Game Preview: Black Friday Matinee Pits Blue Jackets Against Devils

NEW JERSEY DEVILS
8-8-1 (17 pts; .500%) ROSTER SCHEDULE
3:00 P.M. – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24 PRUDENTIAL CENTER  NEWARK, NJ
TELEVISION: Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ Power Play
ODDS & PROJECTIONS:
ODDS OF CBJ WIN PER MONEYPUCK: 36%
PLAYOFF ODDS PER MONEYPUCK:  Devils: 61% Blue Jackets: 9%
TIPICO SPORTSBOOK: CBJ +200

Have the Columbus Blue Jackets turned the tide?

Or was Wednesday's dominant 7-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks merely a byproduct of good luck against a bad team?

No matter what the answer to that question is, one thing is for sure: the Blue Jackets snapping their nine-game losing streak with a four-goal victory (their largest of the season) in front of a home, sellout crowd — it had to feel good for the boys in blue.

But after defeating a Blackhawks team that ranks 31st in points, the Blue Jackets now have a remarkably tough three-game stretch: at New Jersey, at Carolina, and home for Boston. Despite the Devils slow start, let there be no doubt: all three teams are Stanley Cup contenders.

Here's what to keep an eye on Friday afternoon when the puck drops at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey for the first of those three games:

TALKING POINTS: NJD

• As stated above, don't let the record fool you. The Devils may be playing .500 hockey for the first six weeks of the season, but there's almost no way they don't finish comfortably in a playoff spot. New Jersey got off to a 7-3-1 start before losing five of their last six games, and every team is going to have its downs over the course of a season. This is still a dangerous team.
   
• Speaking of dangerous, New Jersey's particularly good on the power play and that has the potential to carry them quite far in the spring. Their 37.3% conversion rate on the man-advantage rate leads the league by a country mile (the Tampa Bay Lightning rank second at 31.3%) and is the primary reason the Devils are top ten in the NHL in goals per game (3.47). 
   
• Tyler Toffoli might be the clubhouse leader in goals, but it's the assist leader on the team — Jack Hughes — who makes the Devils engine go. At just 22, Hughes has blossomed into a special player and is probably the focal point of the franchise for the next decade. Keep an eye on #86 when he has the puck because he is a joy to watch.

TALKING POINTS: CBJ

• Reign it in and remember it was a full-on rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks team, but holy smokes did a couple of Pascal Vincent's lines look to click. One line in particular was the trio of Johnny Gaudreau, Boone Jenner, and Kirill Marchenko. They were on the ice together for three goals in 5-on-5 play and in 70 minutes together this season, are averaging over five goals per 60 minutes of even-strength play. The Devils, of course, are a much tougher opponent, but it bears watching.
   
• Following his healthy scratch, the Patrik Laine at center experiment seems to be over. He was back on the wing in Wednesday's win, playing alongside Dmitri Voronkov and Adam Fantilli. Against, the three looked like were having fun and playing hockey — which, as is turns out, is a pretty good way to win hockey games. Laine desperately needed a goal and got it in the second period. It's too early to determine if Laine is "back", but it was a step in the right direction.
   
• Columbus' penalty kill continues to excel, which is a little odd considering their amount of defensive collapses and turnovers in 5-on-5 (and even on the power play). After Chicago's 0-for-4 night when a man up, the Blue Jackets 88.1% kill percentage on the season is holding steady at third-best in the NHL. 

Updated: 7:05 a.m. // Subject to Change
Lines are based on most recent practice/game, as well as injury updates and news.