Tonight the New Jersey Devils, losers of six consecutive games, will be looking to snap their ugly streak against the Nashville Predators.
The Devils have played some terrible hockey over the last while. They have won just three of their last 16 games, one of which came against these Predators, but have shown life and played well for long stretches over the last couple games. There is reason to believe tonight could be the night they get back on track.
This game will be played at the Prudential Center, where the Devils are 8-1-2 this season. Meanwhile, the Predators have struggled immensely on the road winning just four times in 15 contests away from home.
The Predators also played last night (in an overtime game, at that) and will be without star defenseman P.K. Subban, arguably the best and most important player on their roster.
Nashville still has plenty of talent, and they won't be pushovers, but there is a lot working in the Devils' favor tonight. Let's see if they can take advantage.
Here are the expected line combinations for New Jersey:
Taylor Hall - Travis Zajac - Mike Cammalleri Miles Wood - Adam Henrique - Kyle Palmieri Beau Bennett - Pavel Zacha - P.A. Parenteau Sergey Kalinin - Vern Fiddler - Nick Lappin
Andy Greene - Ben Lovejoy Jon Merrill - Damon Severson John Moore - Kyle Quincey
Cory Schneider
And the expected lines for the Predators (via dailyfaceoff.com):
Calle Jarnkrok - Ryan Johansen - James Neal Filip Forsberg - Mike Ribeiro - Craig Smith Colin Wilson - Mike Fisher - Viktor Arvidsson Kevin Fiala - Colton Sissons - Austin Watson
Roman Josi - Ryan Ellis Mattias Ekholm - Matt Irwin Adam Pardy - Yannick Weber
Pekka Rinne
A few notes:
1) I expect the Hall - Zajac - Cammalleri line will cause all kinds of problems tonight. In 52 minutes together they have been absolutely dominant controlling more than 60% of the shot attempts at 5v5. Zajac's playmaking skills work well with a pair of snipers on his wing.
2) Over the last 10 games, the Predators lead the league in 5v5 shot attempts per 60 while the Devils' defense has, well, struggled. This is a tough matchup for them.
3) Last time out Cory Schneider played his best game since the middle of November. The Devils will need a strong showing tonight because, as hinted at above, the Predators will likely get their fair share of chances.
Tonight's game is scheduled for 7:00 pm eastern and can be seen on MSG+ and FS-TN.