Tuesday's NHL slate features a projected tight contest between the New Jersey Devils (28-25-2) and the Columbus Blue Jackets (27-20-7) at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils are -122 on the moneyline to win against the Blue Jackets (+101) in the game, which begins at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+. You can watch along on ESPN+ as the Devils play the Blue Jackets.
Pick OU: Under 6.5 (Computer projecting 6.2 goals) Columbus' games this season have finished above this matchup's total of 6.5 total goals 24 times. Philadelphia has played 25 games this season that ended with more than 6.5 total goals. The two teams combine for 5.9 goals per game, 0.6 fewer than this game's set total. Combined, these two teams give up 6.4 goals per contest, 0.1 fewer than this game's over/under.
"This season has been a frustrating one for all of us and the bottom line is we are not performing at a level that meets our expectations," Waddell said. "We all share in that responsibility, me included, and while this was not a decision that was made lightly it is one that needed to be made at this time."
Zach Werenski scored twice and added an assist in his 600th NHL game, Boone Jenner had a goal and an assist, and Kent Johnson added two assists. Jet Greaves stopped 24 shots for his first win since Nov. 20. Mikael Granlund had a goal and an assist, Ryan Strome and Jackson LaCombe also scored goals, and Ryan Poehling recorded two assists for the Ducks. Ville Husso made 24 saves as the Ducks dropped three games on their five-city trip.
Slumping Florida finally earned a point in its current six-game homestand, which is turning out to be downright disastrous, in Thursday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Nashville Predators. New dad Carter Verhaeghe scored the Panthers' only goal, with the assists going to Sam Bennett and A.J. Greer, late in the first period. The Cats couldn't add on and Ryan O'Reilly tied the tilt with 6:19 left in regulation before former Bolt Steven Stamkos won it with 57 seconds left in the extra session.
They have two very winnable games this weekend, though with a scheduling glitch, as they are in Columbus tonight and then face Detroit at home. Columbus is better than their record, having been done in by subpar goaltending from both Elvis Merzlinkins and Jet Greaves, tonight's starter. But this is a team that can score, so if the Rangers are sloppy again it may bite them.
Kirill Marchenko looks like a superstar in the making, posting 74 points in his age-24 season last year. Dmitri Voronkov isn't far behind him with 23 goals and 24 assists in his sophomore campaign. And Adam Fantilli and Kent Johnson are even younger. The East feels so crowded that it's hard to say if last year's ninth-place finisher is going to muscle its way into the playoffs, but it's easy to talk yourself into the idea that Columbus is on the upswing.
