Columbus Blue Jackets (46–18–6) at New Jersey Devils (26–32–12)
Sunday, March 19, 2017, 1 p.m. (Prudential Center)
The New Jersey Devils stand in the way of the Blue Jackets clinching a playoff spot. Drink that in.
These two teams have seen plenty of each other in the month of March, and they'll do battle once again in Newark, but there's a little more at stake for Columbus this time around. After the Washington Capitals beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in regulation on Saturday night, the Blue Jackets need a win in any fashion against New Jersey in order to secure their spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
And while they hung around the playoff picture for the first half of the year, the second half has not been kind to the Devils. They have dropped 11 of their last 12 games and trudged through a 10-game losing skid from late February into mid-March; their playoff elimination date is rapidly approaching, but that hasn't stopped them from playing the Blue Jackets tough in the season series.
You Oughta Know: Plano, TX
Yeah, that's right. Plano, Texas -- the Devils have two (!) players from Plano on the roster: Stefan Noesen and Blake Coleman, both in their first seasons with the club. Noesen scored one of New Jersey's four goals in a 6-4 loss to the Penguins on Friday night.
[Fire Emoji] Right Now
- Taylor Hall is riding a four-game points streak and has three goals and five points in that span. He leads the Devils in assists (30) and is second on the club with 47 points.
- Kyle Palmieri, acquired by the Devils for the sole purpose of producing offense, has done that: he leads New Jersey in goals (25) and points (48).
- Adam Henrique has points in three straight games, including a two-goal night against the Flyers on Thursday.
Five Fast Facts
- This is the fourth and final meeting in the season series between the Blue Jackets and Devils. Columbus has registered shutouts (3-0, 2-0) in the previous two meetings.
- The Devils are 0-2-0 in matinee games at Prudential Center this season.
- New Jersey made a rare post-deadline trade, sending defenseman Brandon Gormley to Ottawa in exchange for future considerations on Mar. 6.
- Injuries: F Jacob Josefson (upper body), F Michael Cammalleri (upper body), F Blake Coleman (upper body), F Devante Smith-Pelly (lower body).
- Did you know? Scott Hartnell was a teammate of current Devils assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald in Nashville, playing together for parts of two seasons.
Previous Matchups
THIS YEAR: Blue Jackets lead 2–1–0.
ALL TIME SERIES: Devils are 13-11-4 all-time vs. CBJ.
Keys to the Game
ONE: Quick start. Don't let the Devils build any momentum.
TWO: Discipline. The Blue Jackets were good in this department on Saturday.
THREE: Get it done.
Team Projected Lineup
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Taylor Hall | 60 GP, 17-30-47 | 19 | Travis Zajac | 68 GP, 13-28-41 | 21 | Kyle Palmieri | 68 GP, 25-23-48 |
| 64 | Joseph Blandisi | 18 GP, 2-5-7 | 14 | Adam Henrique | 70 GP, 18-19-37 | 8 | Beau Bennett | 53 GP, 5-10-15 |
| 37 | Pavel Zacha | 58 GP, 8-11-19 | 42 | John Quenneville | 4 GP, 0-1-1 | 23 | Stefan Noesen | 21 GP, 4-2-6 |
| 44 | Miles Wood | 50 GP, 8-8-16 | 56 | Blake Pietila | 5 GP, 0-0-0 | 36 | Nick Lappin | 42 GP, 4-3-7 |
| # | Player | Stats | # | Player | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Andy Greene | 54 GP, 4-8-12 | 12 | Ben Lovejoy | 70 GP, 1-6-7 |
| 7 | Jon Merrill | 42 GP, 1-5-6 | 47 | Dalton Prout | 6 GP, 0-1-1 |
| 2 | John Moore | 51 GP, 7-10-17 | 28 | Damon Severson | 69 GP, 3-27-30 |
| # | Player | GS | W-L-OL | GAA | SV% | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Cory Schneider | 52 | 19-22-10 | 2.72 | .911 | 2 |
| 1 | Keith Kinkaid | 18 | 7-10-2 | 2.76 | .913 | 0 |
10 Stats to Know
Impress your friends and enemies alike with these 10 key Devils stats.
| Last 10 | Standings | PP% | PK% | CF60 (5x5) | CA60 (5x5 | PDO | OT (SHO) | FO% | 5x5 GF/GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-7-2 | 8th, Metro | 18.2 (19th) | 80.6 (16th) | 47.24 | 52.76 | 98.9 (24th) | 5-10 (3-2) | 49.8 (16th) | 100-130 |
