New Jersey at Vancouver

The Devils have played with a shorthanded defensive lineup nearly all season, and nothing has changed here with Luke Hughes placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury suffered this past Monday. Injuries are a reason the Devils' defense is below average in goals allowed and on the penalty kill. No defense is as bad as Vancouver's, though. The Canucks give up an NHL-high 3.6 goals a game and are also last in penalty killing. Injured goalie Thatcher Demko isn't available to bail out some of Vancouver's frequent defensive mistakes. The Canucks have been even worse defensively over their last dozen games, giving up an average of 4.4 goals per game. Vancouver has scored four goals against the Capitals and three goals against the Islanders in its last two games. The Capitals are 10th defensively, while the Islanders rank fourth defensively. Take the OVER.