NHL.com
The New Jersey Devils (10-5) continue their homestand after their latest road trip. Coming into town is the St. Louis Blues (7-7-1) for a Thursday night contest.
Matchup Overview
The Devils are coming off a very thrilling victory Tuesday night. In town was Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers and the Devils managed to prevail. A thrilling game that was sent to overtime, ended in a shootout win.
Connor Hellebuyck once again took the net and has now won his first three games since joining the Devils, making it the fourth time in team history that has happened. Through three games, Hellebuyck has a 1.95 goals against average and a .900 save percentage. The Devils have done a great job of limiting shots on goal in his starts, never facing more than 21 shots on net.
The Devils top line also continues to take flight. A trio of Jack Hughes, Arseny Gritsyuk, and Jesper Bratt has been a monstrous trio for the team, but also one of the best lines in all of hockey. With line combinations that have logged at least 50 minutes of time on ice, the trio ranks fifth in goals scored (nine), 12th in Corsi-for percentage (CF%) at 61.9, and sixth in expected goals-for percentage (xGF%) at 68.5.
Jack Hughes has been the teams’ best forward over the last four games production wise. Hughes has seven points in the last four games, with five being goals. The two assists he does have, both are primary, so not only is he burying his chances, he’s creating them. From an individual standpoint, nobody has more shots on goal, shot attempts, scoring chances, and individual expected goals for (2.47).
The Blues are the true definition of a .500 team. They’ve shown strange consistencies in their stretch of play. Dating back to opening puck drop, they’ve won one then lost three in a row. Starting October 10, they’ve won two games, lost two games, won two games, lost two games, won two games, and are now coming off a loss against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. There’s a pattern here.
The Blues are 19th in goals scored per game, and 20th in goals against per game. As a team, they are a step behind the Devils at five-on-five play: the Blues rank 16th in CF% and 14th in xGF%.
Their offense is very spread out and they don’t rely on one specific player to carry the load. Multiple players can score and to this point in the season they have five different skaters with 10-plus points and four more are right on the cusp of that.
The Blues have Dillon Dube on the injured reserve list and Colton Parayko is also day-to-day. The Devils are at full strength.
Projected Lineup
New Jersey Devils
Forwards
Gritsyuk-Hughes-Bratt
Meier-Hischier-Evangelista
Mantha-Rodrigues-Boqvist
Lombardi-Glass-Brown
Defense
Hughes-Pesce
Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Chisholm-Kovacevic
Goalies
Hellebuyck
Allen
St. Louis Blues
Forwards
Holloway-Thomas-Snuggerud
McMichael-McTavish-Berggren
Neighbours-Dvorsky-Buchnevich
Toropchenko-Suter-Johnston
Defense
Broberg-Carlo
Fowler-Jiricek
Lindstein-Barron
Goalies
Hofer
Binnington
What to Watch For
The Blues’ Young Talent
The Blues may not have the most littered roster with superstar talent, but it’s the younger guys who have shaped their roster and for the better. One of the more fun surprises this season is the emergence of winger Jimmy Snuggerud. Snuggerud has the second most points behind Dylan Holloway and currently leads the team in goals (eight). He’s been a massive mainstay on the power play, having two goals with the main advantage and being a player they want to get the puck to.
The Blues continue to reap the benefits from the offer sheets made to the Oilers for players Phillip Broberg and Dylan Holloway. Broberg has emerged as a key puck-moving defenseman for the Blues, being a key playmaker and helping quarterback the power play unit. Holloway has been special this season, leading the team in points, assists, and has been one of the teams most impactful five on five players.
Devils’ Power Play Success
The Devils’ power play has way too much talent on it for it not to be one of the more lethal units in the league. Yet, they currently rank 20th in the league in terms of success rate. The good news is that in this recent stretch of games, the team is generating, it’s just the lack of finishing that makes it frustrating.
Over the last four games, the Devils have only two power play goals, while also having the 12th-most power play minutes. However, they have generated 4.17 expected goals and the fifth-most scoring chances with the man advantage. So, the good news is that they are creating and you have to imagine the results will come through.
The Blues have the seventh-best penalty kill in the league and do a great job protecting the high-danger areas of the ice. They keep teams from shooting up high, so seeing Dougie Hamilton and Luke Hughes shooting should be in high volume.
How to Watch
Tonight’s puck drop is at 7:00 pm ET and can be found on MSG.