The Columbus Blue Jackets (24-45-8) are on the road to face the New Jersey Devils (49-21-8) at Prudential Center on Thursday. Columbus is coming off a 4-2 loss against the Maple Leafs on Tuesday, their fourth consecutive defeat away from home.
Jack Roslovic and Eric Robinson both scored once for the Blue Jackets. Jet Greaves had a terrific performance with 46 saves (.938%) in the loss.New Jersey beat the Penguins 5-1 on Tuesday. Dawson Mercer was the leading goal scorer for the Devils, netting a hat trick. Vitek Vanecek saved 22 of 23 shots in the win (.956%).
HEAD TO HEAD
The Devils have won both games between the teams this season, including a 3-2 victory in their most recent meeting in February. Ryan Graves led New Jersey with two points (1G 1A). Adam Boqvist led Columbus with two points (1G 1A). Vanecek got the win, saving 31 of 33 shots (.939%).
FACING OFF
Columbus is averaging 2.65 goals per game for the season, 30th in the NHL, and they are taking on a Devils team that is allowing 2.73 goals a game (8th). Meanwhile, New Jersey has found the net 3.45 times a game on average, sixth in the league, and the Blue Jackets are allowing opponents to score 3.97 goals per game (31st).
New Jersey averages more shots/game (34.5) than most teams in the league, ranking fourth. With an average of 29.4 attempts, Columbus ranks 25th.
The Devils’ 21.03% power play percentage ranks 17th in the league, while the Blue Jackets are 26th with a conversion rate of 18.36%. When it comes to defending power plays, New Jersey has the league’s sixth-ranked PK% at 82.35%, while Columbus is 23rd at 76.11%.
TOP PERFORMERS:
With 71 points this season, Johnny Gaudreau is the top skater for the Blue Jackets. He has 19 goals and 52 assists in 75 games. In the net, Joonas Korpisalo (16-13-4) is Columbus’ top goaltender by goals against average.
He has a 2.84 GAA and a .916% save percentage. Elvis Merzlikins (7-18-2) leads the Blue Jackets in games played in goal. He has a GAA of 4.23 and a save percentage of .876%.
Jack Hughes leads the Devils in scoring with 91 points. He has 40 goals (9th) and 51 assists in 74 games. Vanecek (31-11-4) is the top goalie for New Jersey with a goals against average of 2.49. He has a save percentage of .909%.
HOME AND AWAY
Columbus is 9-24-6 on the road this season. New Jersey is 22-13-4 at home this season.
SportsTips’ NHL Pick:
NJ Devils -2.5 (+105)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
