Following a 5-2 win against the Nashville Predators, the New Jersey Devils look to extend their winning streak against the St. Louis Blues. Let’s look at the matchup in this preview.
The Essentials
The Essentials
Matchup: St. Louis Blues at New Jersey Devils
Date: November 27, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Broadcast: MSGSN2, FDSNMW, ESPN+
Listen: Devils Hockey Network
Last Devils Game: The Devils bested the Nashville Predators by a final score of 5-2. Check out Chris’ recap of that game.
Last Blues Game: The Blues defeated Our Hated Rivals by a final score of 5-2. Check out NHL.com’s recap of that game.
Recent Momentum: The Blues have won three of their last ten games and two of the last five for a record of 10-12-1. The Devils have won eight of their last ten games and four of the last five for a record of 15-7-2.
When They Last Played: The Devils last played the Blues on March 7, 2024 at The Rock. The Devils defeated the Blues by a final score of 4-1. Check out Jackson’s recap of that game.
The Lineups
St. Louis Blues
Before addressing the players, we should discuss the coaching staff. On November 24, 2024, the Blues fired head coach Drew Bannister and quickly named recently fired Bruin Jim Montgomery as the new head coach. Check out NHL.com’s article on this coaching change.
Based on Monday night’s game against the Rangers, here are the Blues’ projected lines and pairings.
Forwards
Pavel Buchnevich – Robert Thomas – Jake Neighbours
Brandon Saad – Brayden Schenn – Jordan Kyrou
Dylan Holloway – Oskar Sundqvist – Zack Bolduc
Alexey Toropchenko – Radek Faksa – Nathan Walker
Defense
Ryan Suter – Colton Parayko
Scott Perunovich – Justin Faulk
Pierre-Olivier Joseph – Matthew Kessel
Goaltenders
Jordan Binnington
Joel Hofer
Joel Hofer started against Our Hated Rivals, so Jordan Binnington will likely be the starter.
Injury Notes
Per ESPN, defenseman Torey Krug will have surgery on his left ankle and miss the entire season. Defensemen Nick Leddy and Philip Broberg are also on the injured reserve with a lower-body injuries.
New Jersey Devils
Before discussing the roster, Timo Meier has been suspended for one game and is expected to serve that suspension on Wednesday versus the Blues. For more information on the suspension, read John Fischer’s article. I have projected Tomas Tatar to fill in for Meier, but read more on this line projection below. The remainder of these line combinations and pairings are based on the Nashville game.
Forwards
Tomas Tatar – Nico Hischier – Stefan Noesen
Ondrej Palat – Jack Hughes – Jesper Bratt
Paul Cotter – Erik Haula – Dawson Mercer
Shane Bowers – Justin Dowling – Nolan Foote/Kurtis MacDermid
Defense
Brenden Dillon – Dougie Hamilton
Luke Hughes – Brett Pesce
Jonas Siegenthaler – Johnathan Kovacevic
Goaltenders
I expect Jake Allen to start against the Blues.
What to Watch For
Neighbours Generating Offense
St. Louis is one of the lower-scoring teams in the NHL, tallying 57 goals this season (per NHL.com). Young winger Jake Neighbours has been creating offense and is tied with 2022 All-Star Jordan Kyrou for the team lead in goals with seven. Neighbours is 22 years old and played his first full season with the Blues last year, recording 27 goals and 11 assists (per NHL.com). The former first round pick does show some defensive deficiencies, however, posting a +/- of -16 last season and -12 this season. The Devils will have to watch out for Neighbours and Kyrou, but they will be able to counterpunch for offensive chances of their own.
Defensive and Goaltending Woes
Neighbours is not the only player in St. Louis struggling on the defensive end. The team as a whole has faltered defensively, allowing 76 goals this season and averaging 3.30 goals allowed per game, according to NHL.com. While +/- is not a comprehensive measure of a defenseman, the Blues only have one defenseman, Philip Broberg, who currently holds a positive +/-total (+6). Broberg has only played in 12 games this season and is on the injured reserve.
The goaltending has not been able to bail out the Blues’ defense. Both goaltenders are allowing over three goals per game. Per Natural Stat Trick, Jordan Binnington has a save percentage of 0.891 at all strengths, while Joel Hofer has posted a 0.899 save percentage. Binnington has recorded -1.03 Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA) this season. The Devils should be able to capitalize against the Blues‘ defense and goaltending.
Line Combinations Without Meier
As of the writing of this post on Tuesday evening, it has not been announced who will play left wing on Nico Hischier’s line. Based on his recent play and the success in the 2022-2023 season, I expect Tomas Tatar to be promoted to that line. Tatar had a goal and assisted on Brenden Dillon’s goal against Washington. He also tallied an assist on Dougie Hamilton’s game-winning goal against Carolina. Beyond the stat sheet, Tatar has played hard and driven the fourth line. Tatar has shown good chemistry with Nico in the past, scoring 20 goals on a line with Hischier in his last stint with the Devils. Finally, Tatar is a left-handed shot who could easily transition to the line for one game.
Another option could be to bump Dawson Mercer to the Hischier‘s line. Mercer was the third member of the Hischier – Tatar line that had success in 2022-2023 and has also shown good chemistry with Nico. Mercer is a right-handed shot, however, and although he has shown he can play on his off-hand, I think Tatar is the easier fit. Mercer and Haula (and Kovacevic) displayed some impressive passing to initiate the scoring against Nashville, and I would leave the third line alone, especially for the one-game suspension.
I expect Nolan Foote or Kurtis MacDermid to fill in on the fourth line.
Your Thoughts
Who do you think should fill in for Timo? What are your thoughts on the Blues? Is there a player you are watching for? Let us know in the comments below. Thank you for reading, and GO DEVILS!