New Jersey Devils: Boston Bruins Top Line Is Main Priority
The Boston Bruins have the best line in the NHL and the New Jersey Devils need to focus on it in order to win the game on Saturday night.
The New Jersey Devils have a daunting task ahead of them as they still search for that elusive first victory of the season. The 0-2-2 Devils are headed to the TD Garden to play the 3-1-0 Boston Bruins. The Bruins are the defending Eastern Conference Champions and were defeated in the Stanley Cup Final by the St. Louis Blues in seven games. They are bringing back a lot of the same roster and look prepared to do it again.
The biggest key to this elite roster is the top line of Patrice Bergeron in the middle of David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. The line is often considered the best line in the National Hockey League. Every year, Marchand threatens to score 100 points, Bergeron is a Selke Trophy candidate and often winner, and Pastrnak might have the most offensive skill of the three. It is a well-balanced line that can beat you in many different ways.
That line needs to be the main focus when the Devils hit the ice against the Bruins. In a similar way to how they handled the Connor McDavid– Leon Draisaitl line when they played the Edmonton Oilers a few nights ago. Those two each had two goals, but you can consider that a win as they can often score way more than that. The way Nico Hischier played against McDavid in overtime is also something to study and learn from as they prepare for Boston’s top forward unit.
They will need it from all of their forwards in this one. It is in Boston so Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy will get last change so John Hynes won’t have as much control over who goes head to head with the Bergeron line so all of the centers need to be ready and their wingers need to help out. It is also important that the defenseman play well against them as well.
Related Story. The Devils need to figure it out on the power play. light
They are going to get their looks no matter how well you defend them, so Cory Schneider is going to need to be sharp in this game as he will get the start. He has given his hometown Bruins fits in his career as a Devils, even when the Devils roster was subpar. They also as a team need to prepare for others besides the top line as they have plenty of depth. With guys like David Krejci, Jake Debrusk, and Charlie Coyle in the mix, the Bruins can come at you in waves but the top line being shut down would give the Devils a major advantage.
Schneider will be opposing Tuukka Rask in this one who is one of the elite goalies in the league so this Bruins roster is deep at all positions. Their top forward line is key but that doesn’t mean that if you shut them down you will win, but it does give you a much better chance to win the game.