3. Facing A Western Conference Juggernaut
After facing the Flyers, the Devils welcome the Nashville Predators to the Prudential Center. They come into this season as one of the Stanley Cup favorites. At 6-1, the Preds have the best record in the NHL. Pekka Rinne is still playing well at an advanced age, their defense is keeping pucks away from the net and their offense is doing just enough to win.
The Devils already had a few benchmark games, smoking the defending Stanley Cup Champions in the Washington Capitals and shutting out the insane Dallas Stars offense. However, the Devils are facing quite possibly the team that’s on their way to a President’s Trophy.
The Devils and Predators are number one and two in goals against in the league. These two teams also have great offensive skill, so don’t expect a Devils-Senators game from 1999. This will be a high-flying matchup with a lot of skill, that also looks like a chess match. If the Devils are able to come out of that matchup with a win, they will get serious respect around the league.