Joe Patarino Fresh off of their 6-2 win in Anaheim, the New Jersey Devils visit Crypto.com Arena to take on the hot LA Kings.
Projected Lineups
LA Kings (25-14-6)
Here’s how the Kings skated in their win over San Jose on Wednesday:
Tonight's @LAKings Line Rushes –
Byfield – Kopitar – Kempe
Iafallo – Danault – Anderson-Dolan
Fiala – Lizotte – Vilardi
Lemieux – Kupari – GrundstromAnderson – Doughty
Durzi – Roy
Edler – WalkerCopley
QuickViktor Arvidsson (illness) will not play tonight.
— Zach Dooley (@DooleyLAK) January 12, 2023
Keep an eye on the morning skate for any potential changes.
New Jersey Devils (27-12-13)
Here is how the Devils skated in last night’s win over the Ducks:
#NJDevils expected lineup:
Foote makes his season debut.
Boqvist, McLeod, Mercer line remains intact.Palat – Hischier – Bratt
Haula – Hughes – Tatar
Foote – Sharangovich – Wood
Boqvist – McLeod – MercerSiegenthaler – Hamilton
Graves – Severson
Okhotiuk – SmithVanecek
— Catherine Bogart (@CatherineBogart) January 14, 2023
5-on-5
Here’s how the two teams match up at 5-on-5 per Natural Stat Trick
| Team | CF% | xGF% | SCF% | HDCF% | SH% | SV% | PDO |
| New Jersey Devils | 55.4 | 57.5 | 57.6 | 59.6 | 8.9 | 0.921 | 1.009 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 51.7 | 52.8 | 51.8 | 52.6 | 8.3 | 0.908 | 0.99 |
The Devils are one of the best teams in the league at 5-on-5. They play an uptempo game and will look to generate chances off the rush. They’re sure to put pressure on the Kings through the neutral zone on Saturday.
Special Teams
| Team | PP% | PK% |
| New Jersey Devils | 20.5 | 82.0 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 24.4 | 73.1 |
Betting Odds
Let’s look at the odds, courtesy of Betstamp.
*Note: the odds below are for sports books offered in New York. Refer to available sports books specific to your state.
**Odds as of 1 pm ET/10 am PT may have changed since this was published.
The LA Kings are slight favorites in this one, with BetRivers offering the best price at -114. If you like the visiting Devils, FanDuel‘s +102 is your best bet there. The total on the game is 6.5 across the board, with BetRivers offering the Over at -103 while several books have the Under at -110.
If you’ve followed me at all, you know how big of a fan of this Devils team I am. In general, if I can get them at plus money, I’d take it. But given the back-to-back situation against an LA Kings team playing their best hockey, this game will be a pass for me.
If Jonathan Quick gets the nod, I don’t hate the Over in this one.
News & Notes
- Viktor Arvidsson skated in practice Friday, so it looks like he should draw back into the lineup.
- With Vitek Vanecek getting the start last night, I’d expect to see MacKenzie Blackwood between the pipes for the Devils. Blackwood is 5-3-1 this season with a 3.05 goals-against average and a .888 save percentage.
- The Kings’ last win against an Eastern Conference team was in Boston on December 15th. They’ve dropped the two since then.
- Both teams come into this one riding three-game winning streaks. They’ve each won four of their last five as well.
(Main Photo Credit: USAToday)