Match Overview
After their exhilarating win against Philadelphia on Sunday, the New Jersey Devils will look to keep the pressure on against the San Jose Sharks tonight at the Prudential Center. It’s been a mixed bag recently, but New Jersey’s win against the Flyers was an encouraging sign. Need more encouragement? Rumors are flying around that star center Jack Hughes may suit up tonight after an injury that has sidelined him for most of the season. It’s sure to be an exciting game regardless.
With their win against Philadelphia, the Devils hold a record of 9-6-4 and sit in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division. The Sharks, on the other hand, are 11-9-1 and are in fifth place in the Pacific Division.
Projected Lines and Pairings
Devils’ Lines
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Sharks’ Lines
Forwards
Meier-Couture-Dahlen
Barabanov-Hertl-Balcers
Cogliano-Bonino-Gregor
Nieto-Weatherby-LaBanc
Defense
Ferraro-Burns
Middleton-Karlson
Vlasic-Simek
Goalies
Reimer
Hill
What to Watch For
Return on the Horizon?
It may just be a false alarm, and Hughes may not be back until next Monday (as planned), but it seems there is a good chance that the Devils’ star scorer Jack Hughes will play against the Sharks tonight. The young Hughes has been sidelined since early October with a dislocated left shoulder and his team has sorely missed him. Fortunately, the Devils have managed to tread water in his absence, maintaining a record of over hockey .500. If the Devils’ short-term goal is to be in a buying position at the trade deadline, Jack Hughes’ return will surely help.
Andreas Johnsson
Andreas Johnsson had quite the night against the Flyers last Saturday, scoring two goals and notching two assists for his second-ever four-point game. The young Swede is having a stellar year with 15-points in 19 games so far. In addition, he has strong possession numbers with a Corsi-for % (CF%) of 54.08 and an expected goals-for % (xGF%) of 57.31. Johnsson is red-hot, so keep an eye out for him tonight.
My Prediction
The Devils have been inconsistent as of late, but the possible return of Hughes could give the team a spark. So, I’ll predict a 5-3 victory.