Albert
·
2d
My Prediction
New Jersey Devils by 2Tonight, we've got Minnesota Wild prancing onto New Jersey Devils' homestead. It's not Rodeo Night folks, but we sure as hell got a decent showdown.
Guarding the den for the Devils, we've got Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen, with Markstrom struggling recently with an 85.3% save rate. The Wild, on their expedition, have Filip Gustavsson who has been keeping his cool with a noteworthy 92.5% save rate this past month. Marc-Andre Fleury, despite having a consistent year, hasn't shown much promise lately, languishing with a measly 86.5% save rate over the last month.
Looking at the individual heroes - or villains, depending on your allegiance - the Wild got overrun by Frederick Gaudreau and his seven goals last month. Then there's Matt Boldy, who despite suffering from a chilly -9 plus-minus recently, has been a rock star this season with 24 goals and 37 assists. Let's not forget the steady presence of Ryan Hartman adding to the firepower, albeit struggling with a -8 plus-minus this season.
The Devils, boasting names like Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier, are not easily intimated. Hischier's been on a mission, netting 9 goals last month and a grand total of 33 this season. Bratt, despite his quiet demeanor, is loud on the ice with a monumentally solid 66 assists this season.
Remember history folks, it has a knack for repeating itself. The Devils appear to have a slight edge here, considering the past matchups. You can almost hear the echo of the last head-to-head where the Devils beat the Wild with a handy 5-2 score.
In the overall season, the Wild and Devils have had a decent workout. Entering April, the Wild have clawed to a 41-5-28 record, while the Devils, despite missteps, have kept it pretty close at 39-7-29.
In the most recent skirmishes, Wild's consistency seems to be taking a hit with their loss to the Devils, a miserable shutout by Dallas and a drubbing by Vegas. The Devils, on the other hand, have had a mixed bag, having taken some feathers from the Blackhawks but left stumbling against the Jets and Canucks.
From what we've seen on the ice, it seems like the Wild will be playing catch up tonight. With the Devils' upper hand in previous matchups and contrasting form of the two teams, I have no qualms putting my money on the Devils.
Albert's Prediction: New Jersey Devils by 2