Columbus Blue Jackets Staring Down the Barrel: Down and Out Devils?

The last place Devils are in town to take on the Columbus Blue Jackets for the first time this season.

The Columbus Blue Jackets continue their home stand with a Metro Division rival in town. The last place New Jersey Devils travel to Ohio for their first meeting of the year with the CBJ.

After a surprise run to the playoffs last season, the Devils have come back down to earth. Their record is more indicative of the talent on their roster this year than the performance that led them to the postseason in 2018. A few unfortunate injuries have also hampered the Devils in their 18-19 campaign.

Ahead of the game we sat down with Nick Villano, site expert over at the great Devils blog PucksAndPitchforks.com. Be sure to give him a follow on twitter and check out his genius at PucksAndPitchforks.com. 

Columbus Blue Jackets

Lansing Murphy (LM): Needless to say, this hasn’t been an ideal year for the Devils. Who are some players though that have been playing well?

Nick Villano (NV): Well nobody is really playing “well”. Kyle Palmieri is having a career year and Brian Boyle is scoring at the biggest pace of his career, but Taylor Hall has taken a small step back. However playing “well” is not really a part of our vocabulary

LM: Will the Jackets get a game against freshly called up goalie MacKenzine Blackwood?

NV: I doubt it. The Devils were getting pummeled when he came in. They don’t want to “Carter Hart” him and fast track him to the NHL. This is his first good year since juniors, and if he’s the man of the future, they can’t ruin his confidence behind this terrible defense.

LM: Where do you think the Devils match up best agains the Blue Jackets?

NV: I think they have a bit more speed than the Blue Jackets. They can run with anyone, especially speedster Miles Wood. He was running past players on the Maple Leafs who have probably the most skilled team in the league.

LM: How does tonight’s game play out?

NV: I’ll say this, if the Devils have any chance of getting back in this thing, they have to win their Metro games. It’s December and they’ve yet to play the Columbus Blue Jackets or the New York Rangers. They’ve only played Carolina once. They are 4-4-1 within the division. With so many games ahead on the schedule, anything can happen. That said, I think Columbus wins a 3-2 victory after a goal with six minutes left.

Thanks for that lovely prediction Nate and the great insight into the Devils.

Puck drops tonight at 7pm at Nationwide Arena.