The New Jersey Devils play their final game before Christmas. They’ll travel to Belmont to take on the New York Islanders. The two teams have met once so far this season, with the Devils losing in a shootout.
Matchup Overview
The Devils did manage to weather the Jack Hughes storm. They went 8-10 in his absence and once he returned to the ice, he wasted no time making an impact. Hughes scored the first goal of the game and the lone goal for the Devils. A sluggish second period saw the Devils trail and they could never recover in their loss against Buffalo Sunday night.
Goal scoring has been a struggle for this Devils team, with or without Hughes. Over the last four games, the Devils have yet to score more than two goals in a game. The game against the Vegas Golden Knights was a shootout win, so three of the last four has seen the team score once. Not ideal, but the Devils are getting healthy and that should help change those misfortunes.
Surprisingly, the Islanders have been a good team this season. They currently sit third in the Metropolitan Division, separated by one point from the Devils. A strong December (6-3-1) has seen them rise up the standings. Their big time players have been their bright spot and Matthew Schaefer has changed the trajectory of that hockey team. The Devils will face Dave Rittich, who has a 2.53 goals against average, .903 save percentage, and 9.6 goals saved above expected. So it won’t be easy by any stretch.
Projected Lineups
New Jersey Devils
Forwards
Meier-Hischier-Bratt
Gritsyuk-Hughes-Mercer
Palat-Glass-Brown
Cotter-Glendening-Noesen
Defense
Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Hughes-Pesce
Dillon-White
Goalies
Markstrom
Allen
New York Islanders
Forwards
Lee-Barzal-Holmstrom
Drouin-Pageau-Heineman
Duclair-Ritchie-Shabanov
Maclean-Cizikas-Gatcomb
Defense
Schaefer-Pulock
Pelech-Deangelo
Warren-Mayfield
Goalies
Rittich
Sorokin
What to Watch For
Find Ways to Generate Quality Chances
At this going rate, you’ll take a goal however they may come. Whether it’s a flukey bounce or a great set up play, the Devils need goals. One thing to watch for is seeing if the Devils can generate high quality chances.
The Islanders have given up the most high -danger shot attempts in the league (374) at five-on-five play. So, the Devils will have plenty of real estate to work with. Although, the Islanders have allowed the ninth-fewest high danger goals, seeing their goalies mask their inefficiencies. The chances will be there, they just need to cash in.
Pick Up Where They Left Off at Five-On-Five
Oddly enough, the Devils were the better five-on-five team in three of the last four games. That’s encouraging at least. The effort is there, but the results need to show up more.
Last game, against the Buffalo Sabres, they finished with a 55.48 Corsi-for percentage and a 62.00 expected goals-for percentage. Those are really good numbers and for a team that’s struggled often at five-on-five play.
The Devils also put forth a stronger five-on-five game the first matchup between these two clubs. The Devils need a collective effort across the lineup, but seeing them come out with a stronger start is ideal.
How to Watch
Tuesday night’s puck drop is at 7:00 pm ET and can be found on MSG.