Loading...
The Rangers head to New Jersey’s Prudential Center to take on the New Jersey Devils in another epic NHL matchup. Catch the game at 12:30 PM ET on ESPN+, but not without analyzing our picks for the classic showdown first. We’ve got all the details on the upcoming game between two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference Metropolitan Division, so review or recap and predictions, before deciding whether our picks are something you want to back or forget altogether.
The Rangers currently sit in 4th place in the Metropolitan Division, trailing 3rd place Devils by 8 points. In their last eight games, the Rangers have gone 3-5 and are struggling to gain points to climb the ladder. While New York does have a brilliant offense, they were bested by the Oilers in a 3-1 result on March 16th, which kicked off a string of three consecutive losses, the next one 2-1 to Calgary, followed by a 4-3 defeat from Toronto. They would bounce back the next game on the 22nd to defeat the Canucks 5-3, but then again slip in their next two games, 3-1 to the Kings and 5-4 to the Ducks. However, in their last two contests, the Rangers netted 11 total goals, with a 6-1 victory over the Sharks and their most recent 5-4 victory over the Wild.
Artemi Panarin has had a spectacular season at left-wing, with 82 points for the team between 34 goals and 48 assists. J.T. Miller (who played for the Canucks earlier this season) isn’t too far behind with his 61 total points from 19 goals and 42 assists. Adam Fox shouldn’t be counted out either, as the defenseman not only has 9 goals to his name this season but 47 assists as well. When it comes to keeping pucks out of the net, the team will rely on Igor Shesterkin, with a .905 save percentage and 2.86 goals allowed per game.
The New Jersey Devils reside in 3rd place in the Metropolitan Division with 87 total points. In their last eight games, they’d post a 4-4 record, where much like the Rangers, they’d hit a three-game losing streak starting against Calgary in a 5-3 result on March 20, before losing 3-2 to the Senators and 4-3 to the Canucks. The next game, the Devils recorded a solid 5-3 victory over the Blackhawks before cutting their win streak short with a 4-0 blowout loss to the Jets. In their most recent two games, the Devils would defeat the Wilds 5-2 on March 29, before beating them again 3-2 in OT on March 31.
Jesper Bratt has performed unparalleled this season, with 20 goals and 66 assists for 86 total points. His center teammate, Jack Hughes, isn’t far behind on points with 27 goals and 43 assists this season. With Nico Hirscier on the line change, there’s a possibility he could add to his tally of 34 goals and 29 assists. Goalie Jacob Markstrom will look to stop any shots his way, as he boasts a .901 save percentage with just 2.48 goals allowed per game. When it comes down to it, we expect left-winger Jesper Bratt to set up at least one of his teammates for a goal against the Rangers.
The game will be as close as an NHL match can get, and a win for the Rangers could have them inch that much closer to taking 3rd place from the Devils. Both teams have struggled lately, although they showcased their goal-scoring ability with 17 scores in their previous four games. The only difference is that New Jersey only lost one of their last four while the Rangers dropped two of their most recent four games, so the Devils are slightly more in form.
That said, New Jersey could edge the victory in this one, with Jesper Bratt recording 1+ assists in his performance.
Liam has been a major sports fan and soccer player for over a decade, with a particular focus on major top-level soccer leagues, including the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and MLS. He has written numerous promotional articles for various top sportsbooks and continues to publish historical and factual sports articles covering the NFL, MLS, NHL, MLB, EPL and more.