Devils vs. Blackhawks: 3 Things to Watch

Even without Jack Hughes & Nico Hischier, the New Jersey Devils should be in a favorable spot to win against the Chicago Blackhawks

The New Jersey Devils seem to have gotten good news on Jack Hughes. Per Elliotte Friedman, he will miss some time, but they've avoided a worst-case scenario. That means they'll be without him tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks, but it's still very much a winnable game for the Devils. Let's preview tonight's matchup. 

Devils Still Have the 5-on-5 Advantage

Even without Hughes and Nico Hischier, who's out with an upper-body injury and not on the road trip, the Devils still have quite the advantage at five-on-five over the Blackhawks. 

Even after last night's 4-2 win over the Florida Panthers, the Blackhawks are one of the worst five-on-five teams in the league. They're second to last in the NHL in expected goals percentage (xG%) at 41.97 percent, just ahead of the San Jose Sharks, who are at 41.87 percent. 

The Devils had gotten off to a slow start at five-on-five this season, but they've picked it up as of late. Even in their 4-1 loss to the Blues, they finished with an xG% of 60.97 percent, showing that Ruff's system can be effective without their top two centers. 

The Devils' xG% has now risen to 54.25 percent on the season, and they're starting to look closer to the team that ran over opponents at five-on-five last season. That might be a bit harder to come by until one of Hischier and Hughes return, but there's still enough talent on this team where it shouldn't be too much of an issue against the Blackhawks. 

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