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Here are five things to watch when the New Jersey Devils take on the Winnipeg Jets:
1. Contrasting styles
For one reason or another, Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot are no longer with the Jets. Unsurprisingly, their defense has taken a significant hit as a result. They have given up 139 high-danger chances at 5v5 in 15 games, which ranks dead last in the NHL.
The Devils – likely more due to slow pace than stout defense, at least in the early going – are quite the opposite. They have only conceded 71 high-danger chances through 12 games, which is the lowest total in the league. They are also last with just 79 high-danger chances for.
Intentional or not, the Jets generate and give up quite a few Grade A looks, where as the Devils don’t generate or allow them. It’ll be interesting to see which team gets dragged into playing the other’s pace in this one.
2. A smash spot for the power play
New Jersey enters this game scorching hot on the man advantage, having netted at least one PP marker in six consecutive games. Their chances of extending that streak tonight appear to be fairly strong, as the Jets sit dead last in shots on goal against/60 and scoring chances against/60 while shorthanded. If they take a few penalties tonight, you have to like the Devils’ odds of cashing in.
3. The Goose is loose
Nikita Gusev has been reinserted into the lineup to replace the injured Jesper Bratt. Gusev will skate on the 2nd line with Pavel Zacha and either Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier. I think Hischier should remain on that line – propping up Gusev *and* Hughes defensively would be a lot to ask of Zacha – but the Devils can always start Nico on his top line and drop him down if Hughes and Gusev are being overwhelmed.
At any rate, this is a big game for Gusev. The Devils are starting to find combinations that work and pick up points on a more consistent basis. When that happens, coaches don’t like to make lineup changes. He has to make an impact and force himself back into the everyday conversation for a lineup spot.
4. A favorable matchup
The Jets have been testing out Neal Pionk with Josh Morrissey on the top pairing. So far the results are pretty underwhelming, as that duo owns a 34.88 CF% and 23.53 SCF% through ~30 minutes. Small sample size, I know, but Pionk is not exactly cut out for top pairing duties so it’s hardly surprising they are struggling. Big minutes against the Taylor Hall line could be a recipe for disaster for the Jets.
5. Goaltending
The Devils rank 31st in team save percentage. Neither Mackenzie Blackwood or Cory Schneider have provided quality netminding with any sort of frequency. Until that changes, every game is going to be a toss-up regardless of how well the team plays in front of the starter. It sure would be nice to get a good performance and have a little bit of breathing room defensively. We’ll see if that's too much to ask.
Here are the projected lineups:
New Jersey
Taylor Hall - Jack Hughes/Nico Hischier - Kyle Palmieri
Pavel Zacha - Nico Hischier/Jack Hughes - Nikita Gusev
Jesper Boqvist - Travis Zajac - Blake Coleman
Miles Wood - Kevin Rooney - Wayne Simmonds
Damon Severson - P.K. Subban
Andy Greene - Sami Vatanen
Will Butcher - Matt Tennyson
Cory Schneider/Mackenzie Blackwood
Winnipeg
Kyle Connor - Mark Scheifele - Blake Wheeler
Nik Ehlers - Bryan Little - Patrik Laine
Andrew Copp - Adam Lowry - Jack Roslovic
Mathieu Perreault - David Gustafsson - Logan Shaw
Josh Morrissey - Neal Pionk
Nathan Beaulieu - Dmitry Kulikov
Luca Sbisa - Anthony Bitetto
Connor Hellebuyck
Puck drop is just after 8:00 p.m. and can be seen on MSG and TSN3.
numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com
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