Today’s NHL Prediction features an East vs West matchup between the New Jersey Devils and the Chicago Blackhawks. The Devils (20-14-2) are coming off a huge Metro division win against the Washington Capitals. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks enter on the second night of a back-to-back and the last leg of a five-game road trip.
These two teams met on November 5 when the Devils won 4-2, in a game that didn’t feature Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes. This time around the Devils welcome young phenom Connor Bedard to the Prudential Center on the front half of their own back-to-back. The Devils will look to keep the good vibes rolling at home and beat up on the Blackhawks like most of the NHL has done this season.
NHL Predictions: New Jersey vs. Chicago
Three Keys to Victory for New Jersey
Bottle Up Bedard
The Chicago Blackhawks are not a very good team. Gone are the days of them boasting high-end talent all over the lineup. What they do have though is a Connor Bedard. Bedard has been exactly as advertised. He’s electric with the puck on his stick and can make plays out of nothing. Bedard is far and away the best player on the team and leads all Blackhawks players in goals, assists, and points. With the home advantage of the last change, the Devils will have the chance to match the Bedard line with one of their two shutdown centres in Hischier and Michael McLeod. The Blackhawks are dealing with injuries to some key forwards, but their next biggest threat is Phillip Kurashev who only has a modest 22 points. Bedard is a volume shooter, with a team-high 52% Corsi, as well as leading the team in shot attempts with 214, 72 more than the next player. The task is simply for the Devils: lock down Bedard.
Power Play Merchants
The Devils have begun to find their groove again on the power play. They’ve scored on the man advantage in three straight games and are 4/8 in that time. This game presents the perfect opportunity for the Devils to continue their rapid scoring on the power play. The Blackhawks have the 26th-ranked penalty kill at 74% but have surrendered the third most goals with 30. The Devil’s power play was on life support for the majority of December but has found life again. They’ve regained their spot at the top of the league at 30.6%. The trio of Jack and Luke Hughes and Jesper Bratt on the perimeter has looked crisp, and Nico Hischier has been the beneficiary of it. Hischier has scored in back-to-back games on the power play, bringing his total up to four for the season. If Chicago wants to put the Devils on the man advantage, they may find themselves in big trouble.
Motor Mike
It’s Michael McLeod’s world and we’re all just living in it. “Motor Mike” has been on a heater all season long, and his two-goal performance against Washington solidifies it. McLeod went from a defence-only fourth-liner to one of the most important players on the team. For starters, he leads the entire NHL in face-off percentage at 66.4%. Also, McLeod has become an offensive threat. His nine goals already match his career high, and he’s on pace for a career-high 37 points. Furthermore, his impact on the ice in terms of forechecking and aggression is unmatched. He has become a heart and soul type player for the Devils and someone whose value exceeds their point totals. With Bedard in the building, Lindy Ruff will surely look towards McLeod to shut down the Blackhawk’s sole driver of offence.
Prediction Time
Tonight’s game comes on the first half of a back-to-back for the Devils, something they’ve had no problem with. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks enter having just faced a tough New York Rangers squad. The Devils undeniably have the talent advantage. The Blackhawks are finishing up a road trip and are surely itching to get home. The only caveat is the Devils have put up some stinkers against lesser opponents (ie; Anaheim, Columbus, and San Jose). However, they have been playing significantly better hockey lately and should comfortably take the two points.
Prediction: Devils Win 5-2
Main Photo Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
