The New Jersey Devils (31-29-2) will hunt for a fourth straight win as they take on their arch-rivals, the New York Rangers (24-29-8), for the first time all year.
Match Overview
It’s fair to say that these two cross-river rivals have had disappointing seasons, to say the least. Despite both sides coming into the year with playoff expectations, the Devils and the Rangers sit at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. Things may be starting to look up for the two teams, though. The Devils are riding a three-game win streak after a thrilling shootout victory over the Maple Leafs, and the Rangers have scored a point in each of their four games since returning from the break (2-0-2).
The Rangers’ recent success post-break can probably be attributed to the returns of star defenseman and goalie Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin. Both of them made impacts in the Rangers’ 6-2 win over the Maple Leafs on Thursday night, with Fox producing an assist and Shesterkin making 29 saves.
This is the first of three meetings these two teams will play over the course of March, with the next two coming at Madison Square Garden.
Lines
Devils
Forwards
Meier-Hischier-Mercer
Gritsyuk-Hughes-Brown
Bratt-Glass-Hameenaho
Cotter-Bjugstad-Tsyplakov
Defense
Hughes-Kovacevic
Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Dillon-Nemec
Goalies
Markstrom
Allen
Rangers
Forwards
Perreault-Zibanejad-Lafreniere
Cuylle-Trocheck-Raddysh
Kartye-Brodzinsky-Sheary
Edstrom-Parssinen-Chmelar
Defense
Gavrikov-Fox
Schneider-Borgen
Robertson-Iorio
Goalies
Shesterkin
Quick
Keys to the Game
No New Additions
With the trade deadline come and gone, the Devils’ roster looks the complete same as it did before the Olympics. Despite names like Dougie Hamilton, Paul Cotter, and Simon Nemec floating around, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald stood back and kept the roster the same.
Despite not trading a defenseman, it looks like the Devils will be down one for a couple of weeks. Brett Pesce was announced to be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Pesce has been one of the Devils’ most trusted defensemen throughout the season, and the last time he went down, the defense collapsed. Johnathan Kovacevic will draw back into the lineup to replace him.
Continue the Win Streak
In a disappointing season with disappointing results, this win streak has brought some joy to a once-disgusted fan base. The Devils will hunt for their fourth straight win against the Rangers, a feat that they haven’t accomplished since their eight-game win streak back in October. While the Devils have just a 1.9% chance of making the playoffs, the team catching fire down the stretch could increase those odds.
Where to Watch
Puck drop for Saturday’s game is set for 3:00 pm ET and can be found on ABC.