G79 New Jersey Devils vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: Follow the leader

Nico Hischier has been remarkably productive against the Penguins and there's no reason to expect that to change.

Follow along on Twitter @ToddCordell | @InfernalAccess

Be sure to join the Discord channel to talk hockey with our writers and subscribers.

---

The New Jersey Devils will play their first game since officially clinching a playoff spot tonight against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Here are a few things to watch for:

Follow the leader 🫡

The Devils go as the captain does. That’s an especially good thing when facing off against the Penguins.

Nico Hischier has absolutely feasted on the Penguins over the years, piling up the points every time they meet.

Hischier has tallied 18 points over the last 10 head-to-head matchups. 18! He has five multi-point performances and has been held off the scoresheet just once.

Taking things a step further, Hischier has recorded 3+ points on three occasions in that span. We’ve consistently seen incredible production from him.

There is no reason to expect any different this time around. The Penguins continue to defend poorly, ranking bottom-8 in shot suppression, expected goals against, and goals against over the last 10 games.

They’ve given up more shot volume to centers than any other team in that time. They also continue to play fast, high-event hockey, ranking 9th in pace spanning their past 10.

Opportunities should be plentiful for Hischier and the Devils. Based on his track record, we should expect him to take advantage.

Penalties = death ☠️