Match Overview
After a forgettable 6-3 loss to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, the Devils will look to finish their Western Conference run on a high note against the Edmonton Oilers this afternoon. The Devils have been in a slump as of late and have lost three of their last four outings. This includes consecutive 6-3 losses to the Vancouver Canucks and the aforementioned Flames. If New Jersey wants to prevent this losing streak from worsening, they’ll have to go through Connor McDavid and the Oilers.
The Devils hold a record of 22-34-5 and are in eighth place in the Metropolitan Division. The Oilers, on the other hand, own a record of 34-23-4 and sit in third place in the Pacific Division.
Projected Lines and Pairings
Devils’ Lines
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Oilers’ Lines
Forwards:
Kane-McDavid-Yamamoto
Hyman-Draisaitl-Puljujarvi
Foegele-Shore-Ryan
Archibald-McLeod-Kassian
Defense:
Nurse-Ceci
Keith-Bouchard
Russel-Barrie
Goalies:
Smith
Koskinen
Keys to the Game
Goaltending Trouble Returns
It’s no secret that goaltending has been the main factor holding the Devils back this season, but Nico Daws has been a rare bright spot for the red-shirts. That was, until last Tuesday, when he gave up four goals on 21 shot attempts for an .810 save percentage (SV%). This less-than-stellar performance also spilled over into the game against the Flames, where Daws let up four goals on 19 shot attempts for a .789 SV%. In total, Daws has let up eight goals on 40 shot attempts for a SV% of .800 over his past two outings.
Up to this point, Daws had been serviceable in net, starting the previous eight games and providing reliable goaltending during that stretch. Unfortunately, it seems that the 21-year-old netminder is burnt out, and little relief will come if John Gillies is the other option.
Pavel Zacha Won’t Return
It seems that Pavel Zacha will remain unavailable for today’s game after suffering an injury early in the game against Vancouver. Zacha is one of the Devils’ key trade chips as the deadline approaches, so expect them not to rush him back for fear of further injury.
Today’s game can be seen on MSG at 3:00 PM EDT.