Tonight, the New Jersey Devils look for a huge win at home against the Vegas Golden Knights. The team is 4-5-1 in their last 10 games which has resulted in them falling further back than they would like in the wild card race. The Knights are coming off a 3-2 comeback win at home against the Penguins.
The Devils are 23-18-3, good enough for fifth in the Metropolitan division. The Golden Knights hold a record of 27-14-5, which has them second in the Pacific division.
Lines and Pairings
Devils
Forwards
Toffoli-Hischier-Bratt
Meier-McLeod-Mercer
Haula-Lazar-Bastian
Willlman-Tierney-Holtz
Defense
Marino-Nemec
Hughes-Miller
Bahl-Foote
Goalies
Vanecek
Daws
Golden Knights
Forwards
Dorofeyev-Stephenson-Stone
Barbashev-Roy-Marchessault
Brisson-Howden-Cotter
Rondbjerg-Froese-Kolesar
Defense
Martinez-Pietrangelo
McNabb-Korczak
Hague-Whitecloud
Goalies
Thompson
Saville
Keys to the Game
Lindy on the Hot Seat?
The Devils have been somewhat disappointing this season. Even with the injuries and goaltending you have to wonder if head coach Lindy Ruff is on the hot seat. You can see Ruff’s frustrations and how he is handling them in his recent pressers with the media.
It’s easy to see Ruff is starting to get frustrated with this season, how he is handling it could impact how Fitzgerald sees his future with the team.
Cold at Home
Normally, sports teams find more success at home than on the road. That is not the case with the Devils. They have a 9-11-2 record at home, including three-straight losses. This is after the Devils had a worse record at home last season as well. It is certainly an interesting trend.
Injuries, Injuries, Injuries
The Devils and their injuries are well documented. However, the Golden Knights may be even more injured than the Devils are currently. This list includes Shea Theadore, Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, Adin Hill, among others. Despite this, the Golden Knights have still been winning.
Where to Watch
Tonight’s game at the Prudential center is slated for a 7:00 pm ET puck drop. It can be seen on NHL Network.