After a successful western Canada road trip, the New Jersey Devils (27-23-2) head back home to take on the Winnipeg Jets (20-24-7) Tuesday night.
Game Overview
After a clean sweep in western Canada, the Devils were brought back down to reality Sunday afternoon in their 4-2 loss to the Kraken. The loss highlighted many glaring flaws with this team, showing why they are on the outside looking in of the playoffs. New Jersey failed to produce any goals at even strength and, despite a solid game, made one too many mistakes to win.
Still, the road trip should be considered a success. The Devils have now won five of their last seven and sit just three points back of the Islanders for third in the Metropolitan. With just five games left until the Olympic break, the Devils will hope to take some of the Canadian magic back home.
Similarly, the Jets are also looking to bounce back after a rough two-month stretch. The reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners have had a nightmare season, highlighted by their 11-game losing streak in December and January. Despite getting out of their skid, things aren’t looking too bright for the Jets, who have now lost four of their last five.
The two teams met just a few weeks back in Winnipeg. The game ended in a disappointing 4-3 loss for New Jersey and marked their fourth straight loss at the time.
Lines
Devils
Forwards
Meier-Hughes-Bratt
Palat-Hischier-Mercer
Gritsyuk-Glass-Hameenaho
Dadonov-Cotter-Brown
Defense
Siegenthaler-Pesce
Dillon-Hamilton
Nemec-Kovacevic
Goalies
Allen
Markstrom
Jets
Forwards
Connor-Scheifele-Iafallo
Perfetti-Toews-Vilardi
Niederreiter-Lowry-Namestnikov
Koepke-Barron-Pearson
Defense
Morrissey-DeMelo
Samberg-Salomonsson
Stanley-Schenn
Goalies
Hellebuyck
Comrie
Keys to the Game
Dominate The Rock
With just five games left until the Olympic break and being three points out of a playoff spot, the Devils have a huge opportunity to take some momentum heading into the pause. With four of the five upcoming games being at home, New Jersey will need to regain their Prudential Center magic.
After starting the year 7-0-0 at home, the Devils have gone 5-9-2 in their last 16 home games. With division rivals like the Islanders and Blue Jackets approaching, New Jersey will need to find a way to win again in front of their home crowd.
The Return of Hamilton
I think it is fair to say that Dougie Hamilton is officially back. After a goal and an assist on Sunday, Hamilton now has points in eight straight games. With his play, and Luke Hughes being out for the near future, it seems like the trade talk around the veteran defenseman has simmered down.
These trade rumors spiked in the first place when head coach Sheldon Keefe decided to make Hamilton a healthy scratch against the Jets. Now, seven games and nine points later, Hamilton will get his chance to make an impact against Winnipeg.
Where to Watch
Tuesday’s puck drop is at 7:00 pm ET and can be found on MSGSN.