Overview
The New Jersey Devils will face their toughest competition of the season, the Boston Bruins, tonight at the Prudential Center. The Devils snapped their six-game losing streak against the Florida Panthers in their last game.
New Jersey has soared to great heights this season, but have struggled mightily recently. Tonight’s game comes at a perfect time for the team. They’re hungry for wins during a tough stretch, but they might not grip their sticks so tight after snapping the losing streak. Now is the right time to face a true test in Boston, without the pressure of an exorbitant winning streak or the pure desperation of a losing streak.
The Devils own a record of 22-9-2, two points behind the first-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division. The Bruins are 26-4-2 and sit atop the Atlantic Division. The projected goaltender matchup is Linus Ullmark versus Mackenzie Blackwood.
Lines and Pairings
Devils –
Forwards:
Tatar-Hischier-Zetterlund
Haula-Hughes-Bratt
Wood-McLeod-Mercer
Sharangovich-Boqvist-Holtz
Defense:
Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Smith-Severson
Okhotiuk-Bahl
Goalies:
Blackwood
Vanecek
Bruins –
Forwards:
Marchand-Bergeron-Debrusk
Zacha-Krejci-Pastrnak
Hall-Coyle-Frederic
Foligno-Nosek-Smith
Defense:
Grzelcyk-McAvoy
Lindholm-Carlo
Forbort-Clifton
Goalies:
Swayman
Ullmark
Keys to the Game
Injuries, Injuries, Injuries
The New Jersey Devils are battling a slew of injuries. Both John Marino and Ryan Graves were not at morning skate this morning. Marino left Tuesday’s game early and Graves left Wednesday’s game. This has forced Nikita Okhotiuk to step in on a projected third pairing with Kevin Bahl.
Can Vanecek Bounce Back?
Goaltender Vitek Vanecek has been solid for the Devils this season. He’s posted a .906 SV% over 21 starts and has carved out a starting role in Mackenzie Blackwood’s absence. Recently, however, he’s been slumping. Over his past six games, Vanecek has posted a .864 SV% and -6.00 goals saved above expected (GSAx). He’s had a couple of gems over this stretch, including a shutout against Chicago and an admirable performance against Philadelphia, but other than that it’s been tough sledding for the young Czech. During this time, his GSAx has decreased from 5.2 to -0.8.
Now, MacKenzie Blackwood is back from his injury, and he looked good against the Panthers on Wednesday. The pressure is on for Vanecek to succeed, but hopefully, he can get the monkey off his back without a losing streak hanging over his head.
Bratt is Back
Much like Vanecek, Jesper Bratt has also run into some struggles as of late, but he appears to have put that behind him. After being held goalless for six games, Bratt buried two pucks to help the Devils conquer the Panthers. He also had a four-game pointless streak before the loss to Carolina, but has since put up three points in two games. Look for Bratt to build more momentum tonight.
Tonight’s game can be seen on MSGSN at 7:00 PM EST.