With Jack Hughes expected to be out of the lineup, the Devils will have to find a way through defense and goaltending.
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (33-23-6) at the Dallas Stars (39-19-2).
The Broadcast: Streaming: ESPN+, Hulu, Disney+; Audio: Devils Hockey Radio
The Time: 8:00 PM ET
What Now?
I was really looking forward to March. With Jacob Markstrom returning from an injury, March was going to be a lengthy string of tests against top playoff teams. With the recent game against Vegas in addition to matches against Dallas, Winnipeg, Minnesota, and Edmonton, the Devils having all of their best players in the lineup would have been a good way to test themselves in preparation for April. Alas, without Jack Hughes in the lineup, the Devils will have to figure out how to line their top six up.
The clear answer, in my opinion, is to run a Bratt-Hischier-Meier top line to start the game. If it turns out that Dallas is able to zero in on this line and stop them from generating offense, then Keefe could split them up. But in their time together on the Devils, this line has generated over four goals per 60 minutes. As long as they can provide an offensive boost while maintaining good defensive play, they might be able to set the tone for the rest of the team, which can play good enough defense to win a 2-1 or 3-2 game.
Dallas and the West
Led by former Devils coach Peter DeBoer, the Dallas Stars are a very well-rounded team. With a 52.16 xGF% at five-on-five, the Stars sit just above the Devils at eighth. With the fourth-best per-game 5v5 offense at 2.79 goals for and the 14th best even strength defense at 2.33 goals against per 60 minutes, the Stars really separate themselves from the pack with their penalty kill. With a penalty kill that only allows 5.28 goals per 60 minutes (the Devils are fifth at 6.22), the Stars rank fourth and third in all-situation offense and defense.
That said, the Devils need not worry if a few penalties go uncalled tonight — they might actually be better off at even strength. As long as the officials let the Devils have as much leeway as they give Dallas, I would prefer to see these teams stay out of the box. Regardless of who is in net, both teams have excellent goaltending duos. The Stars have a team save percentage of 90.69%, just above the Devils at 90.67%. Whether it’s Jake Oettinger and Jacob Markstrom or Casey DeSmith and Jake Allen, these teams should expect good performances in net.
I often regard Dallas as an ideal example of Western Conference hockey. They are built rather large, with nine players over 6’3” and 205 pounds, and only five players 5’11” or shorter and under 200 pounds (Matt Duchene is listed at a hearty 212 pounds). Still, Dallas will not have all of their players in the lineup. Tyler Seguin, Nils Lundkvist, and Miro Heiskanen are all still on injured reserve. Since Heiskanen’s injury at the end of January, Dallas has regressed to the 19th-ranked all-situational defense — but they have scored a whopping 4.66 goals a game to go 7-2-1, anyway.
With their depth on the back-end and tough roster, Dallas has continued to score goals and win games regardless of the challenge. With how well Thomas Harley and Esa Lindell have played, they have been able to overcome the loss of Heiskanen. Meanwhile, Mikael Granlund has provided their middle six with a playmaking boost with seven assists in nine games, joining an offense led by Matt Duchene, Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, and Roope Hintz, who have all surpassed the 20-goal mark just 60 games into their season. Hopefully, the Devils can shut those guys down enough to get at least a point out of tonight’s game, and they can learn a thing about team resiliency from Dallas in the process.
Your Thoughts
What do you think of tonight’s game? Will the Devils have anyone step up? Do you think anyone will rise to the occasion in Jack’s place? Will Dawson Mercer be our second line center? Should Keefe go top-heavy or should he spread the talent out? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.