New Jersey visits Columbus for division matchup
New Jersey Devils (17-23-7, eighth in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (24-16-8, fifth in the Metropolitan Division)
Columbus, Ohio; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Columbus faces New Jersey in a matchup of Metropolitan Division teams.
The Blue Jackets are 8-5-3 in division games. Columbus has converted on 17.5% of power-play opportunities, scoring 25 power-play goals.
The Devils are 5-7-2 against the rest of their division. New Jersey averages 10.3 penalty minutes per game, the fourth-most in the NHL. Wayne Simmonds leads the team serving 54 total minutes.
Columbus took down New Jersey 5-1 in the last meeting between these teams on Dec. 21. Oliver Bjorkstrand scored two goals for the Blue Jackets in the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Pierre-Luc Dubois has recorded 34 total points while scoring 15 goals and adding 19 assists for the Blue Jackets. Alexander Wennberg has totaled five assists over the last 10 games for Columbus.
Nikita Gusev leads the Devils with 20 total assists and has collected 28 points. Blake Coleman has scored eight goals over the last 10 games for New Jersey.
LAST 10 GAMES: Devils: 5-4-1, averaging three goals, 5.1 assists, 3.9 penalties and 11.2 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game with a .899 save percentage.
Blue Jackets: 7-2-1, averaging 2.8 goals, 4.5 assists, 2.7 penalties and 5.7 penalty minutes while giving up 1.7 goals per game with a .948 save percentage.
INJURIES: Blue Jackets: Joonas Korpisalo: out (lower body).
Devils: Louis Domingue: day to day (lower body), Mackenzie Blackwood: day to day (upper body).
