The New Jersey Devils are a very different team than the one who played the Colorado Avalanche a few weeks ago and now is the time to prove it.
The New Jersey Devils are back at it again on Saturday night when the Colorado Avalanche come to town. A few weeks ago, the Devils went to Denver and played a very close game. It was the beginning of the end as it was the first game where Taylor Hall was scratched. Many thought it could be the start of a Hall trade to Colorado, but they eventually moved him to Arizona.
They lost the game, but they played very well against an elite team. They will be looking to replicate this performance with a different result.
This game will make a game played on the birthday of Nico Hischier. He will turn 21 years old. This player had high expectations on him from the very beginning as he was the first-overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. He is starting to really touch the potential that he always had. It’s taken a little longer for him to score, but everything is starting to fall into place. Hopefully, he can carry this play into a big matchup against the Avalanche.
The Avalanche are going to have more of the same in this game. They are led by Nathan MacKinnon who has really become one of the very best players in the world. His linemates Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen help him form one of the two best lines in the National Hockey League. They have depth at forward but if the Devils are able to shut down that top line they will have a much greater chance to win the game.
The Avalanche have one of the game’s great young studs in Cale Makar. He is the clear front runner right now for the Calder Trophy as the league’s best rookie. He has come in and transformed the entire attack and defense for Colorado from the back end. He is must-watch television for hockey fans but the Devils need to try to make him real boring. He can burn you at even strength and the power play if he really gets going. It will be interesting to see how the Devils try to contain him. Keeping him and the MacKinnon line off the power play would probably go a long way.
This Devils team is 6-2-1 in their last nine games. They believe in themselves to be the best versions of themselves no matter what and it shows. They have simplified their game and seen a rise in production from the important players. This is another big chance to add to their confidence with a big win over an elite team.