Better Call Sal
Salnalysis
PREVIEW
DEVILS (49-21-8) vs. BLUE JACKETS (24-45-8)
TV: 7:00 p.m. ET; Televised on MSGSN2
RADIO: 7:00 p.m. ET; Live on Devils Hockey Network
Head-to-Head:
The Devils and Blue Jackets meet for the third and final time this season, and second time at Prudential Center. New Jersey has won the two previous matchups, including a 7-1 victory in Newark on Oct. 30. The Devils also won on the road in Columbus, 3-2, on Feb. 14.
Jesper Bratt (2g-1a) and Ryan Graves (2g-1a) lead the Devils in scoring with three points. Eight different Devils have scored goals with 15 have collected points in the two contests. Columbus' Adam Boqvist has two points (1g-1a) to lead the Jackets.
Devils Team Scope:
The Devils look to further solidify their hold on home-ice advantage in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in the final four games of the regular season with an outside chance - albeit long shot - of a Metro Division title. New Jersey trails Carolina by three points).
Forward Jack Hughes conitnues to lead the Devils with 40 goals and 91 points, and he's second on the team with 51 assists. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton leads New Jersey with 52 assists. Several players are experiencing significant career-best years in all scoring categories: Hughes, Hamilton, Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer, who is coming off his first career NHL hat trick against Pittsburgh Tuesday night.
Vitek Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood make up the Devils goaltending tandem. Vanecek has played the majority of games and has a 31-11-4 record with a .909 save percentage and a 2.49 goals against average. He's the only other goaltender in Devils history to have a 30-win season outside of Hockey Hall of Fame netminder and current Devils EVP, Martin Brodeur. Blackwood recently returned from a groin injury that had him on the IR. He's 10-5-2 with a 3.10 goals against average and a .895 save percentage.
Blue Jackets Team Scope:
The Blue Jackets have had a rough season, particularly in the health department. But on the bright spot, they are in the hunt for Connor Bedard. Columbus' 56 points on the year are tied with Anaheim for the lowest in the entire NHL, though the Ducks have the tiebreaker with less regulation wins (15 vs. 13).
Key off-season acquisition Johnny Gaudreau leads the club with 52 assists and 71 points in 75 games. Boone Jenner has a club-best 26 goals. While injuries have limited Patrik Laine, he still has posted 22 goals and 52 points.
The Jackets parted ways with goalie Joonas Korpisalo at the NHL trade deadline. They've turned the crease over to Elvis Merzlikins, who is 7-18-2 on the year with a 4.23 GAA and .876 save percentage.
By the Numbers:
The Devils are one victory away from just the second 50-win season in franchise history. The team record is 51 wins in 2008-09.
Hughes is five points away from tying a franchise single-season scoring record (96) that Patrik Elias set in the 2000-01 season. Hughes missed four games this season, while Elias did play in all 82 games the year he set the record. Hughes has nine multi-goal games this year and has 30 multi-point games this season (franchise record).
Jackets rookie winger Kirill Marchenko has the most amazing stat line in the NHL with 21 goals and just four assists (that's not a typo). Clearly a guy that can finish, and doesn't pass on many scoring chances.
Columbus has suffered 513 man-games lost due to injury this season.
Injuries:
Devils
Lazar (lower-body, day-to-day)
Bernier (hip, LTIR)
Blue Jackets
Danforth (torn labrum, IR)
Werenski (torn labrum, IR)
Bean (shoulder, IR)
Laine (triceps strain)
Gudbranson (separated shoulder)
Olivier (lower-leg bone bruise)
Blankenburg (ankle)
Merzlikins (lower-body)
Roslovic (upper-body)
Pederson (upper-body)
Last Game vs. Columbus:
Your New Jersey Devils Projected Lineup:
#90 Tomas Tatar - #13 Nico Hischier (C) - #91 Dawson Mercer
#18 Ondrej Palat (A) - #86 Jack Hughes (A) - #63 Jesper Bratt
#96 Timo Meier - #70 Jesper Boqvist - #14 Nathan Bastian
#44 Miles Wood - #20 Michael McLeod - #17 Yegor Sharangovich
#88 Kevin Bahl - #7 Dougie Hamilton
#33 Ryan Graves - #6 John Marino
#2 Brendan Smith - #28 Damon Severson
#41 Vitek Vanecek
#29 Mackenzie Blackwood
Team Leaders:
G: Hughes - 40
A: Hamilton - 52
P: Hughes - 91
+/-: Tatar - +39
PIM: Wood - 74
PPG: Hughes/Hamilton/Bratt - 8
SHG: Hischier - 3
GWG: Hischier - 9
W: Vanecek - 31
GAA: Vanecek - 2.49
SV%: Vanecek - .900%
Columbus Blue Jackets Projected Lineup
#13 Johnny Gaudreau - #38 Boone Jenner (C) - #86 Kirill Marchenko
#91 Kent Johnson - #96 Jack Roslovic - #19 Liam Foudy
#50 Eric Robinson - #7 Sean Kuraly - #52 Emil Bemstrom
#46 Joona Luoto - #21 Josh Dunne - #41 Hunter McKown
#15 Gavin Bayreuther - #2 Andrew Peeke
#75 Tim Berni - #27 Adam Boqvist
#47 Marcus Bjork - #6 Billy Sweezey
#31 Michael Hutchinson
#73 Jet Greaves
Team Leaders:
G: Jenner - 26
A: Gaudreau - 52
P: Gaudreau - 71
+/-: Sweezey - -1
PIM: Olivier - 81
PPG: Laine - 8
SHG: Roslovic - 2
GWG: Gaudreau/Jenner/Johnson - 3
W: Merzlikins - 7
GAA: Gillies - 2.99
SV%: Gillies - .889%
LFGD
TV: 7:00 p.m. ET; Televised on MSGSN2
RADIO: 7:00 p.m. ET; Live on Devils Hockey Network
Head-to-Head:
The Devils and Blue Jackets meet for the third and final time this season, and second time at Prudential Center. New Jersey has won the two previous matchups, including a 7-1 victory in Newark on Oct. 30. The Devils also won on the road in Columbus, 3-2, on Feb. 14.
Jesper Bratt (2g-1a) and Ryan Graves (2g-1a) lead the Devils in scoring with three points. Eight different Devils have scored goals with 15 have collected points in the two contests. Columbus' Adam Boqvist has two points (1g-1a) to lead the Jackets.
Devils Team Scope:
The Devils look to further solidify their hold on home-ice advantage in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in the final four games of the regular season with an outside chance - albeit long shot - of a Metro Division title. New Jersey trails Carolina by three points).
Forward Jack Hughes conitnues to lead the Devils with 40 goals and 91 points, and he's second on the team with 51 assists. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton leads New Jersey with 52 assists. Several players are experiencing significant career-best years in all scoring categories: Hughes, Hamilton, Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer, who is coming off his first career NHL hat trick against Pittsburgh Tuesday night.
Vitek Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood make up the Devils goaltending tandem. Vanecek has played the majority of games and has a 31-11-4 record with a .909 save percentage and a 2.49 goals against average. He's the only other goaltender in Devils history to have a 30-win season outside of Hockey Hall of Fame netminder and current Devils EVP, Martin Brodeur. Blackwood recently returned from a groin injury that had him on the IR. He's 10-5-2 with a 3.10 goals against average and a .895 save percentage.
Blue Jackets Team Scope:
The Blue Jackets have had a rough season, particularly in the health department. But on the bright spot, they are in the hunt for Connor Bedard. Columbus' 56 points on the year are tied with Anaheim for the lowest in the entire NHL, though the Ducks have the tiebreaker with less regulation wins (15 vs. 13).
Key off-season acquisition Johnny Gaudreau leads the club with 52 assists and 71 points in 75 games. Boone Jenner has a club-best 26 goals. While injuries have limited Patrik Laine, he still has posted 22 goals and 52 points.
The Jackets parted ways with goalie Joonas Korpisalo at the NHL trade deadline. They've turned the crease over to Elvis Merzlikins, who is 7-18-2 on the year with a 4.23 GAA and .876 save percentage.
By the Numbers:
The Devils are one victory away from just the second 50-win season in franchise history. The team record is 51 wins in 2008-09.
Hughes is five points away from tying a franchise single-season scoring record (96) that Patrik Elias set in the 2000-01 season. Hughes missed four games this season, while Elias did play in all 82 games the year he set the record. Hughes has nine multi-goal games this year and has 30 multi-point games this season (franchise record).
Jackets rookie winger Kirill Marchenko has the most amazing stat line in the NHL with 21 goals and just four assists (that's not a typo). Clearly a guy that can finish, and doesn't pass on many scoring chances.
Columbus has suffered 513 man-games lost due to injury this season.
Injuries:
Devils
Lazar (lower-body, day-to-day)
Bernier (hip, LTIR)
Blue Jackets
Danforth (torn labrum, IR)
Werenski (torn labrum, IR)
Bean (shoulder, IR)
Laine (triceps strain)
Gudbranson (separated shoulder)
Olivier (lower-leg bone bruise)
Blankenburg (ankle)
Merzlikins (lower-body)
Roslovic (upper-body)
Pederson (upper-body)
Last Game vs. Columbus:
Your New Jersey Devils Projected Lineup:
#90 Tomas Tatar - #13 Nico Hischier (C) - #91 Dawson Mercer
#18 Ondrej Palat (A) - #86 Jack Hughes (A) - #63 Jesper Bratt
#96 Timo Meier - #70 Jesper Boqvist - #14 Nathan Bastian
#44 Miles Wood - #20 Michael McLeod - #17 Yegor Sharangovich
#88 Kevin Bahl - #7 Dougie Hamilton
#33 Ryan Graves - #6 John Marino
#2 Brendan Smith - #28 Damon Severson
#41 Vitek Vanecek
#29 Mackenzie Blackwood
Team Leaders:
G: Hughes - 40
A: Hamilton - 52
P: Hughes - 91
+/-: Tatar - +39
PIM: Wood - 74
PPG: Hughes/Hamilton/Bratt - 8
SHG: Hischier - 3
GWG: Hischier - 9
W: Vanecek - 31
GAA: Vanecek - 2.49
SV%: Vanecek - .900%
Columbus Blue Jackets Projected Lineup
#13 Johnny Gaudreau - #38 Boone Jenner (C) - #86 Kirill Marchenko
#91 Kent Johnson - #96 Jack Roslovic - #19 Liam Foudy
#50 Eric Robinson - #7 Sean Kuraly - #52 Emil Bemstrom
#46 Joona Luoto - #21 Josh Dunne - #41 Hunter McKown
#15 Gavin Bayreuther - #2 Andrew Peeke
#75 Tim Berni - #27 Adam Boqvist
#47 Marcus Bjork - #6 Billy Sweezey
#31 Michael Hutchinson
#73 Jet Greaves
Team Leaders:
G: Jenner - 26
A: Gaudreau - 52
P: Gaudreau - 71
+/-: Sweezey - -1
PIM: Olivier - 81
PPG: Laine - 8
SHG: Roslovic - 2
GWG: Gaudreau/Jenner/Johnson - 3
W: Merzlikins - 7
GAA: Gillies - 2.99
SV%: Gillies - .889%
LFGD
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