The New Jersey Devils are set to complete their season-opening road trip with a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Both teams have identical records of one win and one loss so far in the new NHL season.
The Devils started their campaign with a 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. The game was tied until late in the third period before the Hurricanes scored three goals in the final minutes. In their next outing, New Jersey bounced back, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3.
Columbus began its season on the road in Nashville, losing 2-1. The Blue Jackets responded in their next game by defeating the Minnesota Wild 7-4 in Minnesota’s home opener. As a result, both teams are currently tied for fourth place in the Metropolitan Division and hold an early tie for the first wild card spot.
For New Jersey, Arseny Gritsyuk recorded two assists in his last game while playing alongside Connor Brown. Luke Hughes has started strong as well, tallying four assists through two games. The Blue Jackets have been led offensively by Kirill Marchenko, who has scored three goals in two games after finishing last season with career-high numbers.
Injury updates for New Jersey include Kovacevic (knee) listed as month-to-month, Noesen (groin) day-to-day, Casey (lower body), Dadonov (hand), McLaughlin, and Lammikko all out or unavailable due to undisclosed reasons. Columbus currently reports no injuries on its roster.
Last season’s matchups between these teams saw New Jersey win two of three meetings, including a victory at home and one on the road. In recent contests, games between these teams have tended to be high-scoring; nine of their last twelve meetings have featured at least four goals by the winning team, and five out of ten recent games at Nationwide Arena were decided by three or more goals.
Statistically, Connor Brown and Jesper Bratt lead New Jersey with two goals each this season, while Luke Hughes tops the team in both assists and points with four. For Columbus, Marchenko leads in goals and four players are tied with three points each.
The Blue Jackets have performed well defensively at home against New Jersey recently, killing off 27 of their last 30 penalties at Nationwide Arena during this series. The matchup also tends to produce plenty of action, as both teams have combined for over 60 shots in fourteen of their last seventeen encounters.
The game will be broadcast on MSGSN and streamed via Gotham Sports. Radio coverage is available through the Devils Hockey Network.
