Sid the Kid goes to New Jersey to take on the Devils
by Dave D
The Penguins have been one of the best teams in the league all year, but it sure doesn’t look that way when they play New Jersey. The Devils have beaten the Pens all five times so far this season, outscoring the defending Stanley Cup champs 17-3 (includes two shutouts).
The New Jersey Devils trail Pitt by only two points in the Atlantic division, so a win would not only give them a season sweep but a tie for the division lead as well. The Devils are coming off a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Monday.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been playing some good hockey since the Olympic Break, going 5-1-1.Their only regulation loss came last Friday against, you guessed it, the New Jersey Devils.
Pittsburgh Penguins @ New Jersey Devils
Wednesday, March 17th – 7:00 PM EST
Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Broadcast: MSG+
Hockey Betting Line: Devils -140
What The Penguins Have To Do To Win:
Pittsburgh needs to not get frustrated if they can’t score right away against Martin Broduer. In last week’s loss to New Jersey, the Pens were visibly upset by the end because of their failure to get any offense against the Devils.
That sort of frustration leads to bad and irresponsible play, and 99 times out of a 100 that will lead to a loss. Pittsburgh hasn’t beaten New Jersey yet this season, so it’s plausible that a poor first period could result in even more frustration in the Penguins locker room.
The Pens cannot dwell on past failures against New Jersey and let their lack of success dictate the way they play on Wednesday. They’re a top team for a reason. Just make room for Crosby and Malkin and let them do their job. The goals will come eventually.
What The Devils Have To Do To Win:
Their five-game win streak over Pittsburgh has put them in the heads of the Penguins players, so the mental edge has gone to New Jersey. That goes especially for goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
The Pens goalie has looked ugly in his four losses against the Devils this year, sporting an underwhelming 4.04 GAA. New Jersey is playing too well against Pittsburgh this year to play a conservative game here.
They have to come out aggressive and get lots of shots against Fleury, looking for rebounds and hoping for tip-ins. If the Devils can get a quick goal than Fleury, who has been prone to streaky play all this season, they might be able to open the floodgates and really knock this team out.
Outlook & Pick
A five-game winning streak against a division opponent is a damn fine accomplishment. If that sixth win gets you a share of the division lead than it’s that much sweeter.
That’s where the Devils are now, and have a big mental edge over the Penguins. What makes the Devils streak more impressive is that they’re not beating a vulnerable Pittsburgh team. When they won last week, the Pens were on a five-game points streak (4-0-1).
In December the Devils snapped a five-game win streak Pittsburgh was experiencing. They’ve been able to beat Pittsburgh all season, and there is no reason to believe it won’t happen again.
NHL Betting Pick: Devils -140 > > JOIN TO BET!
