Game #10 Preview: New Jersey Devils at Detroit Red Wings

After another tough loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, the New Jersey Devils look to rebound against the Detroit Red Wings. Let’s hope for a better defensive effort on Thursday.

The Essentials:

Matchup: The New Jersey Devils vs. Detroit Red Wings

Date: October 24, 2024

Time: 7:00 PM ET

Broadcast: MSGSN, FDSNDET

Listen: Devils Hockey Network

The Last Devils Game: The Devils lost to the Tampa Bay Lighting by a final score of 8-5 on October 22, 2024. See the recap Chris wrote for that game here. The Devils have now lost their last two games.

The Last Red Wings Game: The Red Wings shut out the Islanders 1-0 on Tuesday. See the NHL.com recap for that game here. Following that win, the Wings hold a record of 3-3 and have won their last two games.

The Lineups:

New Jersey Devils

The big news out of the Devils’ camp is that the returns of Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce are imminent and, boy, do they need it. The Devils have surrendered 14 goals in their last two games. Unacceptable. As of the writing of this preview, the status of Hughes and Pesce for Thursday night’s game is unknown. According to Matt Loughlin, head coach Sheldon Keefe stated that it is likely the defensemen will play over the weekend, so I do not anticipate either playing on Thursday night. The Devils will likely maintain the pairings of Dougie Hamilton – Brenden Dillon, Jonas Siegenthaler – Johnathan Kovacevic, Daniil Misyul – Simon Nemec.

After leaving the forward lines alone for the first few games of the season, Keefe has begun tinkering. Per Natural Stat Trick, against the Lightning, the Devils deployed the following lines and defensive pairings:

Forwards

Dawson Mercer – Nico Hischier – Timo Meier

Jesper Bratt – Jack Hughes – Ondrej Palat

Paul Cotter – Erik Haula – Stefan Noesen

Tomas Tatar – Curtis Lazar – Nathan Bastian

Defense

Brenden Dillon – Dougie Hamilton

Jonas Siegenthaler – Johnathan Kovacevic

Daniil Misyul – Simon Nemec

Goaltending

Jacob Markstrom is expected to start between the pipes.

Detroit Red Wings

Per Sam Stockton of The Hockey News, the Red Wings practiced on Wednesday with the following lines and pairings:

Goaltender Alex Lyon has started the last two games so I would expect Cam Talbot to start in net on Thursday.

What to Watch For:

Team Defense

Devils fans can’t help but focus on the defense after the last two games so let’s jump right in. 14 goals in two games says it all. The Devils, as a collective unit, must do a better job of keeping the puck out of the net, specifically the Dougie Hamilton – Brenden Dillon pairing. Hamilton was on the ice for four of the goals the Devils allowed in the matchup versus Tampa Bay and Dillon was on the ice for three. The Devils’ top pairing must be better. I expect a more conservative defensive approach against the Wings, focusing more on defensive positioning and clearing pucks than creating offensive chances.

Veteran Lineup and Scoring

Dylan Larkin led the Wings with 33 goals in only 68 games played last season. Lucas Raymond scored 31 goals in 2023-2024, while Alex DeBrincat posted 27 goals. While not in the prime of their careers, Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane can certainly still put the puck in the net. Tarasenko recorded 23 goals and 32 assists last year between Ottawa and Florida. Kane posted 20 goals and 27 assists with the Wings in 2023-2024. These are not record-breaking numbers by any means. That being said, these are veterans who will capitalize on mistakes and the Devils have been making too many mistakes in their defensive zone. If the Devils do not stay disciplined, the Red Wings will take advantage.

Physical Emphasis

One of the more disheartening factors in the loss to the Lightning was the Devils’ response to physical play. In the second period, Jesper Bratt took a big hit behind the Tampa Bay net from Erik Cernak. The hit was clean, and I am not one of those guys who expects a fight just because someone got planted – as long as it is a clean hit. However, I do think a hit like that deserves a response. Instead of lighting a fire under the team or picking up the physical play, the Devils allowed five goals in the second period. The hit felt like a turning point in the game and the Devils need to respond better. I would think this would have been a focal point in the post-game discussions and I would expect to see a more physical game out of the Devils.

Young Defensive Core

Moritz Seider, the 23-year-old Red Wings defenseman, definitely brings the physicality. Seider is the veteran on Detroit’s top defensive pairing, averaging over 24 minutes of ice time per game. Six foot six inch, 21-year old Simon Edvinsson accompanies Seider on the number one pairing. Edvinsson was the sixth overall pick in 2021 and is averaging over 20 minutes per game despite only playing 25 games at the NHL level before this season. If the Devils can overcome the physicality, they could exploit Detroit’s youth and inexperience on the blue line.

Side Notes

As I mentioned, head coach Sheldon Keefe is tinkering with the forward lines. I am interested in how he deploys Ondrej Palat and Tomas Tatar tonight. So far this season, Palat has played anywhere from one of the top lines to the fourth line. I thought Palat played well alongside Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt on Tuesday – as well as any of the Devils. Tomas Tatar has also spent time on a top line (at the time) with Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer but has recently found himself on the fourth line. Keefe is looking for homes for both players and I’m interested to see if there are any adjustments against Detroit.

Lastly, I liked how Daniil Misyul played against Tampa Bay. After Bratt took the big hit, Misyul was one of the few players who seemed to ramp up the physical game and was active in the scrums. I’d like to see more of that.

Your Thoughts

What will you be watching for tonight? Where do you think Tatar and Palat should fall within the Devils’ lines? What did you think of Misyul’s play? Any thoughts on tonight’s matchup? Let us know in the comments below. Thank you for reading and GO DEVILS!