On Saturday, the New Jersey Devils face the Edmonton Oilers in the friendly confines of the Prudential Center. Currently, the Devils have a record of 3-1-0, while the Oilers have gone 2-1-1. The predictions for this game are running wild.
Going into this game, New Jersey is coming off an amazing win against the Florida Panthers, where they won 3-1. In that game, the Devils excelled on their penalty kills, fighting back against each of the five penalties called against them. Its evident that New Jersey is going in a good direction as of lately, but that shouldn’t be a reason for them to think the Oilers change change their journey.
Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers were busy fighting to get back against the New York Islanders; their efforts would go unanswered, though, as they ended up losing 4-2 to the Islanders. Poor defensive mistakes and a slow start doomed the Oilers from the start, but the Devils shouldn’t count them out.
The game may not be as physical as expected, since both teams are most likely going to be so engrossed in fighting for the win.
Some players that New Jersey will have to look out for on the ice are Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. McDavid is most definitely going to be a problem for the Devils; his fast skating and great chemistry with his linemates are going to be an obstacle for his opponents. Draisaitl has an eye for where to shoot the puck to get goals for his team, so the Devils’ defensive lines will have to work overtime in making sure he isn’t able to get a good shot in.
Some players Edmonton will have to take note of on New Jersey’s side are Jack Hughes and Timo Meier. Hughes had a great game Thursday night, as he scored the first goal of the game and was everywhere he needed to be throughout the game. Then, Timo Meier also scored the game-winning goal.
Winning this game for the Devils could mean finally stringing together a four-game win streak, and for the Oilers, it could mean getting back on track.
To figure out who’s able to bring the energy in the upcoming game and take those 2 points home with them, tune in to ESPN at 3:30 p.m. to find out.
