The New Jersey Devils and the Columbus Blue Jackets meet in NHL action from the Nationwide Arena on Friday night. Who comes out on top in this Metro division matchup? Let’s dive in and find out with our Devils vs. Blue Jackets Prediction.
New Jersey Devils Team Preview
The New Jersey Devils come into this one looking to rebound from a 3-2 loss to Montreal last time out. Jesper Bratt leads the Devils in scoring with 46 points including team-highs of 16 goals and 30 assists while Jack Hughes has 45 points with 15 goals and 30 assists. Tyler Toffoli has 29 points with a team-high 16 goals while Luke Hughes has 24 points with 16 assists as well this season. Vitek Vanecek has gone 14-7-2 with a 3.31 GAA and an .882 save percentage while Akira Schmid is 5-7-1 with a 3.26 GAA and an .893 save percentage this season. The Devils will meet the Stars, Golden Knights, and Hurricanes after this one.
New Jersey Devils Team Facts
- The favorites have won each of the Devils’ last nine games at Nationwide Arena.
- The Devils have failed to cover the puck line in 13 of their last 14 games as favorites following a home loss.
- The Devils have won the third period in each of their last six games as favorites.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in 12 of the Devils’ last 13 games as favorites against Metropolitan Division opponents.
Columbus Blue Jackets Team Preview
The Columbus Blue Jackets come into this one looking to build on their 4-3 win over Vancouver in their last matchup. Johnny Gaudreau leads the Blue Jackets with 28 points including 21 assists while Zach Werenski has 25 points with a team-high 24 assists. Kirill Marchenko has 24 points with a team-high 14 goals and Adam Fantilli has 25 points with 11 goals and 14 assists. Ivan Provorov has 23 points with 19 assists and Boone Jenner has 18 points with 13 goals of his own. Elvis Merzlikins has gone 8-8-6 in goal for Columbus with a 3.22 GAA and a .906 save percentage while Spencer Martin is 3-8-1 with a 3.65 GAA and an .887 save percentage this season.
Columbus Blue Jackets Team Facts
- The Blue Jackets have lost each of their last nine night games following a win.
- The Blue Jackets have covered the puck line in nine of their last 10 night games after coming off a shootout.
- The Blue Jackets have won the first period in each of their last five games against the Devils following a home win.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in each of the Blue Jackets’ last eight home games.
Devils vs. Blue Jackets Prediction
I’m backing the Devils here. Columbus did a good job of rallying to take out Vancouver, but this is still a tough spot for the Blue Jackets against a Devils team that’s played better on the road and one that seemingly has Columbus’ number in a lot of recent meetings. I think the Devils do enough to get themselves a hard-fought road win here, so give me the Devils.