Devils vs. Bruins Preview: 3 Keys to Victory

The New Jersey Devils return home to face a Boston Bruins team showing some signs of vulnerability over their last few games.

After a successful road trip that saw the New Jersey Devils go 3-1-0 and collect six of eight points, they return home to face the Boston Bruins. Here are three keys to victory as the Devils look to get back in the win column after losing 4-1 to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday afternoon. 

Bruins Showing Vulnerability

The Bruins are a good team. Don't get me wrong. They have a 50.88 expected goals share (xG%) for the season at five-on-five coming into tonight's tilt, but their recent efforts suggest there's some vulnerability in their game. 

Over their last ten contests, the Bruins have an xG% of 48.92 percent at five-on-five, ranked 17th in the NHL. They haven't been great defensively, allowing 2.74 expected goals per 60 minutes over that stretch, and it's unlikely to get better with Charlie McAvoy missing tonight's tilt due to injury. 

On the contrary, the Devils have fared quite well over their last ten games, with a 53.85 xG%. Their five-on-five offense hasn't been as dynamic without Dougie Hamilton, who's out long-term with a torn pectoral. But tonight should present an opportunity for their offense to find their game against a Bruins team that's trending downward defensively at five-on-five. 

The Devils will need to do work offensively at five-on-five, too. The Bruins have the top-ranked penalty kill in the NHL at 89.9 percent. The Devils' power play is ranked first in the NHL, but chances are they'll have a tough time scoring against the Bruins' penalty kill. 

The good news is the Devils have 25 five-on-five goals over their last ten games, so they've been converting at that game state. With the Bruins missing their best defenseman, plus their top penalty kill, the Devils need to take advantage at full strength, where the Bruins have been slowing down. 

Taking Advantage of Missing McAvoy

Based on practice lines yesterday, Ian Mitchell will play alongside Hampus Lindholm on the Bruins’ top pair. That should be an advantage for the Devils, one that I expect coach Lindy Ruff to exploit.