The NHL’s two highest volume shooting teams are set to face off at FLA Live Arena on Wednesday, as the New Jersey Devils (+115) travel to take on the Florida Panthers (-135).
The total is 6.5 (O: -120, U: +100)New Jersey (21-9-2) is playing the second of a back-to-back after suffering a 4-1 loss against the Hurricanes yesterday, their sixth straight defeat.
The Devils committed four penalties in the game, though they held Carolina without a power play goal. Jack Hughes was the only player to find the net for the Devils. Vitek Vanecek started in the loss and only had 10 saves on 13 shots against (.769%).
Florida (15-14-4) fell 7-3 to the Bruins on Monday. Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, and Eric Staal scored one apiece for the Panthers. Reinhart and Verhaeghe both added an assist to lead the team in scoring. Spencer Knight only had 19 saves on 26 shots against (.730%) in the loss.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Panthers won the first meeting between the teams this season, a 4-2 victory on December 17, their third straight win against New Jersey. Reinhart (2G 0A) and Aaron Ekblad (0G 2A) each had two points to lead Florida. Erik Haula led New Jersey with two points (1G 1A). Sergei Bobrovsky got the win, saving 30 of 32 shots (.937%).
FACING OFF
New Jersey is averaging 3.38 goals per game for the season, eighth in the NHL, and they are taking on a Panthers team that is allowing 3.33 goals a game (21st).
Meanwhile, Florida has found the net 3.33 times a game on average, 10th in the league, and the Devils are holding opponents to 2.53 goals per game (3rd).
Both teams average more shots/game than any other team in the league. Florida’s 36.7 average ranks first, while New Jersey ranks No. 2 with 35.2 attempts. When it comes to shot-stopping, the Devils have been more successful with a team save percentage of .909% (14th), while the Panthers have stopped .901% of shots as a team (21st).
Power play opportunities ought to be plentiful for the Devils, as the Panthers have been penalized 4.70 times a game, fourth-most in the NHL, for an average of 10.67 minutes (ninth-highest). The visitors are averaging 3.81 penalties (20th) and 8.75 penalty minutes a game (17th).
The Devils’ 18.18% power play percentage ranks 25th in the league, while the Panthers are 27th with a conversion rate of 17.50%. When it comes to defending power plays, New Jersey has the league’s sixth-ranked PK% at 81.37%, while Florida is 20th at 76.80%.
TOP PERFORMERS:
With 37 points this season, Hughes is the top skater for the Devils. He has 17 goals and 20 assists in 32 games. In the net, Vanecek (12-3-2) is New Jersey’s top goaltender.
He has a 2.37 GAA and a .912% save percentage. Matthew Tkachuk leads the Panthers in scoring with 39 points. He has 14 goals and 25 assists in 30 games. Knight (8-5-3) has the best goals against average for Florida at 2.93.
He has a save percentage of .909%. Bobrovsky (7-9-1) has played the most games in net for the Panthers this season. He has a 3.26 GAA and a .894% save percentage.
HOME AND AWAY
New Jersey is 11-2-1 away from Prudential Center this season. Florida is 8-4-3 at home this season. Meanwhile, the Devils are 2-1 without a day off and 1-0 playing with a rest disadvantage. The Panthers are 2-1 with a rest advantage.
SportsTips’ NHL Pick:
Florida Panthers (-140)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
