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New Jersey Devils: Central Division Makes It A Tough Weekend

By Vincent Parise

NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 06: Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) during the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils nd the Chicago Blackhawks on December 6, 2019 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 06: Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) during the National Hockey League game between the New Jersey Devils nd the Chicago Blackhawks on December 6, 2019 at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The New Jersey Devils had a tough weekend against some good Central Division opponents. They lost all their games and didn’t make up any ground in the standings.

The New Jersey Devils are less than a week removed from firing John Hynes as their head coach. Since then, they have played a little better at times, but things still aren’t good. They had two tilts this weekend with Central Division opponents and they did not fare particularly well. They really needed to have a good weekend to get themselves going, but they failed to do so.

They began with the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night. Chicago is in a similar position to the Devils in terms of being a talented yet underachieving team. Both teams are solid at the forward position, but have a weakness on defense. So naturally, they played a game where neither team scored an even-strength goal. Taylor Hall scored a power-play goal for New Jersey and Alex DeBrincat had one for Chicago. Both MacKenzie Blackwood and Corey Crawford had really good games in net.

The game hit the end of regulation with a 1-1 tie. They both went scoreless in the 3 on 3 overtime session and hit the shootout. The Blackhawks got the extra save in the shootout so they were awarded the 2-1 victory over the Devils. It was a game that the Devils had a chance to win, but they simply couldn’t get it done.

Things got tougher as they had the Nashville Predators the next night. The Predators are a better team on paper than Chicago, but they have struggled at times this season. It started off terribly for New Jersey when Nashville went up 2-0 quickly but the Devils crawled back and tied it. They ended up losing the game 6-4, which sealed a weekend where they only grabbed one point out of four. That is not the type of weekend they needed, and things are looking bleak for the Devils right now.

light. Related Story. Would a trade of Taylor Hall for Matt Murray work for the Devils?

One positive note this season so far has been the play of Jack Hughes. He returned from a three-game absence due to injury in the Chicago game. In both games this weekend he looked strong with the puck and showed that he can make plays with the best of them. There is no doubt that he is going to be one of the best offensive players in the league.

New Jersey continues its road trip on Tuesday night when they visit Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and the Dallas Stars. This is a game that the Devils need to win. The Stars are one of the great teams in the National Hockey League but the Devils can’t let this thing get any worse. A win against a great team like that would go a long way into the team feeling a little better about itself.

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