Match Overview
After an exhilarating 4-3 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, the Devils will look to stay hot on this next leg of their Western Canada road trip against the Calgary Flames. New Jersey is riding high with a five-game win streak entering Saturday night’s game. They’ve dominated most possession metrics for more than a year now, but things are finally starting to click into place for what seems to be one of the most talented groups in the NHL. If they want to keep their momentum, they’ll need to play that same high-intensity style against a team headlined by Johnathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, and Jacob Markstrom.
The Devils currently own a record of 8-3-0 and are in second place in the Metropolitan Division, just a point behind the first-place Carolina Hurricanes. The Flames hold a record of 5-4-0 and sit in fifth place in the Pacific Division.
Lines and Pairings
Devils –
Forwards:
Tatar-Hischier-Zetterlund
Haula-Hughes-Bratt
Sharangovich-Mercer-Boqvist
Wood-McLeod-Bastian
Defense:
Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Graves-Marino
Smith-Severson
Goalies:
Vanecek
Bernier
Flames –
Forwards:
Huberdeau-Kadri-Mangiapane
Lucic-Lindolm-Toffoli
Dube-Backlund-Coleman
Lewis-Ruzicka-Ritchie
Defense:
Hanifin-Andersson
Tanev-Weegar
Zadorov-Stone
Goalies:
Markstrom
Vladar
Keys to the Game
Injuries Abound
While the Devils’ dominance has been rightfully dominating headlines across the league, a secondary, yet all-too-familiar story has been creeping up on the team: injuries. New Jersey has lost two key pieces in Ondrej Palat and MacKenzie Blackwood within the past few days.
Palat hasn’t seen game action since October 24, and it turns out he suffered a groin injury that required surgery. He originally had no timetable for a return, but we have recently learned that he is expected to miss at least eight-to-twelve weeks. This is a huge blow to a team that signed Palat to a six-year contract over the off-season in a top-six role. Fortunately, there are more than a few players ready to fill in. Fabian Zetterlund in particular might see a long-term role in the top six if he continues his quality play.
Blackwood’s injury came late in the second period against Edmonton while attempting a split save. There is no timetable for his return yet. Vitek Vanecek will take over the starting job in the meantime, while who will backup is yet to be determined.
Jesper Bratt
The hockey world is buzzing with a name that wasn’t talked about nearly enough last year: Jesper Bratt. Bratt has gotten off to a torrid pace, scoring five goals, including the game-winner against Edmonton, and 12 assists for 17 points in 11 games so far. He’s also broken the team record for point streak to start the season, previously held by Tim Higgins. He also has an absurd 66.78 Corsi-for percentage (CF%) and a 68.26 expected goals-for percentage (xGF%).
The rest of the league seems to have noticed. Recently, sports news website theScore rated Bratt fourth on their Hart Trophy rankings. Look for the team’s leading point-scorer to drive the offense tonight.
Tonight’s game can be seen on MSG at 10:00 P.M. EDT.