The New Jersey Devils are back in action tonight looking to snap their seven-game losing skid.
Doing so will be no easy task as they're once again expected to be without the likes of Mike Cammalleri and Miles Wood up front, as well as their best two defensemen, Andy Greene and Damon Severson.
Beating a team like Columbus is tough at the best of times. Beating a team like them with the current lineup is a nearly impossible.
The Devils have next to no consistent scoring threats beyond their top line and they have one legitimate top-4 guy dressed on the backend.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets have a 40+ point player on each of their top three lines and eight forwards with at least 10 goals (the Devils have four).
The Devils don't have the firepower to match up against teams like this and even when they kill the pace, as they did in their shutout losses to Columbus and Washington, they have trouble capitalizing on the few chances they do get.
Don't be surprised if the losing streak reaches eight games tonight. Given where this team is at, that may not be such a bad thing.
Here are the expected line combinations for New Jersey:
Note: Damon Severson expected to return. Taylor Hall - Travis Zajac - Kyle Palmieri Pavel Zacha - Adam Henrique - Beau Bennett Nick Lappin - Blake Coleman - Stefan Noesen Joseph Blandisi - Kevin Rooney - Devante Smith-Pelly
Jon Merrill - Ben Lovejoy John Moore - Steve Santini Dalton Prout - Karl Stollery
Keith Kinkaid
And the expected lines for the Blue Jackets (via dailyfaceoff.com):
Nick Foligno - Alexander Wennberg - Brandon Saad Boone Jenner - Brandon Dubinsky - Cam Atkinson Scott Hartnell - Sam Gagner - Oliver Bjorkstrand Lauri Korpikoski - William Karlsson - T.J. Tynan
Zach Werenski - Seth Jones Jack Johnson - David Savard Ryan Murray - Kyle Quincey
Sergei Bobrovsky
A few notes:
1) In 245 minutes together, the Hall - Zajac - Palmieri line has controlled 54% of the shot attempts and outscored opponents 8-2. Those guys will have to come through for the Devils to have a shot tonight.
2) Bjorkstrand isn't a household name (yet) but he leads the Jackets in primary points per 60 minutes played at 5v5. He is a highly talented kid and is getting a great opportunity playing alongside Foligno and Wennberg on the top PP unit. Don't be surprised to see him get on the scoresheet, as he has in each of his first three meetings against the Devils.
3) Sergei Bobrovsky is 20-8-0 with a .936 save percentage at home this season and owns a .943SV% over his last 10 starts. This could be another long night for a Devils team with two goals over the last three games.
Tonight's game is scheduled for 7:00 and can be seen on