The New Jersey Devils are looking to turn their luck around on Saturday night against the New York Islanders, a team that has dominated them.
Per Amanda Stein, Jake Allen is getting the nod as the Devils travel to Long Island to face the Islanders. Allen will be tasked with helping the Devils snap a six-game winless streak against New York.
While it may be wiser to trust Connor Hellebuyck in this situation, Allen is a seasoned veteran who has played well this year. He is 5-3-0, with an .887 save percentage, a 3.11 GAA, and a .500 quality starts percentage.
His save percentage may be low, but Allen was also tasked with taking reps as the number-one goaltender until the Devils acquired Hellebuyck. With Hellebuyck in town, Allen can be more well-rested and more effective.
It will also take a team effort for the Devils to finally get the best of the Islanders.
New Jersey’s Projected Lines And Pairings Against Islanders
Going by the Devils’ morning skate, Amanda Stein listed Timo Meier, Nico Hischier, and Luke Evangelista as the top line. Evangelista has quietly put together a good first season so far in Newark. He has eight points and three goals in 13 contests.
Jack Hughes is slated to center Arseny Gritsyuk and Jesper Bratt. Bratt helped bail out the Devils thanks to a helper from defenseman Dougie Hamilton in Thursday’s win over the St. Louis Blues.
Anthony Mantha, who is gaining steam this season, is projected to line up alongside Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist. Boqvist is on pace to have a career year with five goals and seven points.
Cody Glass is slated to center Amadeus Lombardi and Connor Brown. Lombardi continues to catch on in his limited minutes, with four assists in his first 14 appearances. Glass also had some words of confidence leading up to Saturday night’s matchup.
Defensively, Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce are slated for the first pairing. Hughes had two points in that win over St. Louis, and he has six points in his last five matchups.
Jonas Siegenthalar is projected to line up alongside Hamilton. Hamilton is one point away from eclipsing the half-point-per-game mark.
Declan Chisholm should line up alongside Johnathan Kovacevic. Chisholm’s 93.5 on-ice save percentage at even strength is the highest among the Devils’ defensemen.
Devils Must Work For A Win On Saturday
Per Stefan Rosner, New Jersey will face Ilya Sorokin on Saturday night. Sorokin is having yet another career year. He has a .911 save percentage, a 2.41 GAA, a shutout, and a .500 quality starts percentage.
The Devils will need to find a way to outplay one of the league’s best netminders. But with 14 goals in their past three games, New Jersey has momentum on its side. The Devils have also shown they can survive close games, given their last two narrow wins.
With Saturday’s game being the first half of a back-to-back, a win also builds momentum. Sorokin will force the Devils to work for it. But if they steal one on Long Island, New Jersey will be raring to go on Sunday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. EST.
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