Free NHL Picks Today: Edmonton Oilers vs New Jersey Devils 11/3/22

Offense meets defense at Rogers Place on Thursday as the dynamic Edmonton Oilers (7-3-0) welcome the steadfast New Jersey Devils (7-3-0). New Jersey is coming off a 5-2 win over the Canucks on Tuesday, their fourth consecutive win. The Devils committed seven penalties in the game, conceding two power play goals.

Five players found the net for the Devils. Jack Hughes and Yegor Sharangovich both scored and provided an assist to lead the team in scoring. MacKenzie Blackwood had 21 saves in the win.

Edmonton won for the fifth game in a row, beating the Predators 7-4 on Tuesday. Evander Kane was the leading goal scorer for the Oilers, netting a hat trick. Leon Draisaitl had a goal and four assists to lead the team in scoring. Jack Campbell only stopped 19 of 23 shots (.826%).

HEAD TO HEAD

The teams split their two meetings last season, the last of which was a 6-3 victory for the Oilers in March. Connor McDavid led Edmonton with three points (1G 2A). Jesper Bratt led New Jersey with three points (2G 1A). Mikko Koskinen got the win despite allowing three goals on 28 shots (.892%).

FACING OFF

New Jersey is averaging 3.60 goals per game so far this season, sixth in the NHL, and they are taking on an Oilers team that is allowing 3.20 goals a game (18th).

Meanwhile, Edmonton has found the net 4.10 times a game on average, third in the league, and will be looking to overwhelm the Devils’ stout defense, which is holding opponents to 2.50 goals per game (4th).

New Jersey averages more shots a game (39.1) than any other team in the league, though the team’s 9.2% shooting percentage ranks 23rd. Edmonton’s average of 33.3 attempts ranks 10th.The Oilers’ second-ranked power play offense (33.33%) will be put to the test against the Devils, who are the league’s fourth-best penalty killing team (88.24%).

New Jersey, meanwhile, has scored on 22.22% of their power play opportunities (15th), which the visiting team will be looking to build on against Edmonton’s 26th-ranked 73.33% penalty killing rate.

TOP PERFORMERS:

With 16 points this season, fifth-most in the NHL, Bratt is the top skater for the Devils. He is among the league leaders with 12 assists (2nd) and has added four goals of his own. In the net, Vitek Vanecek (3-1-0) is New Jersey’s top goaltender by goals against average. He has a 2.08 GAA and a .903% save percentage.

Blackwood (3-2-0) leads the Devils in games played in goal. He has a GAA of 2.82 and a save percentage of .871%.McDavid and Draisaitl lead the Oilers in scoring with 22 and 21 points, respectively. They rank first and fourth in the league in points scored on the season.

McDavid has a league-best 11 goals and 11 assists (7th), while Draisaitl has a league-best 16 assists and five goals (). Stuart Skinner (2-1-0) has the best goals against average for Edmonton at 1.59, second-best in the league.

He has a save percentage of .955%, best. Campbell (4-2-0) has played the most games in net for the Oilers this season. He has a 3.88 GAA and a .888% save percentage.