The Devils (17-13-1) begin the first half of this weekend back-to-back as they take on the Anaheim Ducks (19-11-1) Saturday afternoon.
Match Overview
The Devils are coming off a new season-low in an 8-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on home ice. New Jersey, who has now lost six of their last seven. It’s become clear that every game is becoming more and more critical, with New Jersey now sitting out of a playoff spot.
New Jersey will most likely be without Timo Meier for the second straight game, as he is taking a personal leave to take care of family matters. New Jersey will also be without Arseniy Gritsyuk for the weekend as he nurses an upper-body injury.
While New Jersey is becoming one of the disappointments of this season, the Ducks have become a pleasant surprise. Anaheim, who hasn’t made the playoffs since 2018, sits in second place in the Pacific Division and has the fourth-most wins in the NHL this year.
They are being led by third-year forward Leo Carlsson, who is having a surprise season of his own. The former second-overall pick in 2023 has 39 points in just 31 games to begin the season as he establishes himself as a star in the NHL. He’s not the only young player stepping up for the Ducks. Second-year forward Cutter Gauthier is also producing at over a point-per-game rate, and rookie Beckett Sennecke is one of the favorites to win the Calder Trophy.
This is the second and final time these two teams will meet this season. The first came back in November, when the Ducks manhandled the Devils in a 4-1 win in Anaheim.
Lineups
Devils
Forwards
Check back to our social media pages closer to puck drop for the projected forward group.
Defense
Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Dillon-Hughes
White-Nemec
Goalies
Markström
Allen
Ducks
Forwards
Kreider-Carlsson-Terry
Gauthier-McTavish-Sennecke
Johnston-Strome-Killorn
Vatrano-Poehling-Granlund
Defense
Lacombe-Trouba
Zellweger-Gudas
Mintyukov-Helleson
Goalies
Husso
Buteyets
Keys to The Game
Score First
The Devils need to score first if they want a chance at winning. New Jersey has now gone five straight games without scoring first, and it is becoming a big problem, with the Devils losing four of those games. This is an old problem for the New Jersey. In 2023-2024, the Devils gave up more first goals than any team in the NHL, leading to their disappointing season.
Concerns About Markström
Concerns are starting to grow for the Devils’ starting netminder after a disappointing performance against Tampa Bay. The 35-year-old goaltender, who signed a two-year, $6 million extension on October 31, has an .875 save percentage (SV%) and has given up three or more goals in all but two of his starts this season.
These struggles can be traced back to his injury that he suffered last season. Since suffering a lower-body injury on January 22, Markström has a .872 SV% and has given up three or more goals in 73% of his starts.
Where to Watch
You can watch Saturday afternoon’s game starting at 12:30 pm ET on MSG and NHLN.