Welcome back to NHL Predictions with Last Word on Hockey. Here, we provide in-depth insight into the best matchups around the NHL. Today, we dive into the Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils.
Be sure to check out all our writers on NHL Predictions throughout the entire season.
Time: 6:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: MSG, Victory+, ESPN+
The Stars and Devils are set to meet for the first time this season on Saturday night from the Prudential Center in Newark. Last season, these teams split their two meetings, with the visiting team being victorious each time by identical 6-2 scores. These teams will complete their season series in the span of 10 days when they meet again in Texas on March 4. The head-to-head rivalry has been fairly even since the 2000 Stanley Cup Finals, which saw New Jersey win a six-game series.
Both of these teams are young and on the rise. These intra-conference matchups will prove to be critical points as the final stretch toward the playoffs begins.
At 35-18-2, the Dallas Stars enter second in the Central Division. After picking up 15 points in their previous 10 games, they have firmly planted themselves inside the playoff picture. They have a 12-point cushion on the postseason line and currently hold home ice in the first round.
Matt Duchene leads the way with 55 points and is on track to finish with the most points since he had 86 with Nashville in 2021-22. Roope Hintz is tied for the team lead with 22 goals. While his point production has dipped this season, he is still on pace for his fourth straight 30-plus goal season.
Thomas Harley is coming off a terrific showing for Canada last week after stepping in as an injury replacement. He will return to lead a Dallas blue line that gives up the fourth-fewest (2.51) goals per game. They also boast the best penalty kill in the NHL at 85%. Jake Oettinger is expected to start in net. He is once again one of the premier goaltenders in the league. His last appearance came on Monday night for Team USA. Oettinger stopped 21 of 23 shots in the loss to Sweden.
The last time the New Jersey Devils had some time off they appeared to lose their identity. After the short Christmas break, the Devils struggled to garner the same success that they had before the holiday. The team is hoping that this longer break is what they need to right the ship.
Jack Hughes is returning from playing for Team USA. He collected an assist in four games and will only be rejoining the Devils on Friday afternoon. Hughes leaves the break with 65 points and will try and chase his team record of 99 over the season’s final stretch. Jesper Bratt scored the game-winning goal for Sweden against Hughes and the USA on Monday. He enters with 64 points.
Nico Hischier and Jacob Markstrom are still listed as injured. As of Friday night, neither are promised to return, although both are back and skating with the team. Jonas Siegenthaler underwent surgery and will be out for a few weeks. Both Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey are practicing with the team, and one of them should slot in on the blue line.
After a long layoff, both teams can come out a little lackluster. Those who have seen the ice over the past two weeks must also get accumulated to their NHL teams again after playing for their respective nations. Both of these teams are solid defensively. Whether Nemec or Casey play for New Jersey, this is a great opportunity to evaluate the prospects before the upcoming deadline.
Predictions: Stars win 3-2.
We round of NHL predictions with some prop bets of the night. For this round, we like the Devils (+225) to cover the -1.5 spread in this one. Consider taking Bratt (+230) as an anytime goal scorer for New Jersey. After a solid showing last week, Thomas Harley (+750) to find the back of the net might be worth a small bet.
Main photo by: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
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