Devils Vs Predators as the Road Trip Test Intensifies at 8:08 p.m. ET

devils vs predators takes center stage tonight as New Jersey continues its five-game road trip with an 8: 08 p. m. ET puck drop in Nashville, facing a Predators team carrying a five-game winning streak and a style built to sustain long offensive-zone pressure.

What Happens When Devils Vs Predators meets a five-game heater and a heavy forecheck?

The Devils arrive in Nashville after going 4-1-0 over their last five games, but the matchup sets up as a different kind of test: Nashville has won five straight and is described as a team that spends extended time in the offensive zone and “wears you down. ” Head coach Sheldon Keefe framed the challenge around Nashville’s speed out of its zone and an aggressive forecheck that can keep opponents pinned.

For New Jersey, the pathway to handling that pressure is rooted in execution rather than lineup talk. Keefe emphasized the need to “break out well, ” slow the Predators’ forecheck, and shift play into Nashville’s half of the ice. The stakes, in practical terms, are about whether the Devils can consistently move the puck cleanly through the neutral zone and avoid getting trapped in long defensive shifts against a team built to sustain pressure.

What If the lineup ripple from Gritsyuk’s injury reshapes the night?

New Jersey will be without Arseny Gritsyuk, who did not skate after being injured in the previous game and is now considered week-to-week. Keefe said Gritsyuk will not be available this week. That absence removes a player Keefe described as someone who can carry the puck through the neutral zone and make plays, and it affects a line that had built chemistry in recent weeks.

In response, Evgenii Dadonov draws into the lineup against Nashville. The opening also expands Lenni Hämeenaho’s role, including time on the second power play unit. Keefe highlighted Hämeenaho’s positional intelligence, decision-making with the puck, and his ability to shoot, positioning the change as an opportunity for continued growth rather than merely a stopgap.

There is also a clear organizational and roster-management layer to Dadonov’s presence. Dadonov has played 18 games this season, and his contract includes a bonus triggered at 20 games that would be added onto next year’s cap hit, reducing the Devils’ cap space in 2026-27. On-ice, the critique has been straightforward: his offensive contribution has been limited in his appearances. Against a team that can “wear you down, ” the practical question is whether Dadonov can provide functional minutes and help the Devils manage the forecheck and transition play, even if the box-score impact is uncertain.

What If the matchup hinges on Nashville’s top-heavy scoring and the Devils’ defensive execution?

Nashville’s scoring profile is characterized as top-heavy, led by Ryan O’Reilly, Filip Forsberg, and Steven Stamkos. Luke Evangelista is noted as a playmaker, while Roman Josi has produced 48 points in 59 games. After that upper tier, the drop-off is described as steep, though Erik Haula is listed as the fifth-leading forward scorer with 32 points, and Jonathan Marchessault and Matthew Wood are cited as occasional contributors when in the lineup.

The matchup framing is simple: if the Devils can keep Nashville’s top six to one or two goals, the game shapes up as highly winnable. The caution is especially pointed around Stamkos, with an emphasis on careful positioning whenever he is on the ice. In net, the expectation is that Jacob Markstrom may start after Jake Allen took the win against Dallas, though that remains an outlook rather than a confirmed lineup note.

On the Devils’ side, the focus remains on sustaining the style they have recently been winning with: a fast, rush and forecheck-based game over the last couple of weeks. With the Devils continuing their road trip and facing an opponent that leans on extended pressure, the most telling indicator may be which team dictates the rhythm—Nashville’s grind in the offensive zone, or New Jersey’s ability to escape pressure and attack quickly in transition.