Match Overview

After what was a relatively successful road trip out west, the Devils return to The Rock for a battle against the Minnesota Wild. New Jersey defeated the Sharks and Kings, but were sent back to reality by the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night. While the Devils playoff hopes are close to finished, the Minnesota Wild are clinging to life for the final Wild Card spot in the West.

Minnesota fired coach Mike Yeo on February 13th and replaced him with John Torchetti, the head coach of their AHL affiliate. Since then, Minnesota has gone 9-5-1. The Wild had struggled to score under Yeo, especially during their 8-game losing streak, which cost him his job. Under Torchetti, the Wild are averaging 3.26 goals a game. They’ve been solid under Torchetti defensively, as well, averaging 2.33 goals against since he took over.

New Jersey’s loss to Anaheim on Monday appears to have been the final nail in the coffin on their playoff hopes. However, the Devils have been able to keep it competitive, especially with Cory Schneider out for the foreseeable future and possibly the rest of the season.

The Devils will be wearing their retro red and green uniforms in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. The Devils wore their retro jerseys once earlier this season against the Flyers on February 16th, a game which they lost 6-3.

Projected Lines

Minnesota

Zucker/Koivu/Coyle

Parise/Granlund/Vanek

Niederreiter/Haula/Fontaine

Schroeder/Stoll/Jones

 

Suter/Spurgeon

Dumba/Scandella

Brodin/Prosser

 

Dubnyk

New Jersey

Kennedy/Henrique/Smith-Pelly

Boucher/Zajac/Palmieri

Blandisi/Kalinin/Sislo

Farnham/Gionta/Ruutu

 

Greene/Larsson

Moore/Schlemko

Merrill/Severson

 

Kinkaid

Goaltending Matchup

Devan Dubnyk…After carrying the Wild to the playoffs last season, his numbers have dipped quite a bit from last season. Dubnyk was acquired at last season’s deadline and played incredibly well for Minnesota. In 39 starts he had a .936 save percentage and 1.78 goals against average. This year, his save percentage is almost 2 points lower at .917 with a 2.36 goals against average. That’s not to say he’s having a bad season. It’s more like he’s come back down to earth after a stellar 2014-15 season. His numbers have particularly dipped since the All-Star game. Since then, he has a .906 save percentage as opposed to .922 before the break. Minnesota will need him to step up in the stretch run if they want to make the playoffs.

Keith Kinkaid…It’s been a mixed bag for Kinkaid since he took over for the injured Cory Schneider. He has a .878 save percentage in four starts since Schneider’s injury, but recorded a 30-save shutout against San Jose and stopped 22/23 against Los Angeles. There’s a chance he may start all of New Jersey’s remaining games if Schneider is shut down for the season. A good performance from Kinkaid would make Shero and company feel more comfortable about him going forward.

Players to Watch

Ryan Suter…He’s quietly having a great year for Minnesota. He has 45 points in 70 games and is averaging an insane 28:44 TOI a game. He’s also third on the team with 165 shots on goal. He’s the driving force for creating offense from the blue line. If he has a big game, it could be another long night for New Jersey

Devante Smith-Pelly…He’s made an impact in a short time for the Devils. In 6 games since being acquired at the deadline, he has 4 goals and 2 assists. He’s also put up solid possession numbers, granted it’s a small sample size. If there’s cause for concern, it’s that his shooting percentage is 40%, so it’s not likely he’ll continue on this torrid scoring pace. Until he cools off, Hynes just needs to keep riding the hot hand.

What to Watch

Minnesota’s PK…At 76.9%, they have the third worst penalty kill in the league. If the Devils are able to get a few power play chances, they’ll need to take advantage in order to win.

Face-offs…The Devils have the second worst face-off win percentage in the league, while the Wild have the third best. Late in a close game, this could end up being the deciding factor.

When and Where to Watch

7PM on MSG