After losing the last three games, the Devils look to return to the win column against division rival, the New York Islanders tonight at 7 p.m. ET.
After beginning the season 4-1-0, the Devils have looked out of place the last few games. In the past five games they are 1-3-1.
The Devils will have to figure out how to win on home ice if they are looking to add two points tonight, something they have struggled with the past two seasons.
The Devils will be in the second half of a back-to-back, losing against the Detroit Red Wings last night. Despite losing, the Devils did look like the better team and got unlucky with some questionable calls from the referees. The Devils dominated every aspect of the game besides the score.
One thing to watch that has been a weakness in the Devils recently is their penalty kill. In their past three games, the Devils have killed only 50% of their penalties.
The powerplay on the other hand has been stellar as they rank seventh in the NHL with a power play percentage of 29.7%.
The Devils did get a boost on defense with the return of Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce, they both ended their season debut looking calm and steady. Hughes grabbed his first point of the season with an assist on the powerplay.
Captain Nico Hischier has been if not the best, then one of the best players on the team since the beginning of the season. The Swiss forward is tied for second place in the NHL for most goals with seven to begin his season. The Devils should look to lean on his leadership and follow his play if they would like to be a team able to compete with everyone.
It is easy to say the Devils need to tighten up on defense, but it is a team effort from everyone. The goaltender needs to make the saves that can keep a team in the game and the defense and forwards need to up their compete level and urgency in every position to give themselves a chance at winning tonight.
Puck drop against the Islanders will be at 7 p.m. ET at the Prudential Center.
