G30 New Jersey Devils vs. Philadelphia Flyers: Time for a response

The Devils laid an egg last time out against the Ducks. If they can right the ship against the Flyers, they'll (at least temporarily) hold a playoff spot by the night's end.

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A few notes to get you set for New Jersey vs. Philadelphia:

Double-edged sword

Lindy Ruff has shaken up the lines in advance of tonight’s game, most notably going back to the Ondrej Palat - Nico Hischier - Jesper Bratt unit up top.

They have been nothing short of spectacular together this season. They’ve helped the Devils control 67% of the expected goals through 125 minutes of play, which is the 2nd highest rate in the league among 89 eligible combinations.

Only a Connor McDavid-led Oilers line has fared better. That’s always a good sign.

The Devils will need this trio to pick up where it left off and play up to the usual standards for a couple reasons.

First and foremost, the Flyers are a very good 5v5 team. They own a 56.66 xGF% in December, slotting them below only the Oilers and Golden Knights. If the top line is not on its game, the Flyers will make them pay.

There is also some negative that comes with reuniting Palat, Hischier, and Bratt. As a byproduct of them playing together, the Devils are set to trot out a 3rd line of Timo Meier, Dawson Mercer, and Alexander Holtz. That combination looks great on paper but horrendous on the ice.

There are signs Meier is playing through some form of injury, which makes sense given the shocking level of play we’ve seen from him this season. Mercer has noticeably struggled at center, and Holtz has not fared well with Mercer or Meier this season.

Put it all together and you have a trio that owns a 38 xGF% through 35 minutes of work. Not great.

It’ll be difficult for the 3rd line to hold up and play even hockey so the Devils will need their top-6 – and the Hischier line in particular – to carry the load at 5v5 to make these changes worthwhile.

Power play opportunities should be plentiful