, where they went 3-1-1. They had two tough losses to the Maple Leafs and the Avalanche, but went on to outscore the opposition 7-2 in the final two games. The Devils have been one of the best teams in the month of December. They have the fourth best CF% (54.51) and the best expected goals-for percentage. They are also outscoring teams 13-6 at five-on-five
The stars for the Devils have been a force to be reckoned with, but the depth needs to shine through more. This depth should get a boost soon, as head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed to reporters that forward Curtis Lazar is nearing a return and is “day-to-day.”
Projected Lineups
New Jersey Devils
Forwards
Meier-Hischier-Mercer
Palat-Hughes-Bratt
Cotter-Haula-Noesen
Tatar-Dowling-Bastian
Defense
Dillon-Hamilton
Hughes-Pesce
Siegenthaler-Kovacevic
Goalies
Markstrom
Daws
St. Louis Blues
Forwards
Neighbours-Thomas-Buchnevich
Toropchenko-Schenn-Kyrou
Saad-Holloway-Bolduc
Joseph-Walker-Texier
Defense
Fowler-Parayko
Broberg-Faulk
Suter-Perunovich
Goalies
Binnington
Hofer
What to Watch For
Hughes and Bratt Masterpiece
The dynamic duo of Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt have been putting on a clinic. They have been the pulse that is driving the offense and their production has been a key factor to their victories.
In the month of December, Hughes and Bratt have combined for 19 points. Hughes leads the team in goals this month and Bratt leads the team in points and assists. They’ve been stellar as a line, and that also includes Ondrej Palat.
The Blues have given up more expected goals than they have generated, so facing an offense featuring these two is quite the task.
Jacob Markstrom Continuing A Good Month of Play
Then soft goal against the Maple Leafs to tie the game was one he’d likely want to have back. Aside from that blunder, the Devils new netminder has played well in December. The crease is his, especially with Jake Allen being out with an injury. This is why they brought him in, so time to deliver as the number one.
Markstrom has a .934 save percentage in five games this month. Also, he’s been strong in the high-danger areas of the ice, having a .900 save percentage. His 5.65 goals saved above expected also stands out.
Sometimes Markstrom can be a mixed bag of emotions. He will make a key save, but let in a goal that leads you to scratching your head. End of the day, he will be the goalie relied on and against a Blues team that does capitalize on the chances they do get.
Where to Watch
Tonight’s puck drop is at 8:00 pm ET and can be found on MSG.