There’s never been a better time for a
visit to New Jersey. The Devils are in the Mother of
all slumps and are dropping points.
The Devils will need all the help they can get as they seek their first
home win this season when they host their noisy neighbours the New York Rangers
on Friday night at the Prudential Center. Currently live Hockey odds from top
sportsbooks are below – keep checking back as the line will update in article.
The Devils home form makes very sobering reading as they still search
for that first elusive home win, at present they're 0-4-1 and have been outscored
20-8.
It’s a horse of a different color for the Rangers (
they are 6-5-1) but they are coming off a humbling 4-1 loss to Philadelphia
last night. It was their first meeting since the Flyers finished off the
Rangers' playoff hopes in a final day shootout in the 2009-10 regular season.
But the Rangers got no Revenge on Thursday.
Rangers coach
John Tortorella summed up the experience by saying "It was just one of
those games where you get all this hype about it and to me it was a (ugly) game
to me it was sloppy offensively. They didn't have that many chances
either."
Brandon Dubinsky's goal gave Rangers the lead in
the second period, but they couldn’t hold on and the Flyers made them pay
despite the Rangers limiting them to 21 shots - a season-low for a Rangers
opponent - but Henrik Lundqvist allowed in four goals (at least)
for an embarrassing fourth time.
But Lundqvist should be buoyed
by the trip to Jerssy s he is 6-3-1 there since 2007-08, and managed to go out winning
two out of his previous three New Jersey starts .
Good news?
Martin
Brodeur is expected to start for the Devils after he left Wednesday's 5-3 win
over Chicago in the second period with a bruised right elbow, and after an
early scare has been passed fit to take on the Rangers.
Toughing
it out he said, "I just banged it. From past experiences with bruises,
usually it takes a couple of days to feel 100 percent." And he was right.
Brodeur
should be relishing another meeting with the Rangers he's gone 28-8-3 with
three ties and boasts a stingy 1.89 goals-against average and seven shutouts
all-time against them (at home).
Ranger
Ryan Callahan, who is their top scorer with nine assists and 13 points had his seven-game points streak curtailed in
Thursday's loss, but he likes to score points against the devils, he has two
goals and two assists in his last four games played against the Devils, and
maybe he’ll rise to the occasion.
Sometimes
an ugly loss just fires you up for the next match, and Rangers forward Brian
Boyle certainly thinks so "That's the best medicine. We'll go back at it
Friday." Expect Callahan to want some of that medicine.
Free NHL Pick: Finally a home win for the Devils! It
wouldn’t be pretty but they’ll gladly take it.