After defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1, the New Jersey Devils (34-25-6) will look to hold momentum in a crucial Metropolitan division matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets (31-24-8) on Tuesday.
The Devils currently sit in third place in their division, with Columbus just four points behind them.
Tuesday’s contest will be a deciding factor in the playoff push for the Devils, as the Metropolitan division is extremely close, with the Devils and last-place team (Pittsburgh Penguins) only 14 points apart.
The Devils will look to their new players to generate offensive pressure, just like Cody Glass did in his debut against the Flyers on Sunday afternoon.
Glass centered on a line with Erik Haula and newcomer Daniel Sprong. The fresh dynamics sparked a change in Haula, as he scored his first goal since Nov. 25, 2024. Haula also tallied an assist in the 3-1 victory, his first multipoint game since Oct. 12, as well as a +2 for the first time in the same frame.
The tandem of Jacob Markström and Jake Allen have been exceptional. Allen made numerous high-danger saves in his most recent win on Sunday, improving to a .910 save percentage and 2.62 GAA.
Markstrom will likely get the nod in net against the Blue Jackets, and he currently boasts a .907 save percentage and 2.34 GAA since returning from an injury.
The Blue Jackets are coming off a big 7-3 win against the Rangers and will rely on star defenseman Zach Werenski to power the team. Werenski holds the second place spot among all defensemen in the NHL with 68 points (20 G, 48 A).
Likely to get the go-ahead between the pipes for Columbus is Elvis Merzlikins, who holds a .897 save percentage and 2.99 GAA.
In this metro matchup, the Devils will look to string together two wins for the first time since Jan. 25.
Puck drop between the Devils and Blue Jackets is set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Mar. 11.
