Following a disappointing loss to the Blues, the Devils look to return to form against the Detroit Red Wings. Let’s look at what has changed in this matchup since October in this preview.
The Essentials:
Matchup: New Jersey Devils at Detroit Red Wings
Date: November 29, 2024
Time: 3:00 PM ET
Broadcast: MSGS, FDSD, ESPN+
Listen: Devils Hockey Network
Last Devils Game: The Devils lost to the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday by a final score of 3-0. Check out Jackson’s recap of that game.
Last Red Wings Game: The Red Wings defeated the Calgary Flames in overtime by a final score of 2-1. Check out NHL.com’s recap of that game.
Recent Momentum: The Devils have won seven of the last ten games and three of the last five for a record of 15-8-2. The Red Wings have won four of their last ten games and three of their last five for a record of 10-10-2.
When They Played Last: The Devils last played the Wings on October 24, 2024, and lost 5-3. Check out Jackson’s recap of that game.
Lineups
Red Wings
These are the projected lines and pairings for the Red Wings based on their lineup against the Flames.
Forwards
Vladimir Tarasenko – Dylan Larkin – Lucas Raymond
Alex DeBrincat – J.T. Compher – Tyler Motte
Joe Velella – Marco Kasper – Jonatan Berggren
Michael Rasmussen – Andrew Copp – Christian Fischer
Defense
Simon Edvinsson – Moritz Seider
Ben Chiarot – Jeff Petry
Albert Johansson – Justin Holl
Goalies
Cam Talbot
Alex Lyon
Cam Talbot started against Calgary, but I expect him to also start against the Devils.
Injury Notes
Per ESPN, Patrick Kane is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, and backup goaltender Alex Lyon is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
Devils
Timo Meier will return from suspension, and I expect the lines to return to normal.
Forwards
Timo Meier – Nico Hischier – Stefan Noesen
Ondrej Palat – Jack Hughes – Jesper Bratt
Paul Cotter – Erik Haula – Dawson Mercer
Tomas Tatar – Justin Dowling – Shane Bowers
Defense
Brenden Dillon. – Dougie Hamilton
Luke Hughes – Brett Pesce
Jonas Siegenthaler – Johnathan Kovacevic
Goaltenders
I expect Jake Allen to start against the Wings since Jacob Markstrom has started the last two games.
What to Watch For
A Lot Has Changed in a Month
The last time the Devils played the Wings, Jacob Markstrom struggled mightily in the loss. Markstrom had produced a few “clunkers,” as Jackson put it, at that point in the season. A lot has changed. Markstrom has settled in and performed more like the goalie Devils fans have expected. In the 15 games that followed the loss to Detroit, Markstrom has held opponents to less than three goals in all but five games, including a shutout against Vancouver and last night’s debacle. Yes, I know he gave up three goals last night, but I’m willing to write off that Blues game because nothing went their way, which sometimes happens. Markstom’s save percentage is over .900%.
The Detroit game was also the season debut for Brett Pesce and Luke Hughes. The Pesce-Hughes pairing has become one of the Devils’ most reliable defensive pairings. Per Natural Stat Trick, excluding all players with fewer than ten games played (and Kurtis MacDermid), Hughes and Pesce have the fifth and sixth-lowest expected goals against (xGA) at 5-on-5 on the team behind the fourth liners (Dowling, Bastian, Lazar, and Tatar). Luke Hughes is also sixth on the team in High Danger Scoring Chances For percentage (HDCF%) at 5-on-5 at 56.32 percent (per Natural Stat Trick). The Devils are playing better and need to prove it on Friday after a tough loss to the Blues.
Cam Talbot Has Not Slowed Down
Cam Talbot was the biggest reason the Devils were defeated in the last matchup against the Wings. The Detroit netminder has continued to perform at that high level. Per Natural Stat Trick, Talbot boasts an absurd save percentage of .951 at 5-on-5 with 12.09 Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA) through 13 games played. Despite those impressive statistics, Talbot only has six wins out of the 12 games that he has started. The Devils will need to bring their A-game to get pucks by Talbot.
Second Worst in the NHL
How the Red Wings have only won ten games with goaltending like that is a testament to how bad Detroit’s offense has been. Detroit has only scored 28 goals at 5-on-5 in 22 games, which is second worst in the NHL behind only the Nashville Predators (per Natural Stat Trick). Five of those 28 goals were scored on the Devils back in October. The Red Wings are last in the NHL in Expected Goals For (xGF) with 37.63 (per Natural Stat Trick). Dylan Larkin leads the team with 12 goals this season, and Alex DeBrincat has tallied nine. If the Devils can limit the opportunities for Larkin and DeBrincat, they should be successful defensively.
Special and Not-So-Special Teams
Where Detroit and snipers like DeBrincat can hurt the Devils is on the power play. According to NHL.com, the Red Wings have the sixth-ranked power play in the league, converting on 28.1 percent of their power plays. Larkin has recorded six goals on the power play, while DeBrincat has tallied five. Again, the Devils must lock down Larkin and DeBrincat to succeed.
Detroit’s penalty kill is a different story. The Red Wings penalty kill percentage is the worst in the NHL at 68.9 percent. The Devils currently have the third-ranked power play in the NHL and will be looking to use their speed to draw penalties and exploit this matchup.
Your Thoughts
What matchup will you be watching for? Will the boys be able to find success against Detroit’s goaltending? How will Timo perform in his return to the lineup? Let us know in the comments below. Thank you for reading, and GO DEVILS!