The New Jersey Devils (22-19-2) continue their road trip. After a demoralizing 9-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday, they’ll look to avenge that as they take on the Pittsburgh Penguins (20-12-9) Thursday night.
Matchup Overview
It has been a very tough go for the Devils as of late. This team is 2-5-1 in their last eight games. Goal scoring has been tough to come by for the Devils. Since December 14, the Devils have generated 37.31 expected goals for in all situations. Despite that , they’ve only scored 17 goals, which means they’ve scored 20.31 goals below expected. That about sums up this teams finishing ability over the span of three weeks.
To make matters worse, the Devils are coming off their most demoralizing loss of the season. The Islanders scored two goals on the teams’ first two shots and goalie Jacob Markström had one of the worst games in the modern statistics era. Markström managed to stay in the game and finished with -7.57 goals saved above expected. This loss came two days after the fans let the boo birds rain down from Prudential Center in regard to Luke Hughes and his play.
The Devils take on a Penguins for the second time this season. The Devils won the first meeting 2-1. Things have been up and down for the Penguins as of late. They were on an eight game losing skid approaching Christmas. However, they’ve gone on to win six of their last seven and are on a five game winning streak. It’s been a very interesting time for the Penguins, as they’ve swung two trades with Stuart Skinner and Yegor Chinakhov entering the fold.
Sidney Crosby continues to play at an extremely elite level. Crosby leads the Penguins in goals (24) and points (47) and is currently on pace for 94 points overall. At age-38, that’s remarkable. Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, and Evgeni Malkin have also paved the way for the Penguins. Malkin is currently on the injured list, but could return for the Penguins in this game. Unlike the Devils, in their win streak the Penguins finishing ability has made a big difference.
Projected Lineup
New Jersey Devils
Forwards
Hughes-Hischier-Bratt
Meier-Mercer-Gritsyuk
Palat-Glass-Brown
Lammikko-Glendening-Noesen
Defense
Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Hughes-Pesce
Dillon-Nemec
Goalies
Allen
Markstrom
Pittsburgh Penguins
Forwards
Rakkell-Crosby-Rust
Kindel-Malkin-Chinakhov
Mantha-Novak-Brazeau
Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari
Defense
Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Kulak-Letang
Shea-St. Ivany
Goalies
Skinner
Silovs
What to Watch For
The Penguins’ Finishing Ability
Good things happen when you put the puck in the net. That has been the case for the Penguins during their five game winning streak. The Devils goaltending will need to be sharp, as the Penguins have been able to score above their expected rate.
Over their five game winning streak, the Penguins have generated 11.42 xGF and have a 53.96 xGF%. They’ve scored 16 goals at five-on-five and scored 25 goals overall. Leading the way is Crosby (four goals) and Justin Brazeau (four goals), who’s enjoying a surge of a season with the Penguins. They’ve had no shortage of contributors and the Devils will need to match that if they want the two points.
Can the Devils Goaltending Hold Up?
We can talk about the Devils inability to finish until we are blue in the face. If the Devils are going to have a chance against what’s been a good Penguins offense, they’ll need the goaltending to stand tall.
Jake Allen over the last calendar month has been good. Good enough for the Devils to win games. In all situations, Allen has a .901 save percentage and a 2.96 goals against average. In addition, Allen has 3.25 goals saved above expected. One glaring is that Allen has allowed 26 goals and 19 of them have come from the high-danger areas. He will need to be sharp, as the Penguins have scored ten high danger goals over their winning streak.
How to Watch
Tonight’s game is at 7:00 pm ET and can be found on MSG.