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DAB Pregame: Devils Look to Rebound Against Draisaitl-Led Oilers

SERGEI BELSKI-USA TODAY SPORTS

Match Overview

Tonight’s game will feature your New Jersey Devils, who currently own a 4-6-4 record, which puts them eighth in the Metropolitan Division, and the Edmonton Oilers, who own a 10-5-2 record, which puts them first in the Pacific Division.

The Devils are coming off another lopsided loss at the hands of the Calgary Flames. After jumping out to a 2-1 lead, the Flames scored four unanswered goals and the Devils had their two-game winning streak snapped. Despite last night’s loss, the Devils still own a 4-2-2 record over their past eight games. They’ll look to rebound tonight and start a new streak in Edmonton.

The Oilers are one of the biggest early-season surprises. However, they come into tonight’s game struggling, as they own a 3-4-2 record over their last nine games and have been outscored 26-17 over this time. As for their special teams, the Oilers have one of the best power plays in the league, as it converts at a 27.1% rate, which is the second-best. With the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers are always a dangerous team. Worth noting is Mikko Koskinen (5-1-1, 0.917 Sv%, 2.46 GAA) is expected to get the start in between the pipes for the Oilers.

Lineup changes are apparently coming tonight. Make of it what you will but Matt Tennyson, Kevin Rooney and John Hayden are the only three @NJDevils players on the ice this morning. John Hynes will address the media late this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/vBn9TH5YDW

— Matt Loughlin (@MattLoug) November 8, 2019

As for lineup news, monitor our social media pages for updates. Given the Devils played last night, they did not have a full morning skate. Only Kevin Rooney, Matt Tennyson, and John Hayden skated, as this usually means they’ll be the healthy scratches (see above). We will have to wait until head coach John Hynes speaks to media closer to puck drop to confirm. However, do expect Cory Schneider to make the start for the Devils, as Mackenzie Blackwood was peppered with numerous shots just last night.

Tonight’s game will be at Rogers Place and is scheduled to start at 9:00 PM.

Projected Devils Lines

Check back to our social media pages closer to puck drop.

Projected Oilers Lines

Forwards:

• Draisaitl/McDavid/Kassian
• Neal/Nugent-Hopkins/Chiasson
• Khaira/Sheahan/Archibald
• Granlund/Haas/Russell

Defense:

• Nurse/Bear
• Russell/Benning
• Manning/Persson

Goalies:

• Koskinen
• Smith

What/Who to Watch

• You cannot speak about the Edmonton Oilers without mentioning the duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Drasaitl. Draisaitl is second in the league in scoring, with 29 points in only 17 games played. He also brings in a seven-game point streak, where he has tallied seven goals and six assists for a total of 13 points. McDavid is not too far behind as he has 26 points in the same amount of games. The Devils’ top pairing is going to have a long night keeping these two superstars in check.

• As mentioned above, the lineup will not be confirmed until later. However, Tennyson should be removed and replaced by Mirco Mueller. Tennyson was single-handedly responsible for two goals against last night, as well as countless other Calgary scoring opportunities. This season he owns an abysmal 39.49 Corsi for % (CF%), -10.62 Relative Corsi for % (CF% Rel), and an expected goals for % (xGF%) of 41.26. Each of these numbers are well below the league average and demonstrates when Tennyson is on the ice the Devils are most likely being caved in.

• The Devils power play goal streak ended two games ago and they haven’t tallied one since. After heating up on the power play, they find themselves scoreless on their last eight attempts. To get back to their winning ways, we must see the power play pick back up. It won’t get any easier tonight, as the Oilers surprisingly have a solid penalty kill (12^th in the league).

Tonight’s game can be seen on MSG+ at 9:00 PM.

The post DAB Pregame: Devils Look to Rebound Against Draisaitl-Led Oilers appeared first on Devils Army Blog.

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FanDuel Partners With MSG Networks for New Jersey Devils Games

Ever since sports betting became legal in New Jersey, both the state and sports leagues have been quick to embrace it. In just a few short months since the first bets where placed (I remember that day, it was like Christmas for me, except I spent a lot more money and lost a lot of it on baseball), multiple online gambling sites became available to gambling enthusiasts across the great Garden State. Many sports leagues teamed up and formed partnerships with apps to welcome the inevitable new wave in the sports-watching landscape.

The New Jersey Devils wasted no time bringing sports betting into their operations. William Hill and Caesars Entertainment both have a presence at Prudential Center, as does FanDuel. Well, FanDuel has one thing their competitors don’t, with an official partnership with MSG Networks.

From the official press release:

MSG Networks (NYSE: MSGN) and FanDuel, the country’s premier gaming destination, announced today a new comprehensive sponsorship agreement that will designate FanDuel as an official sports gaming partner for New York Knicks and New Jersey Devils broadcasts on MSG Networks.

The unique partnership includes a mix of in-game and halftime integrations, branded content and commercial spots that will air during MSG Networks’ Knicks and Devils game broadcasts, as well as features that will air during the team’s pre- and post-game shows. Devils telecasts will also showcase live updates and updated betting odds on the ticker during each intermission to keep fans up-to-date between periods.

Now part of every Devils’ broadcast on MSG Networks will be a short segment called “Line To Line,” featuring betting tips and news on that night’s hockey matchups. “Line to Line” will air during the New Jersey Devils’ pregame. Gambling updates, such as odds and scores, will be broadcast during intermission. A similarly entitled basketball-specific segment, “Inside The Lines,” began airing with the New York Knicks broadcast Wednesday night.

On FanDuel’s part, this was an outstanding business move. MSG Network is the region’s top cable sports network, and no matter how many fans pack into Prudential Center, more fans will always be watching from home. Plus, when the inevitable happens and sports gambling gets legalized in New York, FanDuel will have a significant head up over its competitors. This brings the information that hockey fans and gamblers want right into their living room. Remember the olden days when you had to leave your couch to gamble? Kids these days will never know how good they have it.

The betting segments on Devils broadcasts will feature revolving talent giving tips to viewers. Whether you’re a first-time gambler or someone who’s in it way too deep at this point (I don’t have a problem, I swear) they’re out to give you winning picks. We used to have our own betting column here at Devils Army Blog (remember Bardown Bets), so hopefully, FanDuel does a better job than we did.

So if you watch the game and have the sudden urge to place some hard-earned money down at the hands of John Hynes and company, download the FanDuel app and play along. Remember, Devils were the odds on cup favorites at the beginning of the year. Players must be over 21 and PHYSICALLY in New Jersey, as the app is actually GPS enabled. If you cross over state lines for whatever reason, bets can’t be placed.

As always, watch MSG for the best New Jersey Devils television coverage. Their FanDuel sponsorship should be a welcome addition to an already excellent broadcast. The New Jersey Devils take on the Edmonton Oilers tonight at 9:00 PM on MSG+.

The post FanDuel Partners With MSG Networks for New Jersey Devils Games appeared first on Devils Army Blog.