Christmas is over and hockey is officially back! The New Jersey Devils continue their home cooking against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. This will be the first of a home-and-home set between the two clubs. Each team will have fresh legs, so this will be quite the matchup between the division foes.
Matchup Overview
December treated the Devils nicely, as they went 7-2-1 and are coming off a dominating victory over it their cross-town rival New York Rangers. The Devils have made a bit of history, not just as a franchise but also across the league. They set an NHL record of seven-straight games of allowing 20 or fewer shots. They also had two-straight shutout victories allowing just 12 shots on goal.
The Devils have brought back their smothering defense, which is something great to see. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt continue to pave the way for the Devils and will need to against a strong Hurricanes squad.
The Hurricanes did not have nearly as strong of a month. They went .500 (5-5) and have not been their normal dominant selves. For a team that is usually so strong at five-on-five play, they’ve been outscored 22-15 in the month of December. The Hurricanes goaltending remains in limbo, as Frederik Andersen remains out. When it comes to playing one another, they’ve split the season series so far.
The Devils and Hurricanes have each defeated one another 4-2 and both won on home ice. Carolina got the better of the Devils the first meeting, out playing them the entirety of the game and pushing the pace. The Devils pushed back in the second meeting. Their smothering defense came to the forefront, as they held the Hurricanes to just 1.4 expected goals against at five-on-five. That doesn’t happen often, so count your blessings.
Projected Lineups
New Jersey Devils
Forwards
Meier-Hischier-Noesen
Palat-Hughes-Bratt
Cotter-Haula-Mercer
Tatar-Dowling-Bastian
Defense
Dillon-Hamilton
Hughes-Pesce
Siegenthaler-Kovacevic
Goalies
Markstrom
Allen
Carolina Hurricanes
Forwards
Roslovic-Aho-Jarvis
Robinson-Kotkaniemi-Necas
Carrier-Staal-Martinook
Svechnikov-Jost-Blake
Defense
Slavin-Burns
Orlov-Chatfield
Gostisbehere-Walker
Goalies
Kochetkov
Tokarski
What to Watch For
The Devils Shutdown Defense
It isn’t the days of running “the trap,” system, but the Devils have become a strong defensive unit. It’s almost refreshing. In this historic stretch of seven games, the Devils are smothering the opposition. They’ve allowed the fewest shots on goal, third-fewest shot attempts, and third-fewest high-danger attempts during five-on-five play. Also, they’ve allowed the fewest goals against. They’ve made life easy for their goaltenders, and even then they’ve answered the bell when called upon. They’ll need to bring this type of game against the Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes are a strong five-on-five team and put forth a large volume of shots. They have the most shot attempts in the league.
Jack Hughes Staying Red Hot
Your best players sometimes need to be your best players and that is what Jack Hughes has been for the Devils. In the month of December, Hughes was a force to be reckoned with. In ten games, Hughes finished with six goals and 15 points. Also, five of those games were multi-point contests and two of those games were three-point games. Hughes, along with Jesper Bratt, helped spearhead the comeback against the Kings and Hughes continued his streak of owning the Rangers.
Having a small break can disrupt any momentum that a player may have. It’ll be interesting to see if his hot play can continue against the Hurricanes.
Where to Watch
Friday night’s puck drop at the Prudential Center is at 7:00 pm ET and can be found on MSG.