The New Jersey Devils (37-32-2) round out their road trip as they head to Raleigh to face the Carolina Hurricanes (45-20-6) Saturday.
Game Overview
The Hurricanes will be the third straight playoff team the Devils will face on this road trip, coming off wins in both Dallas and Nashville. After the 4-2 win against the Predators on Thursday, New Jersey has now gone 9-3-0 in their last 12 games and seems to be playing their best hockey all year. In what’s been a disappointing season for New Jersey, it’s fun to see some wins down the stretch.
On the other side, it’s business as usual for the Carolina Hurricanes, who sit in firm control of the top seed in the Metropolitan Division. As usual, the Hurricanes feature four solid lines of offense, any one of which could make you pay. Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Seth Jarvis, and Nikolaj Ehlers are leading the way offensively for the Hurricanes, while 27-year-old rookie Brandon Bussi is holding things down between the pipes. The career AHL goalie is having the time of his life with the Hurricanes, posting a 26-6-1 record through 33 starts this year.
This will be the third and final time these two teams will meet this season. The Hurricanes took the first two games of the season series thanks to the late-game heroics of Seth Jarvis in the season opener, and then two own goals by Luke Hughes back in January.
Lines
Devils
Forwards
Meier-Hischier-Mercer
Bratt-Hughes-Brown
Dadonov-Glass-Hameenaho
Cotter-Bjugstad-Tsyplakov
Defense
Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Hughes-Kovacevic
Dillon-Nemec
Goalies
Markstrom
Allen
Hurricanes
Forwards
Svechnikov-Aho-Jarvis
Hall-Stankoven-Blake
Ehlers-Staal-Martinook
Carrier-Jankowski-Robinson
Defense
Slavin-Chatfield
Miller-Walker
Reilly-Nikishin
Goalies
Bussi
Andersen
Keys to the Game
Red Hot Jack
Ever since coming back from Milan, Jack Hughes has been playing some of the best hockey of his career. In the 14 games back from the break, Hughes has put up eight goals and 23 points (135-point pace). He also has more multi-point games (seven) than he does zero-point games (two). His dominant performance as of late is a large reason that the Devils have found their winning ways.
Is it Possible?
With the Devils’ success as of late, many fans are wondering if they can still make the playoffs. To put it lightly, probably not. The Devils’ playoff odds sit at just 0.3% entering Saturday. While the Devils have been winning, so have the teams in front of them in the standings, causing the Devils to remain a distant 11 points out. With just 22 available points left in the season, it is hard to believe the Devils can make it.
Though this season might not end up as bad as people think. If New Jersey continues on this pace and wins eight of their last 11 games, they will finish the season with 92 points, one more than the 91 points that got them into the playoffs last year. The East has been a gauntlet this season, and unfortunately for New Jersey, it means an early trip to the golf courses.
Where to Watch
Today’s game can be seen on MSGSN at 5:00 pm ET.