NHL Grind Down: Sunday, December 18th - Page Two
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New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers
| New Jersey Devils | New York Rangers | ||||||||
 | Cory Schneider |  | Antti Raanta | ||||||
| Record | Record | ||||||||
| 12-12-6 | 22-10-1 | ||||||||
| Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% | Stats | GF/GP | GA/GP | PP% | PK% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Stats | 2.38 | 2.97 | 14.90% | 83.20% | Team Stats | 3.38 | 2.22 | 21.40% | 87.30% |
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This game looks like a mismatch with the 22-10-1 Rangers hosting the 12-12-6 Devils. Both teams are on the second night of a back-to-back which should favor the home team who has a stellar backup goalie in Antti Raanta. On the other side, Cory Schneider just doesn’t look like the same guy this season with a career low .905 save percentage and a 2.88 GAA. New Jersey is a bad offense, ranking 27th in goals scored and 26th in shots per game. They have some decent skaters with Taylor Hall, Travis Zajac, Adam Henrique and Michael Cammalleri, but I can’t make much of a case to play any Devils tonight. If I was going to get cute in GPP’s and try and find a little offense here, I’d aim for the Cammalleri/Henrique combo who play together on the second line and the top power play. I just can’t see spending the price to get Taylor Hall tonight.
The Rangers are a team to target in all formats, as New Jersey isn’t the same team defensively that they’ve been in past years. They are middle of the pack in goals against and have allowed the sixth most shots per game. With Schneider’s lackluster play in goal, this should be an easy win for the home team. The top line of Derek Stepan, Mats Zuccarello and Chris Kreider are all in play, either individually in cash games or together as a tournament stack. They have been remarkably similar, all three between 70-74 shots and 20-21 points on the season. Rick Nash looks healthy after missing four games with a groin injury, as he has scored in each of the last two games and leads the team in shots and goals. I’d have no issue pairing Nash with J.T. Miller or Kevin Hayes, though Nash can be played alone even in tournaments, or as a mini-stack with Ryan McDonagh who leads the team in playing time and assists. Antti Raanta looks like the safest goalie for cash games as a strong home favorite. For tournaments, the upside is limited by New Jersey’s low shot total, so while he’s still viable, he fits better as a cash game option.
Elite Plays;
NYR – Rick Nash, Antti Raanta, Derek Stepan, Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider, Ryan McDonagh
NJ – None
Secondary Plays;
NYR – J.T. Miller, Kevin Hayes