Following a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, the New Jersey Devils head out to Pittsburgh to square off with the Penguins (27-31-10). The Penguins also enter this one on a three game winning streak, setting the stage for a hard fought battle between two hot teams.
Matchup Overview
Maybe all the Devils needed to turn things around was some Mrs. Field’s magic? Winners of three straight, New Jersey has seemed to right the ship a bit and have been playing a very well-rounded brand of hockey. Head coach Sheldon Keefe also deserves his fair share of credit for pushing all of the right buttons of late with his lineup decisions, including a key in-game change of moving Jesper Bratt to Nico Hischiers‘ line which ultimately sparked the 3-2 comeback victory on Thursday night.
In what feels like a bit of a lost season, the Pittsburgh Penguins still have plenty of fire power on their roster and should not be taken lightly. The Penguins’ powerplay also continues to be a real threat, currently good enough for eighth in the league at 24.2%. If the Devils can stay out of the box, they will have a much better chance to repeat the 3-0 victory outcome from the first meeting back in December.
Projected Lines
New Jersey Devils
Forwards
Meier – Hischier – Noesen
Palat – Mercer – Tatar
Sprong – Glass – Bratt
Cotter – Lazar – Bastian
Defense
Hughes – Pesce
Dumoulin – Kovacevic
Dillon – Nemec
Goalies
Markstrom
Allen
Pittsburgh Penguins
Forwards
Rakell – Crosby – Rust
Heinen – Malkin – Tomasino
Dewar – Lizotte – Acciari
Imama – Hayes – Bemstrom
Defense
Kolyachonok – Letang
Grzelcyk – Karlsson
Graves – Timmins
Goalies
Jarry
Nedeljkovic
What to Watch for
Jesper Bratt; Underrated Star
Even whilst being in the midst of a year where he is on pace to pass Scott Stevens as the Devils single season assist leader, Jesper Bratt has bumped his game up a notch following the loss of Jack Hughes. Jesper Bratt comes into this game with eight points over his last five games, including back-to-back games with a goal and two assists.
His shooting percentage on the year sits at a very respectable 12.8% along with a 54.30 Corsi-for percentage. Bratt is finishing his chances and while on the ice, the team is out-shot attempting the opposition comfortably.
The whole roster knows they need more players to step up in the absence of Jack offensively, but Bratt truly has been leading the charge of late. I wouldn’t expect that to stop against a vulnerable Penguins defense.
Sidney Crosby
Even at 37 years old, Sidney Crosby remains one of the most dangerous players in the NHL. During Pittsburgh’s current three game win streak, Crosby finds himself with six points (four goals, two assists), and is an incredible threat anytime the puck is on his tape.
Nico Hischier will most likely find himself lined up against the Penguins’ leader, as going from McDavid and Draisaitl to Crosby and Malkin is quite the tall task. The Devils will need to keep eyes on No. 87 at all times, especially while he is lurking around the crease.
Where to Watch
Saturday afternoon’s game will be available on ABC and ESPN+, with puck drop coming around 3:00 pm ET at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.