The New Jersey Devils (38-33-2) hit the road after spending one night at home. They travel across the bridge to take on the New York Rangers (30-35-9) for the third and final time this season Tuesday night.
Matchup Overview
It’s criminal that the Devils and Rangers took until March to finally play one another. At this given rate, both teams are out of the playoff mix and the Rangers are headed for a higher lottery pick than expected. So far, the two teams have met twice, with the Devils winning each game by a lopsided score of 6-3 in each.
The Devils’ winning ways came a bit too late, but at least they are striving to end the season on a high note. In March, the Devils have a 9-4 record and have been playing much better hockey after the break. The Devils have the fifth-best Corsi-for percentage (CF%) at 53.80, and the sixth-best expected goals-for percentage (xGF%) at 53.29. Finishing ability had been on par with their expected rate, as they’ve scored 30 goals to their 31 expected.
Not only has the Devils five-on-five play been better, the power play is clicking at a good rate as well. This month, the Devils have scored 11 power play goals, which has them sixth in the league in that span. The Devils have won three of their last four entering Tuesday, so they are coming into tonight with some momentum.
As for the Rangers, it’s been a struggle and the turning of a new page. The Rangers are 7-6-2 this month, truly flirting with .500. They lost six straight before finally winning their last two games. The Rangers have struggled from a puck possession standpoint, being in the bottom 10 for CF% this month. However, despite their lack of generating chances they’ve made due to capitalizing on them. Additionally, the power play has been scorching hot this month, leading the league in power play goals.
Projected Lineup
New Jersey Devils
Forwards
Meier-Hischier-Mercer
Bratt-Hughes-Brown
Dadonov-Glass-Hameenaho
Cotter-Bjugstad-Tsyplakov
Defense
Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Hughes-Kovacevic
Dillon-Nemec
Goalies
Markstrom
Allen
New York Rangers
Forwards
Perrault-Zibanejad-Lafreniere
Cuylle-Trocheck-Sykora
Kartye-Miller-Sheary
Brodzinski-Laba-Chmelar
Defense
Gavrikov-Fox
Robertson-Borgen
Fortescue-Schneider
Goalies
Shesterkin
Quick
What to Watch For
How Many Points Will Jack Hughes Have?
There is death, taxes, and Jack Hughes dominating the New York Rangers.
Hughes has been a machine, tormenting the Rangers the moment he got drafted. In 25 games against the Rangers, Hughes has 20 goals and 35 points. 10 of those games have been multi-point efforts as some players simply elevate themselves more given a rivalry opponent.
The Devils have met the Rangers twice this season and both this month of March. Hughes has four goals and seven points in the two games, with all but one point coming during five-on-five play. Hughes is a weapon regardless and has been strong since the break with ten goals and 27 points.
Capitalizing With the Man Advantage
The Devils have been quite good when it comes to life on the power play. In the first game against the Rangers, the Devils cashed in on all three power play opportunities. In the second matchup, the Devils converted on two of their four opportunities. If the Rangers are going to keep giving away chances, the Devils should be ready to pounce on them.
The Rangers have been an undisciplined team, spending the fifth-most minutes in the box in March. Furthermore, they’ve allowed the most goals while on the penalty kill this month, making this a juicy opportunity for the Devils. Not only will taking it to the Ranger during five-on-five pay off, but taking advantage of every opportunity will be key to winning this game as well.
Where to Watch
Tonight’s puck drop is at 7:00 PM EST and can be found on MSG.