G52 New Jersey Devils @ Chicago Blackhawks: Goals, goals, goals

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A few notes to get you set for tonight’s game between the New Jersey Devils and Chicago Blackhawks:

Center(s) of attention

It’s been said the Devils go as their star centers go. That was most definitely the case on Thursday night.

Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier both had three point efforts, with five of the six points being primary. They were in the middle of anything and everyone and, along with Jesper Bratt, definitely served as the headliners in a dominant win over one of the league’s best teams.

While they’re not going to produce to that extent on a nightly basis, this is a good spot for their success to continue.

The Chicago Blackhawks’ defensive metrics haven’t been all that bad of late. With that said, they do really struggle to defend against centers.

Only four teams have given up more shots on goals to centers this season while just five sides have conceded more goals to the position.

Given the current state of affairs down the middle – they’re trotting out Dylan Strome, Lukas Reichel, Kirby Dach and Ryan Carpenter – that is probably no coincidence.

Whether the puck ends up in the net or not, 86 and 13 should be able to generate more than their fair share of opportunities in this game.