After a nail-biting 4-3 win over the Ottawa Senators last night, the New Jersey Devils (37-36-4) will face the Nashville Predators (44-29-4) in the second leg of the team’s final back-to-back of the season.
Overview
While the Devils’ playoff race is all but over, they’re still taking positives anywhere they can find them. After three brutal losses in a row, beating the Senators last night is sure to raise morale. Though the Devils came out on top, they almost choked a three-goal lead, which should make them hungry for a dominant win tonight.
The Predators, on the other hand, are in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference. They’re firmly in a wild-card position battling the Kings and Blues. Their lineup is littered with well-respected veterans like Roman Josi, Ryan O’Reilly, and Filip Forsberg. Nashville recently ended an 18-game point streak and is primed to make noise in the postseason. They most recently fell to the Islanders 2-0 last night.
The Devils have 78 points and are in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division. The Predators have 92 points and are in fourth place in the Central Division. They are a point ahead of the Los Angeles Kings in the wild-card race.
Lines and Pairings
Devils-
Forwards
Meier-Hischier-Mercer
Hughes-Haula-Bratt
Palat-Nosek-Holtz
Lazar-Tierney-MacDermid
Defense
Hughes-Desimone
Bahl-Smith
Siegenthaler-Nemec
Goalies
Kahkonen
Allen
Predators-
Forwards
Forsberg-O’Reilly-Nyquist
Zucker-Sissons-Beauvillier
Jankowski-Novak-Evangelista
Smith-McCarron-Sherwood
Defense
McDonagh-Josi
Lauzon-Carrier
Stasney-Schenn
Goalies
Saros
Lankinen
Keys to the Game
Bratt and Hischier Stay Hot
Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt have been leading the Devils through the late-season slog. Last night, the pair combined for three points: a goal from Hischier and two assists from Bratt, one of which was on Hischier’s goal. Hischier notched a Game Score of 2.62 while Bratt earned a 4.73. The Devils got great contributions from the likes of Brendan Smith and the Hughes brothers but as the two players anchoring the top two lines, Bratt and Hischiers’ success is critical.
Will Saros Be the Difference-Maker?
Two very different games can play out depending on which Juuse Saros the Devils get. Saros has a .907 save percentage (SV%) and 9.58 goals saved above expected (GSAX) this season, which is pretty good for an NHL goalie. But for the Vezina-caliber Saros in the prime of his career? Nashville expects more.
Saros has battled inconsistency all year, sometimes looking like his star self and sometimes looking lost in the crease. In his last two games, Saros has posted save percentages of .935 and .936, respectively. In the two games prior, he notched .886 and .778 marks, respectively.
The Devils will look to capitalize on this inconsistency by getting a high volume of shots on the Finnish goalie.
Where to Watch
Tonight’s game can be seen on MSGSN at 7:00 pm ET.