Devils Need a Win vs. McDavid-less Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers aren't pushovers without Connor McDavid, but the New Jersey Devils still need 2 points from tonight's game

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The New Jersey Devils conclude their Western Canada road trip with a tilt against the Edmonton Oilers tonight at 8:30 PM EST. The Devils got off to a strong start in Western Canada with a 6-0 win against the Vancouver Canucks.

However, they fell flat in a 3-0 shutout loss to the Calgary Flames. The Oilers will be without Connor McDavid tonight, and though they aren't pushovers without McDavid, the Devils could use a win to secure four of six points on this trip.

Oilers on a Back-to-Back, But Don't Take Them Lightly

The Oilers aren't off to the wretched start they were last season, but they have come out of the gate slow again. With yesterday's 4-2 win over the Flames, the Oilers moved to 6-5-1 on the season, a similar record to the Devils.

Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe recently mentioned that back-to-backs are overrated in the NHL. Most hockey players grew up playing back-to-backs or three games in three days in juniors, the NCAA, AHL, etc.

He's not wrong about that, which is why the Devils can't take the Oilers lightly, even without McDavid. Even though their five-on-five numbers have dropped a bit in recent games, the Oilers' expected goals share (xG%) of 54.65 percent ranks fifth in the NHL.

I still expect the Oilers to create offense since Leon Draisaitl is in the lineup because as a team, they're averaging 3.03 expected goals per 60 minutes. This will probably be a stern test for the Devils' defense, so they'll need to be sharp.

The good news is the Devils' defense played well in the 3-0 loss to the Flames. They even had more high-danger chances than the Flames, as they only allowed five while generating seven. The Flames are obviously not the Oilers, but the Devils' defense has been solid most of the season.

Not having to deal with McDavid should help, but if the Devils can keep Draisaitl and his line off the scoresheet, I like the chances of a rebound effort after a disappointing performance against the Flames.