The 11-4-1 New Jersey Devils hit the road tonight to face the 8-5-3 Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center.
This will be the first meeting of the season between the two teams. It marks the start of a five-game road trip for the Devils, while the Blackhawks begin a four-game homestand.
The Devils are coming off their first home loss of the season, a 3-2 overtime defeat to the New York Islanders on Monday. Their last road trip ended with a 1-3-0 record.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe reflected on that stretch when speaking with NHL.com:
“We didn’t like the way our last road trip went,” Keefe said. “It’s a five-game stand on the road. We have to play better on the road. It’s a good opportunity for us to get that right.”
The Blackhawks, meanwhile, enter the game riding a three-game winning streak, most recently defeating the Detroit Red Wings 5-1.
Former first-round draft pick Connor Bedard continues to impress. Bedard is on an eight-game point streak, collecting 11 points in his last five games. Bedard is tied for the team lead in goals (9) and leads Chicago with 25 points.
For comparison, Jack Hughes leads the Devils with 18 points this season, while Timo Meier has scored two goals in his last three games as he looks to extend his streak.
Ahead of the matchup, Keefe discussed the challenge of facing Bedard and the young Blackhawks roster.
“Lots of speed and skill,” Keefe said to NHL.com. “Bedard is playing on another level right now. We don’t need too many reminders—it wasn’t too long ago that we played San Jose and Anaheim, all these young guys taking significant leaps in their play.
It’s a real challenge, but their defense has taken a step too. They have lots of confidence. It’s a challenge like every single game this season, and we’ll have to be ready.”
Injury Report
Devils:
- Dougie Hamilton (undisclosed)
- Connor Brown (undisclosed)
- Brett Pesce (upper body)
- Evgenii Dadonov (hand)
- Johnathan Kovacevic (knee)
- Marc McLaughlin (undisclosed)
Blackhawks:
- Frank Nazar (undisclosed, day-to-day)
- Jason Dickinson (shoulder, IR)
- Louis Weber (IR)
Ahead of the game, Keefe announced several line changes after limited offensive production in recent outings.
The top two lines were shuffled, with Dawson Mercer joining Jack Hughes and Arseny Gritsyuk, while Jesper Bratt moved alongside Nico Hischier and Timo Meier.
“It’s been too long now that both those lines haven’t really connected offensively,” Keefe said to NHL.com. “I think it’s time for a different look.”
Bratt said he was eager for the opportunity to play with new linemates.
“It boosts you up to get new linemates—even if they aren’t really new, just familiar faces,” Bratt said to NHL.com. “It’ll be good to help the team get a little spark.”
This is the first of two meetings between the Devils and Blackhawks this season. They’ll face off again on March 29.
Forward Dawson Mercer said the team is eager to make a statement on the road.
“We feel being a great road team would be a huge step for us,” Mercer said to NHL.com. “We’ve been amazing at home. After our last trip, we want to end on a more positive note. Right now, we have a great opportunity—five games here to really prove that and turn the switch.”
Puck drop is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET in the Windy City.
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