After suffering a backbreaking loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday night the New Jersey Devils will be looking to get back on track tonight against the defending champs.
It will be no easy task as, though the Chicago Blackhawks are without Duncan Keith, they have been good this season - especially of late - having posted a 5-2-1 record over the last eight games with wins over Los Angeles and Tampa Bay, among others, in that span.
Chicago's offense struggled in the early going but Corey Crawford was able to bail them out and steal them some points. Now it's the other way around as the Blackhawks have scored 13(!) goals over the last three games but have allowed the same amount.
On the flip side the Devils have scored just eight goals over the last four games but they own a 2-1-1 record in that span thanks to solid team defense and excellent goaltending from Cory Schneider.
The two teams play drastically different styles so the team that forces the other out of their comfort zone will probably walk away with two points when all is said and done.
LINEUPS Cammalleri - Henrique - Stempniak Tlusty - Zajac - Palmieri Kalinin - Josefson - Tootoo Farnham - Gionta - O'Neill
Greene - Larsson Merrill - Severson Moore - Schlemko
Schneider
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Panarin - Toews - Garbutt Teravainen - Anisimov - Kane Tikhonov - Kero - Dano Desjardins - Kruger - Shaw
Svedberg - Seabrook Hjalmarsson - van Riemsdyk Daley - Gustafsson
Crawford
THREE KEYS 1) If the Devils are going to have any chance in this game they'll need to slow the pace and keep the game as low-event as possible. If the Devils trade chances with the Blackhawks and play fire wagon hockey they'll be blown out of the rink.
2) Be aggressive without the puck. The Devils need to pressure the carrier and force Chicago players to move the puck before they are ready to do so. If the Devils sit back and let the play come to them the Blackhawks will pick them apart.
3) After a bt of a rough start Cory Schneider appears to be in midseason form as he owns a .943 save percentage over his last three starts and is set to make his 10th start in a row. Chicago averages more than 32 shots per game so chances are he'll face a good amount of rubber tonight. He'll need to be on his game.
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