Golden Knights vs Devils Picks & Props

The Devils will look to mitigate the Golden Knights’ forecheck by forcing them to retreat and stay above the puck. The Devils will have a player fly the zone and a defenseman in transition, empowering a three- or four-man rush.

Vegas’s lack of aggression will be a problem in this game. Look for the Devils to cleanly exit their zone and create fits for the Golden Knights with their speed on the rush and in the cycle.

Since New Jersey star Jack Hughes (finger) has been out the Devils have middling five-on-five possession numbers with a 49.3 Corsi For percentage and 48.7 % shot share while also allowing the 10th-most shots per game (29.7). The Devils have also allowed the seventh-most shots per game to opposing defensemen for the campaign. So, Hanifin has my attention after recording two or more shots in 11 of 15 games since returning from injury. The go-to defender sports a high-end 56.5 CF% and 59.4% shot share at 5-on-5, and he logs a hefty 23:13 of ice time per night while lining up for 63.7% of faceoffs in the offensive zone during the stretch, too.