The New Jersey Devils (32-31-4) enter Sunday’s matinee in Las Vegas after a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Arizona Coyotes yesterday. Nick DeSimone scored the lone Devils goal in that game, while Kaapo Kahkonen was chased from the starter’s net after surrendering three goals in the first period and was replaced by Nico Daws, who was perfect in relief.
In today’s St. Patrick’s Day matchup, the Devils are looking for some luck of the Irish as they look to rebound against the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Vegas Golden Knights (35-24-7). The Golden Knights enter today’s game after having been off the last two days. Their last game was also a 4-1 defeat against the Calgary Flames.
Lines and Pairings
Devils
Hughes-Hischier-Mercer
Bratt-Haula-Meier
Palat-Nosek-Holtz
MacDermid-Tierney-Lazar
Defense
Hughes-Nemec
Bahl-DeSimone
Hatakka-Smith
Goalies
Allen
Kahkonen
Golden Knights
Forwards
Barbashev-Eichel-Marchessault
Stephenson-Roy-Mantha
Dorofeyev-Karlsson-Amadio
Carrier-Howden-Kolesar
Defense
Hanifin-Pietrangelo
McNabb-Theodore
Hague-Whitecloud
Goalies
Thompson
Hill
Keys to the Game
Light the Lamp First
It’s no secret that the Devils have struggled to score first this season. On the tail end of a road trip, getting on the board first will go a long way in helping the team to a potential victory, especially if it takes some pressure off the green defensive core and new goaltender in Jake Allen. If the Golden Knights strike first today, it would be the 50th time this season that New Jersey surrendered the first goal of the game.
Tighten Up The Defensive Zone
Giving a complete, 60-minute effort in the defensive zone is critical. No more slow, laxidasical starts or sudden struggles in the midst of a game. As Nick DeSimone said post game yesterday, they played a solid 50 minute game in Arizona, but the 10 minutes that they did not cost them the game.
Where to Watch
This afternoon’s game is slated for a 3:30 pm ET puck drop at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The game can be viewed on TNT.