NHL Game Preview: New Jersey Devils at San Jose Sharks with Line Combinations 1/4/2025

NHL Game Preview: New Jersey Devils at San Jose Sharks with Line Combinations 1/4/2025

New Jersey Devils (24-14-3, 51 Pts) at San Jose Sharks (12-23-6, 30 pts)

Venue: SAP Center
Date: Saturday, January 4
Time: 4:00 ET
TV: ESPN+/MSGSN/ NBCSCA
Radio:
New Jersey – Devils App, 98.7 ESPN
San Jose – Sharks Audio Network

DraftKings Sportsbook Betting Lines:

New Jersey -1.5 ML -265
San Jose: +1.5 ML +215
O/U 6.5

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New Jersey Devils News & Notes:

The Devils dropped their third straight game on Wednesday in a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. They’ve allowed an average of 3.7 goals per game while scoring just 1.3 goals per game. In their last ten, they are 6-4-0 led by Jacob Markstrom who is 6-1-0 in that stretch posting a 1.15 goals against average and a .939 save percentage with two shutouts.

San Jose Sharks News & Notes:

The Sharks snapped their eight-game skid on Thursday as they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 getting goals from Tyler Toffoli and Mario Ferraro as well as great goaltending from Yaroslav Askarov who turned aside 24 of the 25 shots he faced. During their eight-game skid, they had allowed an average of four goals per game and scoring an average of 2.1 goals per game.

New Jersey Devils Projected Lines:

Meier-Hischier-Noesen
Palat-J. Hughes-Bratt
Cotter-Haula-Mercer
Bastian-Lazar-Tatar

Dillon-Hamilton
Siegenthaler-Kovacevic
L. Hughes-Pesce

Markstrom
Allen

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San Jose Sharks Projected Lines:

Kostin-Granlund-Zetterlund
Graf-Celebrini-Smith
Kovalenko-Wennberg-Toffoli
Goodrow-Sturm-Kunin

Thrun-Ceci
Ferraro-Liljegren
Vlasic-Rutta

Askarov
Georgiev

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Players To Watch:

New Jersey Devils

Jesper Bratt this season has 47 points on 14 goals and 33 assists. He’s faced the Sharks 12 times in his career recording eight points on three goals and five assists; the Devils were shutout in the previous matchup this season, so Bratt didn’t record a point.

San Jose Sharks

Nico Sturm this season has nine points on four goals and five assists. He’s faced the Devils eight times in his career recording three goals; one of those goals came in the previous matchup this season which was also the lone goal in that game.

Injury Report:

New Jersey Devils

D Santeri Hatakka – IR 

San Jose Sharks

C Logan Couture – LTIR
G Vitek Vanecek – IR
F William Eklund – IR
F Carl Grundstrom – Out
D Jake Walman – DTD

Next Game:

New Jersey – January 6 @ Seattle Kraken
San Jose
– January 7 vs. Vegas Golden Knights

ITR 47: Then There Was Nothing Inside The Rink

Join Conrad and Chris as the discuss Gavin McKenna making the jump to the NCAA, Pittsburgh and San Jose making additions, and the NHL season to begin on October 7, 2025.
  1. ITR 47: Then There Was Nothing
  2. ITR 46: Offseason Chaos
  3. ITR 45: Everything Is Happening
  4. ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again
  5. ITR 43: It's Winning Time

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