The Devils have won three in a row and look to make it four against the San Jose Sharks from The Rock! Let’s look at this matchup against a bunch of former Devils.
The Essentials
Matchup: San Jose Sharks at New Jersey Devils
Date: November 10, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Broadcast: NBCSA, MSGSN, ESPN+
Listen: Devils Hockey Network
Last Devils Game: The Devils beat the New York Islanders in overtime by a final score of 4-3. Check out Chris’ recap of the game.
Last Sharks Game: The Sharks were defeated by the Minnesota Wild by a final score of 5-2. Check out NHL.com’s video recap of that game.
Recent Momentum: The Sharks have won two of their last three games coming into Sunday’s matchup against the Devils. The Sharks are 4-9-2 and sit at the bottom of the Pacific Division. The Devils have won three games in a row and cannot afford to miss points against the Sharks.
The Lineups
Sharks
Based on their last game against the Wild, here is Sharks’ projected lineup.
Offense
Mikael Granlund – Macklin Celebrini – Tyler Toffoli
William Eklund – Alex Wennberg – Fabian Zetterlund
Barclay Goodrow – Will Smith – Luke Kunin
Carl Grundstrom – Nico Sturm – Ty Dellandrea
Defense
Mario Ferraro – Cody Ceci
Jack Thompson – Timothy Liljegren
Henry Thrun – Jan Rutta
Goaltenders
Mackenzie Blackwood
Vitek Vanecek
Blackwood is the projected starter.
Devils
Saturday Night LInes. pic.twitter.com/TN6jZmNWKA
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) November 10, 2024
Head coach Sheldon Keefe was experimenting with Tomas Tatar on Saturday night. Tatar started on the fourth line but also skated with Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer and to a lesser extent Jack Hughes and Timo Meier. Tatar has been skating hard and trying to generate offense despite being relegated to a line with Kurtis MacDermid. From the initiation of the current fourth line, I thought Tatar had more to offer and I would not be surprised if Keefe continued to tinker with his placement within the forward lines.
What to Watch For
Familiar Foes
Devils fans will recognize many of the names on the Sharks’ roster, including Tyler Toffoli, Fabian Zetterlund, Mackenzie Blackwood, and Vitek Vanecek. How are these former Devils performing this season? Tyler Toffoli and Fabian Zetterlund are tied with Mikael Granlund for the team lead in goals with six. Toffoli has accrued 11 points through 15 games this season while Zetterlund has recorded 10 points.
Mackenzie Blackwood has started eight games in 2024-2025 and has posted a save percentage of .893. Per Natural Stat Trick, Blackwood has averaged 3.52 goals against per game (GAA) and saved -0.55 Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA). Vitek Vanecek has recorded a save percentage of .898 and allowed an average of 3.32 goals per game. While Vanecek’s Goals Saved Above Average is slightly higher than Blackwood at 0.55, his High Danger Save Percentage (HDSV%) is .821. Remember those issues? These are the same goaltenders the Devils are familiar with and the boys should be able to score on the Sharks.
Another Low-Scoring Team
Like the Oilers, Canadiens, and Islanders, the Sharks are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the NHL averaging 2.4 goals per game according to NHL.com. Despite the opposition’s offensive struggles, the Devils have allowed three goals in each of the last two games. Self-induced errors are the cause of a lot of these goals and that was certainly the case on Saturday. It would be nice if the Devils could hold an opponent struggling to generate offense to less than three goals.
The 2024 First Overall Pick
Macklin Celebrini has only played three games since returning from an injury. In his first start against the Minnesota Wild, Celebrini promptly scored two goals. The number one overall pick from 2024 has three goals and an assist this season. Even though I am on the West Coast, I don’t watch many (or any) Sharks games. I’m looking forward to watching Celebrini play and seeing what all the hype is about.
The 2019 First Overall Pick
Jack Hughes has been playing phenomenal hockey. Hughes scored two goals and had an assist in Saturday’s game versus the Isles. He had two assists and a goal against the Canadiens. Back-to-back games with three points are not too shabby and it hasn’t only been on the scoresheet. On Saturday, Hughes won some big faceoffs against Jean-Gabrial Pageau, who is one of the better faceoff competitors in the NHL. He has been noticeably better in the defensive zone. Jack is playing with confidence and I want to see this point streak continue as long as possible.
Your Thoughts
What are you watching for? Does Jack’s hot streak continue? Does Macklin Celebrini move the needle for you? Post your thoughts in the comments section below. Thank you for reading and GO DEVILS!