In the New Jersey Devils (23-11-3) and Carolina Hurricanes (21-12-1) last encounter the Devils surprisingly dominated and took the win 4-2 to Carolina’s dismay, but these two teams plan to meet again this Friday night, Dec. 27 at 7 p.m. ET where the Hurricanes will no doubt be looking for some revenge.
Carolina goes into this game coming off 5-2 loss against the Nashville Predators. Even though the loss may diminish the confidence they have, it could also fuel more fire in them for the approaching game. On the other hand, New Jersey is coming into the game on a high note with soaring confidence as in their previous game they beat the New York Rangers 5-0.
Currently, The Devils sit first in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference with an impressive sum of 49 points, 1 point above the Washington Capitals. Under Washington sits the Hurricanes with 43 points. Winning this game could be huge for either team, as New Jersey could use the 2 points that come with the win to extend their first-place position and stay above the Capitals, while Carolina could use it to decrease the number of points that stand between them and the Capitals.
A well-rounded and high-energy game is to be expected as both teams both hold physical players who aren’t afraid to start a fight, offensive talents who have an eye for finding the net, defensive players who are able to lock down all sections of the ice, and impressive goaltenders.
Some players to take note of on the Devils side are the Hughes’s. Jack and Luke both played massive parts in the win New Jersey had Monday. Jack had 2 goals and 1 assist throughout the game while Luke had 2 assists. Jacob Markstrom and Jesper Bratt are also players to add to the list as Markstrom recorded his 2nd consecutive shutout Monday alongside grabbing his 23rd NHL shutout. Brad also gained 2 assists in Mondays game.
Bratt and J. Hughes also lead the team in points with 45 each, but surprisingly none of them lead the team in goals scored, that title as of now belongs to Nico Hischier, who has scored 17 this season. It won’t be surprising to see if Hischier or any of the listed players find the back of the net.
However, Carolina also holds some lethal players like Martin Necas, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. Necas leads the team in points, goals, and assists with 44 points, 14 goals and 30 assists. Aho holds 36 points, but in his most previous games against the Predators and Rangers, he was able to score in both. Svechnikov is a player who is capable of dominating throughout all sections of the ice while also being a physical player, which makes him a threat for New Jersey as well.
Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen are the potential starters for New Jersey in the imminent game, Markstrom has a save percentage of .912 while Allen strays a bit behind with .900. Carolina’s own Pyotr Kochetkov, who is the expected starter, holds a percentage of .903. These stats set the tone that the goaltending matchup will be evenly balanced on both sides of the ice.
Will the New Jersey Devils be able to take the win once again? Or, will the Carolina Hurricanes dominate the game like old times. Find out Friday at 7 p.m. ET.
