An exciting head-to-head erupts this upcoming Saturday afternoon against the New Jersey Devils and the visiting Chicago Blackhawks, where the stakes are high for the win.
In New Jersey’s last 10 games they’ve upheld a record of 6-3-1, a bit of a downgrade from their last few records. Alongside the Devils’ struggles, the Blackhawks have also been struggling as their last 10 games have left them with a disappointing 3-6-1 record. Its apparent that both teams are hitting a mid-season slump.
Chicago has attempted to amplify their game lately and called up two key prospects from their affiliate team, Kevin Korchinski and Frank Nazar. Having these two young guys could make a difference for them offensively and defensively.
Changes with New Jersey have also been made as Nathan Bastian recently returned to the lineup; it is also speculated that Tomas Tatar will again be a healthy scratch, as he was Thursday night. Kurtis MacDermid is the one taking Tatar’s spot as of now.
The good news keeps coming for New Jersey as per Devils team reporter, Amanda Stein, Curtis Lazar has made his way back into recovery and just this morning joined the team on the ice for his first practice since injury.
It’s almost guaranteed that some heavy hitting and fights may erupt in this game, as the last time these teams encountered each other, star players Jack Hughes and Connor Bedard both suffered injuries that kept them out of the subsequent All Stars game. Both teams may be looking for some revenge.
Goaltending on both sides of the ice are even as Arvid Soderblom stands tall with a save percentage of .908. Jacob Markstrom isn’t far behind though as he sits with a percentage of .906. It’s apparent offensive players will be working overtime, no matter what team they are on.
The Blackhawks’ offense has been increasingly better lately. Some players to take note of are Connor Bedard and Ryan Donato. The infamous #1 overall pick in the 2023 draft has been impressing the league lately and he has 6 goals and 18 assists, which sum to 24 points. Alongside Bedard, Donato has been a huge contributor for the team and he sits first on his team for goals with 10 total.
Even with the clear lack in offense lately for New Jersey, it doesn’t mean they should be ignored or taken lightly. Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt are some of the guys to thank as they’ve been consistently fighting to find the back of the net. The spotlight shines brightly on forward Jack Hughes, though, as Thursday night he brought the Devils to victory over the Los Angeles Kings with 2 assists and a goal.
Both teams also must keep the dependable defense going to secure their goaltending, their confidence, and the win.
It’s inevitable it’ll be a high energy game as revenge creeps in for these teams. The win will be awarded to the team that plays with what is needed.
