New Jersey Devils vs Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction, 2/26/2026 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: New Jersey Devils vs Pittsburgh Penguins

Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026

Location: PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA

TV: Sportsnet Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Penguins (29-15-12) will try to beat the New Jersey Devils (28-27-2) at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday.

The New Jersey Devils were on the wrong end of the scoreboard with a 3-1 defeat against the Islanders in their previous contest . The Devils didn't have their best offensive outing in the loss. While out there on the ice, they earned a goal on 1 out of the 24 shots they tried. They also had 1 power play try but didn't convert it into a score. New Jersey accounted for 2 penalty minutes in this outing.

New Jersey Devils opponents have 143 power play opportunities (30th in pro hockey) and have notched 30 goals in those chances. The Devils so far have had 1,580 shots tried against them and are the owners of a save percentage of .889. New Jersey has tried 1,671 shots and has a shooting percentage of 8.6%. At even strength, the Devils let the opposition score 145 goals while earning 113 themselves. New Jersey has accounted for 144 power play opportunities and they have added 30 goals out of those attempts, giving them a percentage of 20.83%. For the season, they have racked up 58 points and their points percentage comes in at .509. When talking about their scoring, the New Jersey Devils have accumulated 143 goals (30th in the league) so far this season and have allowed 175.

The man in net for this game is Jacob Markstrom. Over the course of his career, Markstrom has accounted for 286 quality starts and his quality starts rate is .524. His save percentage currently is at .907 for his 28,373 minutes guarding the cage. Markstrom has had 15,879 shots taken against him and has recorded 14,402 total saves. The opposition has scored 1,477 goals against Markstrom in his professional career and his goals against average per game is 2.71. He has an overall record of 256-225-64 and got the start in 546 games. Markstrom has taken the ice for 564 contests over the course of his NHL career.

Their last time out, Pittsburgh faced the Sabres in an outing where the Penguins earned a victory by a tally of 5-2. They had 3 power play opportunities in this game but weren't able to put one in the back of the net. The Penguins netted 5 goals out of the 32 shots on goal they tried.

The Penguins have earned 153 goals at even strength and 38 goals (12th in hockey) while on the power play. Pittsburgh has tried 1,625 shots (13th in pro hockey) and has accumulated a shooting percentage of 11.75%, while allowing their opponents 1,529 shots. This season, the Pittsburgh Penguins have notched a total of 191 goals, 70 points, in addition to a points percentage of .625. They have allowed 162 goals to be scored by way of 136 goals at even strength and 26 goals while they had less men on the ice. They have earned 147 opportunities on the power play and they have accumulated a power play percentage of 25.85%. They have recorded a penalty kill rate of 84.05% on their opponents 163 power play tries, and their save percentage currently sits at 89.4%.

Across the ice you will find Stuart Skinner between the pipes. Skinner has earned a career mark of 117-66-19 and has been in goal for 210 games. Skinner's rate of quality starts comes in at 54.9% and he has qualified for 112 quality starts in his professional career. He has recorded 5,147 saves out of 5,699 shots attempted against him, giving him a rate of .903. Teams are averaging 2.71 goals per contest and he has allowed 552 goals in total. He has started in 204 games and has played for a total of 9,309 mins.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Guy's Pick: Take New Jersey

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