Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. | Arena: Prudential Center | TV: TSN4 | Radio: SN 590
Game Day Quotes
New Jersey Devils forward and Hart candidate Taylor Hall on his team being on the brink of clinching a playoff spot:
If you had told me that, in game 81, we’d be playing in a clinching game, I’d have taken that in a heart beat. It’s really exciting for our group, our organization, and for our fan base. It’s been a fun ride so far this year and the improvements we’ve made as a team — and as individuals — are real exciting for our franchise.
Devils defenseman Ben Lovejoy on the opportunity to cement a playoff spot:
We have put together a good season. And we have the chance to make it great in the next few days.
Mike Babcock on the challenge against an in-form Devils team (7-2-1 L10):
Their team is feeling it and they’re playing well. In the prescout and just going through what is going on, they’ve got it all working right now. Hall is playing great. The goalie is playing well. And they’ve got good team speed. It should be a lot of fun and a good test for us and good preparation for the playoffs.
Babcock on this game as a good primer for the playoffs:
I just think that teams that are in right now and the teams that are fighting to get in are your toughest opponent, without any question. It draws more out of you. There is a different feeling than when you’re in when you’re in their situation. And yet, the urgency is to get prepared so you’re not going to disappoint yourself when the puck is dropped.
The other thing is, you realize who your other two potential opponents are in Boston and Tampa and they’re playing meaningful games. They’re going to be ready so you have to be ready.
Babcock on Leo Komarov getting back into the lineup for the final games:
I think it’s real important for him. Leo got injured and then had a little family situation, so he didn’t get to play as much as he’d like. We’ve skated him hard to get him ready. He knows it’s important for him. We need him to be physical and hard and agitating at playoff time. He can bring that. He has great playoff experience. He is a big time locker room guy. We need him to be good. Skating tonight and getting up to speed is important for him.
Babcock on the team learning how to play tight defensively and close out games:
I think we’re still learning that lesson. Some nights we look like we don’t know that. But other nights we really do. I think sometimes the opponent and the more respect you have for the opponent, the more likely you are to buckle down. In saying all of that, you can’t outscore your mistakes. You just can’t in the NHL. You’ve got to know how to play without it.
The guys who can play without it and still score are the guys who win championships.
Ron Hainsey on playing a hungry Devils team:
We’re playing a team tonight that needs a point to get in. We know they’ll be coming with everything that they have. It is on us in that room to make sure we’re ready to not have them go out there and skate around us in circles in the first ten minutes. They got out to a big lead last game, I know that. They’ll be ready to go, so we’ll need to be ready to go when the puck drops.
Matchup Stats
| TOR | NJD | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 48-25-7 (103) | 43-28-9 (95) |
| GF/g | 3.31 (3rd) | 2.98 (14th) |
| GA/g | 2.83 (13th) | 2.92 (17th) |
| PP% | 24.4% (2nd) | 21.7% (10th) |
| PK% | 81.3 % (12th) | 81.9% (7th) |
| Shots/g | 32.2 (15th) | 31.7 (18th) |
| Shots Against/g | 33.8 (28th) | 32.0 (16th) |
| 5v5 CF% | 49.8% (17th) | 48.6% (21st) |
| 5v5 SV% | .928 (7th) | .918 (23rd) |
| 5v5 SH% | 9.1% (2nd) | 7.9% (12th) |
Toronto Maple Leafs Projected Lineup
Forwards
Hyman – Matthews – Nylander
(80-14-25-39) – (60-33-27-60) – (80-19-40-59) Total: 66
Marleau – Kadri – Marner
(80-25-19-45) – (78-31-23-54) – (80-22-47-69) Total: 78
Van Riemsdyk – Bozak – Brown
(80-36-18-54) – (79-11-31-42) – (80-14-14-28) Total: 61
Komarov – Plekanec – Kapanen
(72-7-12-19) – (75-6-20-26) – (36-7-2-9) Total: 20
Defencemen
Rielly – Carrick
(74-6-45-51) – (46-4-8-12) Total: 10
Gardiner – Polak
(80-5-45-50) – (52-2-10-12) Total: 7
Hainsey – Zaitsev
(78-4-19-23) – (58-5-8-13) Total: 9
Goaltenders
Andersen (.917 sv%)
McElhinney (.934 sv%)
Scratched: Moore, Leivo, Martin, Johnsson
Injured: Dermott
New Jersey Devils Projected Lineup
Forwards
Hall – Hischier – Palmeri
(75-39-54-93) – (80-19-32-51) – (61-24-20-44) Total: 82
Grabner – Zacha – Maroon
(78-27-9-36) – (67-7-15-22) – (72-16-22-38) Total: 50
Coleman – Zajac – Noesen
(77-13-12-25) – (67-7-15-22) – (70-13-14-27) Total: 33
Wood – Boyle – Gibbons
(74-17-12-29) – (67-13-10-23) – (57-12-14-26) Total: 42
Defencemen
Greene – Vatanen
(79-3-10-13) – (71-4-28-32) Total: 7
Moore – Mueller
(79-7-11-18) – (26-0-4-4) Total: 7
Butcher – Lovejoy
(79-5-39-44) – (55-2-6-8) Total: 7
Goaltenders
Schneider (.909 sv%)
Kinkaid (.911 sv%)
Injured: Johansson
