The New Jersey Devils continue their road trip in Columbus and look to add a fourth straight win against the Blue Jackets. Let’s take a look at the matchup in this preview.
The Essentials
Matchup: New Jersey Devils at Columbus Blue Jackets
Date: December 19, 2024
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Broadcast: MSG, FDSNOH, ESPN+
Listen: Devils Hockey Network
The Last Devils Game: The Devils beat the St. Louis Blues 4-1. Check out Jackson’s recap of that game.
The Blue Jackets Game: The Blue Jackets lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday 5-3. Check out NHL.com’s recap of that game.
Recent Momentum: Columbus enters Thursday night’s game in a freefall, having only won two of their last ten games. The Blue Jackets have lost five straight games and hold a record of 12-15-5. Meanwhile, the Devils have won their last three games and look to make it four in a row.
Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
Based on their game versus Tampa Bay, here are the projected lines and pairings for the Blue Jackets.
Forwards
James Van Riemsdyk – Sean Monahan – Kent Johnson
Dmitri Voronkov – Adam Fantilli – Kirill Marchenko
Zach Aston-Reese – Cole Sillinger – Mathieu Olivier
Mikael Pyyhtia – Sean Kuraly – Kevin Lebanc
Defense
Zach Werenski – Dante Fabbro (questionable with a lower-body injury)
Ivan Provorov – Damon Severson
Jake Christiansen – Jack Johnson
Goaltenders
Elvis Merzlikins
Jet Greaves
Jet Greaves started in goal in their last game, so Elvis Merzlikins is the projected starting goalie.
New Jersey Devils
Based on New Jersey’s last game, here are the projected lines and pairings (per NJDevils on X)
Ready to rock ‘n’ roll. pic.twitter.com/xcRYyDfAHO
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) December 18, 2024
Jake Allen rejoined the team, but it is unclear if he is healthy enough to start. If Allen is healthy enough to go, I expect him to start.
What to Watch For
Offensive Threats: Kirill Marchenko & Zach Werenski
The Blue Jackets offense has been successful this season, currently ranking within the top 5 teams in the NHL in terms of goals for (GF) at 5-on-5 with 73 per Natural Stat Trick (before the completion of the Wednesday night games). As of the writing of this post on Wednesday night, Columbus is sixth in the NHL with 66.95 expected goals for (xGF). Kirill Marchenko has been a big reason for that offensive success. Marchenko has tallied 11 goals and 20 assists this season. The Columbus forward has begun his third NHL season on a respective tear and is over halfway to reaching his career high in points. The 24-year-old Russian winger has recorded five points in his last five games, including two assists against the Lightning on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, veteran defenseman Zach Werenski is entering his ninth season in Columbus and has also been producing at a high level. Werenski has recorded 10 goals and 21 assists this season. The Blue Jackets blue-liner is just 10 goals shy of matching his career high from the 2019-2020 season. The Devils must keep the pressure on Marchenko and Werenski in this matchup on Thursday night.
Defensive Woes
Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets, their defense has not enjoyed the same success as their offense. As of Wednesday night (with games ongoing), Columbus ranks fifth in the NHL with 72 goals allowed (GA) at 5-on-5 per Natural Stat Trick. The Blue Jackets are also a top ten team in expected goals against (xGA). Three of the six defensemen slated to start against New Jersey on Thursday have negative +/- records this season (per NHL.com). In comparison, none of the Devils’ projected starting defensemen have negative +/- records.
As the last line of defense, goaltenders Elvis Merzlikins and Jet Greaves have been unable to bail their team out. Merzlikins has tallied a save percentage of .887 but has recorded an impressive 4.19 goals saved above average (GSAA) per Natural Hat Trick. That tells me that Merzlikins has played pretty well in net but has been unable to overcome the onslaught he faces each night. Jet Greaves has only played in three games this season and has posted a save percentage of .895. The Devils need to jump on the Blue Jackets struggling defense early on Thursday and not allow Merzlikins to settle in.
Damon Severson’s Season
The point is clear that the Blue Jackets are a vulnerable team going through a rough stint, so let’s check in on a former Devil. Damon Severson was always a polarizing player in New Jersey and is one of the few Blue Jackets defensemen with a positive +/- record this season. Severson is starting his second season in Columbus and is playing on the second defensive pairing for Columbus with Ivan Provorov. Thus far, Severson has tallied six goals and 11 assists in the 2024-2025 campaign. Through only 32 games, Severson is only five goals away from his career high of 11. Hopefully, the Devils take home the bragging rights against their former blue-liner in this one.
Your Thoughts
What will you be watching for? Marchenko has started to get some hype around the league. What are your thoughts on the young and upcoming forward? Where did you land on Damon Severson in his time with the Devils? Let us know in the comments below. Thank you for reading, and GO DEVILS!