The New Jersey Devils are in a two-game funk. They have this one last game against the Columbus Blue Jackets to get right.
The New Jersey Devils have lost two straight games to two elite teams. They lost to both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Washington Capitals in back to back road games. Those came after a pretty decent stretch for the Devils beating some really good teams. Now, they look to go into their mandatory bye week and All-Star break on a high note. They are not going to be even close to the playoffs but they might as well build on some good hockey.
They will play their final game before the break against the Columbus Blue Jackets. This Blue Jackets team should have the respect of all fans. They so many of their impact players during the offseason to big free-agent contracts. Now, John Tortorella has them currently. sitting in the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. This team honestly makes the Devils look even more pathetic because they have a lot less talent on their roster.
The Devils need to play a strong structure against the Blue Jackets because they work. They are a team that gets scoring by committee. They have guys like Pierre-Luc Dubois, Gustav Nyquist, and Cam Atkinson leading the way from the forward position. They have seen elite production from their top two defensemen Zach Werenski and Seth Jones along with some really good goaltending from Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins.
When someone gets hurt they have a “next man up” mentality. They are so good at filling in their holes so the coach and GM deserve a lot of credit for that. They could end up being that fun team that everyone roots for again like they were last year when the shockingly swept the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. If the Devils don’t play their speed game the right way, they will be run right out of Columbus.
You should keep your eye on Jack Hughes in this game. He has looked really good with the puck on his stick in the last few games. His defensive game needs some work but he looks good with the puck. He has had an assist or two here and there but that game where he explodes appears to be around the corner. It could be in this last game before the break. His brother Quinn Hughes is headed to the All-Star game so maybe he will have a little extra motivation. This should be a fun game overall for fans of both teams.