The New Jersey Devils will face the Nashville Predators at Prudential Center on Thursday night, with puck drop at 7:08 p.m. ET. Both teams are vying for playoff positions in a critical matchup. The Devils recently acquired forward Maximum Tsyplakov to bolster their lineup.
The New Jersey Devils, holding a record of 27-24-2, are nine points out of the final Wild Card spot and five points behind the last position in the Metropolitan Division. With four games left before the Olympic break, the Devils need to win at least three to stay in contention, as four teams lead in the Wild Card race and two are ahead in the division. They welcome newly acquired forward Maximum Tsyplakov, obtained from the New York Islanders in exchange for Ondrej Palat and two draft picks. Tsyplakov is set to join the team for the morning skate in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils' special teams have improved, with the power play converting five of its past nine opportunities and the penalty kill succeeding on 15 straight. However, the team struggles to generate goals at even strength (5v5). Defenseman Dougie Hamilton enters the game on a nine-game point/assist streak, setting a franchise record for a defenseman and surpassing previous marks by Brian Rafalski and Barry Beck. Rookie Arseny Gritsyuk has notched four points (1 goal, 3 assists) in his last four games, while Jesper Bratt has surpassed Scott Gomez for fifth place on the franchise scoring list with 485 points. Captain Nico Hischier recorded a hat trick against the Predators last season on November 25, 2024, at Prudential Center. Injuries for the Devils include Tommy Noesen (knee), Luke Hughes (shoulder), Connor McLaughlin (undisclosed), and Jay MacEwen (upper body). The Nashville Predators, at 24-23-5 with 53 points, trail the final Wild Card by four points. They are on a key road trip, coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to Boston, and now look to rebound in New Jersey before facing the New York Islanders. Center Steven Stamkos has 25 goals through 52 games this season, a rebound from 27 goals in 82 games last year. Ryan O'Reilly leads the team with 51 points at age 34 and is two goals from his 10th 20-goal season. He has points in seven of his last eight games, totaling 14 (5 goals, 9 assists), including a hat trick and multiple three-point nights. Defenseman Roman Josi recently played his 1,000th career game on January 22 against Ottawa, with 199 career goals. The Predators' only injury is Nicolas Hague (lower body). This marks the first meeting between the teams this season and the only game in New Jersey. The Devils and Predators will also play on March 26 in Nashville.
