Prediction #3: We'll see another line brawl
The Devils showcased a little of that snarl they added this offseason. Cotter is on that list, but so is Stefan Noesen, Brett Pesce (who is still recovering from offseason surgery), and Johnathan Kovacevic. However, there is one player who is added that grit that comes with big hits. Brenden Dillon was an underrated add by the Devils. He showed his impact pretty quickly in the Global Series.
Dillon was drilling Sabres last week, and one hit even came in as borderline questionable. It was a clean hit on J.J. Peterka, but Dillon just held an unfortunate height difference. Dillon even tried to get down low to make the hit safe, but the hit was still violent.
Dillon only hit three people at 5v5, but they seemed to make an impact every time. He doesn’t need to go full speed into anyone. Those hits don’t need to be in the game. Now, someone just needs to tell Matt Rempe and Jacob Trouba.
The Rangers' worst of the worst are still there, and they will absolutely be in the lineup against the Devils. This rivalry doesn’t bring out the best in these two teams. The Devils also still have Kurtis MacDermid, who went after Rempe to cause a line brawl. We expect those tensions to continue, and we’ll see Line Brawl Part 3.