Free NHL Picks Today: New Jersey Devils vs Columbus Blue Jackets 10/30/22

The Columbus Blue Jackets (3-6-0), one of the league’s top penalty killing teams, travel to take on the New Jersey Devils (5-3-0) and their weak power play offense at Prudential Center on Sunday. Columbus is coming off a 4-0 loss against the Bruins on Friday.

The Blue Jackets committed only two penalties in the game, holding Boston without a power play goal. Elvis Merzlikins only had 25 saves on 29 shots against (.862%) after starting in the loss. New Jersey beat the Avalanche 1-0 on Friday. Jack Hughes was the only player to score for the Devils. Vitek Vanecek recorded his first shutout of the season with 24 saves.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Blue Jackets won three of the four games between the teams last season, including a 4-3 victory in their final meeting in March. Patrik Laine (1G 1A), Boone Jenner (1G 1A), and Jakub Voracek (0G 2A) each had two points to lead Columbus. Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Pavel Zacha were on the scoresheet for New Jersey. Merzlikins got the win, saving 30 of 33 shots (.909%).

FACING OFF

Columbus is averaging 2.78 goals per game so far this season, 25th in the NHL, and they are taking on a Devils team that is allowing 2.75 goals a game (7th). Meanwhile, New Jersey has found the net 3.00 times a game on average, 20th in the league, and the Blue Jackets are allowing opponents to score 4.11 goals per game (28th).

New Jersey averages more shots a game (37.6) than any other team in the league, though the team’s 8.0% shooting percentage ranks 29th. Columbus has proven to be one of the league’s least successful shot-stopping teams, ranking No. 28 with a team save percentage of .876%.

The Blue Jackets’ 32nd-ranked power play offense (0.00%) will face a tough test against the Devils, who are the league’s fourth-best penalty killing team (92.59%). New Jersey, meanwhile, has scored on 17.39% of their power play opportunities (20th), which the hosts will be aiming to build on against Columbus’ 11th-ranked 82.76% penalty killing rate.

TOP PERFORMERS:

With eight points this season, Johnny Gaudreau is the top skater for the Blue Jackets. He is among the league leaders with five goals (10th) and has added three assists. In the net, Daniil Tarasov (1-3-0) is Columbus’ top goaltender by goals against average. He has a 3.57 GAA and a .893% save percentage.

Merzlikins (2-3-0) leads the Blue Jackets in games played in goal. He has a GAA of 4.31 and a save percentage of .863%.Jesper Bratt leads the Devils in scoring with 13 points (4th in the league). He has three goals and 10 assists (2nd) in eight games. Vanecek (2-1-0) has the best goals against average for New Jersey at 2.40.

He has a save percentage of .889%. MacKenzie Blackwood (3-2-0) has played the most games in net for the Devils this season. He has a 2.82 GAA and a .871% save percentage.