Anaheim vs New Jersey Prediction 1 January 2025

🔊 Can the Western underdog challenge the Eastern favorite? Anaheim continues to sit at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, but sometimes manages to challenge the league's recognized leaders. New Jersey, on the other hand, continues to lead the Eastern Conference, but in terms of lost points, they are already behind Washington.

📊 Head-to-Head

In the current regular season, the teams met in the third decade of October. Back then, the "Devils" easily dealt with their opponent on home ice (6:2). The biggest contribution to his team's success was made by forward Stefan Noesen, who managed to score a double. The player is currently in excellent form and has scored points in three of the last four matches.

🟠 Anaheim

Thanks to its rather rare but significant successes, the club from California remains in the race for a playoff spot. Greg Cronin's team has won four of their last seven matches, making a small surge in the standings. They managed to take points from recognized leaders of the Western Conference - Winnipeg (3:2) and Edmonton (5:3). The gap from the eighth spot still stands at a significant 10 points, but watching the "Ducks" play is extremely interesting.

😈 New Jersey

The "Devils" maintain their pace and continue to lead solo in the East. However, occasional defeats prevent the team from creating even a minimal buffer. In the last five matches, Sheldon Keefe's players have suffered two defeats - against Columbus (2:4) and Carolina (2:5). In both cases, the team failed to challenge less experienced opponents, which doesn't inspire much optimism ahead of crucial regular-season encounters.

🔗 Probable Lineups

Anaheim: Dostal - Gudas, Lacombe - Terry, Strome, Vatrano

New Jersey: Allen - Hamilton, Dillon - Noesen, Hischier, Meier

🥅 Goalkeepers

Anaheim's goalkeeper Lukas Dostal is deservedly a reigning world champion. The Czech often keeps his team in the game until the final minutes, even against clear favorites. For instance, he managed to hold off Edmonton's star-studded offense and secure an unexpected victory for his teammates.

New Jersey's goalie Jake Allen plays very rarely in the current regular season, and his performances can hardly be considered successful. However, the Canadian manages to relieve his partner Jacob Markstrom and give him a chance to maintain brilliant form.

📝 Editorial Prediction

It seems that the new "Devils" coach Sheldon Keefe has brought over tactics he tested in his previous job in Toronto. New Jersey plays in a sharp attacking style and even several conceded pucks do not stop them at all. The home team fits this style perfectly and is always ready to support an open format of play. Our key bet is total over 5.5 pucks.