The Arizona Coyotes and the New Jersey Devils meet in NHL action from the Prudential Center on Saturday night.
The Arizona Coyotes will look to build on their three-game win streak after a 2-0 win over the New York Islanders in their last game. Clayton Keller leads the Coyotes with 15 points including 4 goals and a team-high 11 assists while Shayne Gostisbehere has 10 points with 4 goals and 6 assists. Nick Ritchie has 8 points with a team-high 6 goals and Matias Maccelli has 9 points with 8 assists. Lawson Crouse also has 8 points with 6 goals as well this season. Karel Vejmelka has gone 5-3-1 with a 3.06 GAA and a .915 save percentage while Connor Ingram has gone 1-3 with a 4.42 GAA and an .874 save percentage between the pipes for Arizona this season.
The New Jersey Devils will try to extend their current eight-game win streak after a 4-3 OT win over the Senators last time out. Jesper Bratt leads the Devils with a team-high 13 assists as part of his 18 points while Nico Hischier has logged 16 points with a team-high 8 goals and 8 assists. Dougie Hamilton has 11 points as well with 3 goals and 8 assists while Jack Hughes has 14 points with 4 goals and 10 assists. Mackenzie Blackwood has gone 4-2 with a 2.79 GAA and an .880 save percentage while Vitek Vanecek is 6-1 with a 2.33 GAA and a .909 save percentage of his own this season.
Arizona is 4-0 in their last 4 road games and 4-0 in their last 4 games against the Eastern Conference while the over is 5-1 in their last 6 Saturday games. New Jersey is 7-0 in their last 7 games following a win and 6-0 in their last 6 games against a team with a losing record while the over is 5-0-1 in their last 6 games played on 1 day’s rest.
I get the case to be made either way here, but I’m leaning towards the Coyotes. I liked the Devils at first, and I’ve been critical of the Devils at times in all honesty. But while I’ve turned a corner and have backed them in spots, I’m not at a point where I want to lay this kind of juice with New Jersey and while I hate using the D word, it almost feels like the Devils are due for a clunker after being on such a roll. Not a game I’m running to bet, but too much value here with a Coyotes team that’s found ways to win games here and there.