New Jersey Devils Against Winnipeg Jets Gameday Thoughts (Nov. 10)

Well, the air was taken out of this one. Connor Hellebuyck was supposed to make his much-anticipated return to Winnipeg. However, the New Jersey Devils announced Sunday night that Jake Allen will make the start instead. 

There's still a lot of unknown surrounding the situation. Hellebuyck will speak to the Winnipeg media following the morning skate and will provide some answers and potentially clear the air. Otherwise, the Devils move right along and face a Jets team that will want to make a statement. 

So, aside from the Hellebuyck story looming over this game, what is on everyone's mind? Let's dive into a few things, but first, some quick stats. 

The Devils (13-5 & 2nd in the Metropolitan Division) are averaging 3.59 goals per game (7th in the NHL) & allow 3.00 goals per game (9th in the NHL).

The Jets (7-8-3 & 6th in the Central Division) average 2.65 goals per game (25th in the NHL) & allow 3.53 goals per game (26th in the NHL).

1) All eyes are on Allen now. What type of start does he have? Allen has been a reliable backup since Hellebuyck was acquired. He's looking for a bounce-back start after allowing four goals on 23 shots in a 5-4 overtime win for the Devils. 

The Jets would love nothing more than to run Allen out of town. They want to pile up the goals on him and either force head coach Sheldon Keefe to keep him in the game or pull him and bring Hellebuyck into the game (the latter seems unlikely). 

2) Can the Jets keep up with the Devils' offense? The Jets have scored 15 goals in their last three games, winning them to build up a three-game winning streak heading into the game on Tuesday. The offense has turned a corner and might be what turns their season around. 

The Jets must go toe-to-toe with the Devils and their high-flying offense. The Devils rank in the top 10 in scoring and have scored 23 goals in the last five games. This game could be a back-and-forth, high-scoring affair, and the Jets will look to keep up all night. 

3) This is also a return game for Brenden Dillon, who spent three seasons in Winnipeg before joining the Devils. He's already had a few return games since leaving a few seasons ago, but this one could be pivotal. The Devils don't need him in the lineup, but they might want him as the extra defenseman to add that physical element to the blue line, especially if the game gets chippy. 

4) Riley Tufte was called up in the wake of the Anthony Mantha injury. Like Mantha, he's a power forward with a reputation for finding the back of the net, at least in the American Hockey League. Tufte checks off all of the boxes to play on the fourth line, but it wouldn't surprise anyone if he's on the Evan Rodrigues line with Jesper Boqvist on the other wing. 

5) What will the atmosphere in Winnipeg look like? It's a mystery how the crowd will respond to Hellebuyck's absence in the starting net. We'll find out when the puck drops at 7 PM Eastern time. 

What's on your mind ahead of the upcoming game against the Jets? Comment below!