Devils Welcome Struggling Flyers To The Prudential Center

Dawson Mercer celebrates his overtime goal against the Kings. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Overview

The New Jersey Devils (38-15-5) will play the Philadelphia Flyers (23-27-10) tonight at the Prudential Center. The Devils won their last game against the Kings 4-3 in an overtime thriller.

New Jersey has been riding high lately; they’ve won seven of their last ten games and are playing good hockey overall. They were on the verge of defeat against Los Angeles, but they managed to pull out the victory to stay hot. Now, they will look to keep the good times rolling against a struggling Philadelphia team in what should be an easy win.

The Devils are in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 81 points, five points behind the first-place Carolina Hurricanes. The Flyers, on the other hand, are in the basement of the Metro at seventh place.

Lines and Pairings

Devils-

Forwards:

Tatar-Hischier-Mercer

Sharangovich-Hughes-Bratt

Palat-Boqvist-Bastian

Wood-McLeod-Zetterlund

Defense:

Siegenthaler-Hamilton

Graves-Marino

Bahl-Severson

Goalies:

Schmid

Vanecek

* – Haula is sick and is a game-time decision.

Flyers

Forwards:

Hayes-Laughton-Allison

Van Riemsdyk-Frost-Tippett

Lycksell-Cates-Farabee

Deslauriers-Brown-Braun

Defense:

Provorov-Sanheim

York-Ristolainen

Seeler-DeAngelo

Goalies:

Ersson

Hart

Dawson Mercer. Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Keys to the Game

Mercer, Have Mercy!

Nobody has been as hot as Dawson Mercer as of late. The 21-year-old forward has seven goals and nine points over his last five games. He scored twice against the Kings, including the overtime winner mentioned above. Mercer has been a key piece all season – he hasn’t missed a game yet – and now he’s finally getting some recognition.

Schmid Gets the Nod

Per, morning skate, it appears that Akira Schmid is starting tonight. That’s right, after MacKenzie Blackwood’s injury, Schmid is the next man up.

Akira Schmid played nine games earlier this season when Blackwood was injured. He went 5-4-0 with a .919 save percentage and a 3.97 goals saved above expected (GSAx). He’s cooled off in the minors as of late, but still boasts a 10-6-3 record with a .908 save percentage. Look for Schmid to be a deciding factor tonight.

Tonight’s game can be seen on MSGSN at 7:00 P.M. EST.

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