Thanks to two Canadien postponements, the New Jersey Devils have not had a game since January 13th. Tonight, they will return to action as a much healthier team. In addition, they will re-take the ice against the league’s 31st ranked team – the Arizona Coyotes (9-24-4). This should give them a chance to bounce-back.
Overviews
The Devils were in the middle of cooling off before their break. After winning three in a row after the Christmas/COVID-19 layoff, the Devils lost three of four. As was the case earlier in the season, their struggles coincided with a plethora of players being placed in NHL’s COVID-19 protocols. Luckily, they are set to have them all back. This includes Jesper Bratt, Damon Severson, and MacKenzie Blackwood, among others.
The Coyotes started the season 1-13-1, and then endured a six-game losing streak. However, Arizona has been “better” as of late. They are 3-2-1 in their last six games which is arguably their best stretch of the season. As of last night, the Coyotes are scheduled to be without star defenseman Jakob Chychrun and veteran Anton Stralman. It is likely 25-year old goalie, Karel Vejmelka (71st among 95 qualified goaltenders in goals saved above expected), will get the nod in net.
Projected Lines
New Jersey Devils –
Forwards:
Zacha/Hischier/Tatar
Sharangovich/Hughes/Bratt
Johnsson/Mercer/Kuokkanen
Vesey/McLeod/Bastian
Defensemen:
Siegenthaler/Severson
Graves/Subban
Smith/Jaros
Goaltenders:
Blackwood
Gillies
Arizona Coyotes –
Forwards:
Crouse/Larsson/Kessel
Keller/Boyd/Schmaltz
Roussel/Nash/Ladd
O’Brien/Dzingel/Fischer
Defensemen:
Gostisbehere/Mayo
Moser/Lyubushkin
Kolyachonok/Soderstrom
Goaltenders:
Vejmelka
Prosvetov
Who/What to Watch for?
- The Coyotes are as bad as advertised. They rank last, or near last in almost every important team statistic. Examples being, 32nd in expected goals-for % (xGF%), 30th in Corsi-for % (CF%), and 30th in five-on-five save percentage. Special teams-wise, they rank 31st on the power play and 30th on the penalty kill. Their team statistics are impressively bad across the board.
- The Yegor Sharangovich, Jack Hughes, and Jesper Bratt line was electric before being broken up due to Sharangovich and Bratt being placed in COVID-19 protocols. For context, the trio owns a xGF% of 66.67 when together. This figure is one of the best of any line in the league. The Devils, barring a magical night in net, should have their way with creating chances. Look for this three-some to be at the top of the score-sheet.
- Honestly, there is not much more analysis that needs to be done. The Devils, despite their struggles at times, are healthy as they have been in a while. They are taking on the worst team in the NHL without their best player, as the metrics show. There is no excuse to not get the victory. Hopefully, tonight’s a fun one for the red and black.
Tonight’s game will be televised on MSG+. It is scheduled for a 7:00 PM ET puck drop at the Prudential Center.
(Statistics courtesy of Evolving-Hockey, Natural Stat Trick, and Money Puck)