The New Jersey Devils are at UC to play Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks were beaten pretty handily by the Florida Panthers on Sunday. Florida is one of the best teams in the NHL so it was somewhat expected but the Blackhawks have now had since then to think about it.

After a long break of games, the New Jersey Devils are at the United Center to take on the Chicago Blackhawks. The two teams last met in Newark in the New Jersey Devils’ home opener. Jack Hughes scored in overtime to give the Devils their first win of the season.

Each team finished that game with pretty high expectations of themselves this year. However, each of them has fallen way off and are both now near the bottom of their divisions. With that in mind, it is clear that New Jersey is an incredibly talented young team with a very bright future.

Hughes is joined by Nico Hischier as the two number one overall picks on New Jersey’s roster. Each of them is now part of a promising young core that should be very good in short order. Other studs like Dougie Hamilton, Jesper Bratt, and Dawson Mercer amongst others make the team go.

Blackhawks fans know all about Seth Jones, Patrick Kane, and Alex DeBrincat’s impact on USA Hockey through the years. Jack Hughes is going to be on that stage with them next time there is a best on best world tournament which is incredibly exciting.

Keep an eye on Hughes again in this game. He has 33 points in 31 games played which is very impressive. He missed some time with an injury but he has developed into one of the league’s best offensive players and is incredible to watch.

The NJ Devils and Chicago Blackhawks are each capable of putting on a show.

The Devils defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, a legit Cup contender, on Thursday by a final score of 6-1. It snapped an 8-day break for them as well but now they are in a back-to-back situation while the Hawks are fresh. This is an opportunity to use their fresh legs to their advantage.

In order for the Hawks to play well in this game, they have to use their biggest strength which is Marc-Andre Fleury. He is still one of the best goalies in the NHL and he has had some rest now. New Jersey’s goaltending isn’t really that good at all so a big game from Fleury would be good for the Hawks.

They need their top guys to step up as well. The previously mentioned Jones, DeBrincat, and Kane should be looking to fill the net in this one. If it becomes a game of speed and skill which is very possible, the Hawks should be able to hang. Expect a lot of goals and fun to be had here.