Game Preview: Devils (13-7-1) vs Detroit Red Wings (13-8-1)

Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

The Devils will return home tonight to take on the Detroit Red Wings following an extremely discouraging road trip. The panic button seems to have been pressed by the fanbase, and rightfully so. The team has looked like a shell of itself once again by the loss of Jack Hughes, and the depth in the lineup is beyond questionable now. Offensively, it has been an absolute struggle for New Jersey all across the board, but especially within the bottom six. The Devils' bottom-six currently lines up as:

Palat - Lammiko - Dadonov

Cotter - Glendening - Noesen

The last time the Devils got a goal from one of these six forwards was November 6th. Plain and simple, it is just unacceptable, especially when you're missing a player of Jack Hughes' caliber. Before Saturday's contest in Philadelphia, the Devils' top-six had plenty of scoring issues without Hughes, also.

Detroit comes in with a very similar record as the Devils, with just an extra game played. Much like the Devils, the Red Wings dropped their season opener before going on a winning streak, winning eight of their next ten games. Since then, they've returned to around a .500 pace. They are led by veteran Dylan Larkin and youngster Lucas Raymond and feature a strong supporting cast. The Devils will undoubtedly have their work cut out for them tonight.

Detroit is middle of the pack on both of its special teams units, and ranks bottom-10 in the league in goals allowed per game—an opportunity for the Devils' offense to get going lies ahead tonight. At the time of writing this post, the starting goaltenders for either team have yet to be released, so the Devils will have to see if they will face either Cam Talbot or John Gibson, who combine for a team save percentage of .884.

On the flip side, we will see who gets the start for New Jersey. It seems clear that they are not too comfortable with Jacob Markstrom at the moment, whether due to a "tweak" or his poor performances. They left Jake Allen in the net despite getting shelled for four goals in the disaster of a first period Saturday night.

Key to the Game

Get Some Home Cooking Going

The Devils are 7-0-1 on home ice this season, and with the recent stretch reeling the team, this home stand couldn't have come at a better time. Six of the Devils' next seven games will be at the Prudential Center, a great opportunity to stash away some much-needed points. Also, tonight starts the "Jersey" jersey goodbye tour, so hopefully the Devils can send these polarizing sweaters off with some wins in them.