New Jersey Devils vs. Columbus Blue Jackets February 14 Betting Preview

On Tuesday night, the New Jersey Devils will visit the Columbus Blue Jackets in NHL action from Ohio. Columbus is coming off of one of their best wins of the 2022-23 NHL season, and will aim to follow it up with another victory over a playoff-caliber opponent. To do that, they will need to get the better of a Devils team that is firmly in the top-five in the Eastern Conference standings after the All-Star break.

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New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils come into Tuesday night off of a loss in their last game, having fallen on the road to the Minnesota Wild. New Jersey is still third in points earned in the Eastern Conference, having collected 73 points and sitting second in the Metropolitan Division entering Tuesday. 

Here, they will look to get back on track on the road against a Columbus team that is at the bottom of the league this season.

Despite their loss to the Wild, the Devils are still playing some excellent hockey of late, having won five of their last seven games. They have also scored three or more goals in five of those last seven games. With an explosive attack to rely on, the Devils will like their chances here against a Blue Jackets team that has given up more goals than every team but the Canucks, Ducks, and Sharks.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets enter Tuesday night having won their last game, coming back from two goals down against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In that 4-3 win, the Jackets stormed back from a 2-0 deficit to go up 3-2. They then allowed a tying goal, but rescued things with a winner in the third period, which they will hope to build on at home here against a dynamic New Jersey team.

Even with the win against the Maple Leafs, the Columbus defense has still left a lot to be desired over the last couple of weeks. The Blue Jackets have given up three or more goals in five straight games, and they face a Devils team that has been red hot putting the puck into the back of the net of late. If the Jackets cannot do better on the defensive zone here, they could be in for a long night.

Keys To The Game

For the Devils, the key to this game is going to be applying pressure early and often in this game. If they can keep the Blue Jackets pinned into their defensive zone for long periods of time, New Jersey will have a ton of success in this contest. Expect them to press high up the ice to win possession and keep it throughout.

For Columbus, the key to this game is going to be generating some possession of the puck of their own. 

Giving the puck away cheaply would be disastrous in this game, as having to defend for long periods of time would likely result in a barrage of goals against. But getting the puck and keeping it has been easier said than done for this team.