Looking to snap a two-game skid, the New Jersey Devils (32-31-2, 7th Metropolitan) will face the Los Angeles Kings (27-23-15, 4th Pacific) at the Prudential Center Saturday tonight.
Overview
The Devils are coming off two losses to the Red Wings and Flames. These losses are especially painful after a four-game winning streak. New Jersey’s offense woke up against Calgary, but Jacob Markström and the Devils’ defense couldn’t keep the puck out of their own net en route to a 5-4 loss. With little to play for in the Eastern Conference race and a long shot at the draft lottery, the Devils are in hockey limbo right now.
The Kings, on the other hand, are right in the thick of the Western Conference playoff fight. The Kings have struggled to string together wins recently, with a 4-5-1 record in their last 10 games, but are coming off a 3-2 win over the Islanders last night. Los Angeles holds the final wild card spot in the West with 69 points, one point ahead of the Sharks, with everyone other than Calgary and Vancouver in the hunt. They’re chasing the Oilers for the final divisional spot in the Pacific. The Kings will look to take advantage of a demoralized Devils’ team Sunday tonight.
Lines and Pairings
Devils-
Forwards
Meier-Hischier-Mercer
Bratt-Hughes-Brown
Gritsyuk-Glass-Hameenaho
Cotter-Bjugstad-Tsyplakov
Defense
Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Hughes-Kovacevic
Dillion-Nemec
Goalies
Allen
Markstrom
Kings-
Forwards
Panarin-Kopitar-Kempe
Moore-Byfield-Laferriere
Turcotte-Laughton-Wright
Malott-Helenius-Ward
Defense
Anderson-Doughty
Edmunson-Clarke
Dumoulin-Ceci
Goalies
Forsberg
Kuemper
Keys to the Game
Who’s In Net?
The Kings and Devils both face the question of who’s tending the twine tonight. The Devils have rolled exclusively with Jacob Markström since February 25 in an effort by head coach Sheldon Keefe to ride the “hot hand.” Markström hasn’t been so hot lately, allowing five goals against Calgary and at least three in his last four games. Keefe hung Markstrom out to dry against the Flames by leaving him in the game, a tactic he’s used before, notably in the 9-0 loss to the Islanders in January. Allen hasn’t played in nearly a month, but Keefe might want to turn to his other goaltender against Los Angeles.
On the second leg of a back-to-back, the Kings will probably roll with Anton Forsberg. Forsberg is looking to bounce back from his last game, when he allowed four goals on 32 shots to the Blue Jackets. He’s been a solid backup aside from that performance, with a .920 save percentage and 9.08 goals saved above expected (GSAx). He’ll pose a threat against a Devils’ team that struggles to score.
Devils Rested, Kings Tired
The Devils are the more rested team coming into tonight. They had the day off yesterday, and had three days off before their game against Calgary on Thursday. The time off didn’t help them in Thursday’s game, but don’t underestimate the importance of fresh legs this late in the season.
The Kings are coming off a tough game against the Islanders last night and had another back-to-back earlier this week. In the midst of an intense playoff race, the Kings are gassed, and the Devils need to take advantage of that.
Where to Watch
Sunday night’s game can be seen on MSGSN at 7:00 PM.