The 8-2-0 New Jersey Devils will face off against the 2-6-2 San Jose Sharks tonight.
Both teams enter the game looking to rebound from recent losses. The Devils fell 8-4 to the Colorado Avalanche during the NHL’s Frozen Frenzy, while the Sharks dropped a 4-3 matchup to the Los Angeles Kings.
San Jose’s only two wins this season have both come in overtime. New Jersey, meanwhile, saw its eight-game winning streak come to an end against Colorado. Despite the Sharks’ struggles, the Devils will be without several key players, Brett Pesce, Cody Glass, Evgenii Dadonov, Johnathan Kovacevic, and Zack MacEwen, which could make tonight’s matchup less predictable.
The full injury report is:
Devils:
- Cody Glass (upper body), week-to-week
- Brett Pesce (upper body), unknown
- Evgenii Dadonov (hand), month-to-month
- Johnathan Kovacevic (knee), month-to-month
- Zack MacEwen (upper body), week-to-week
Sharks:
- Adam Gaudette (upper body), day-to-day
- Nick Leddy (upper body), day-to-day
- Shakir Mukhamadullin (upper body), IR
This is game two of the Devils’ four-game road trip. The two clubs last met less than a week ago in Newark, when New Jersey earned a 3-1 victory. In that contest, the Devils surrendered an early goal and struggled through a sluggish first period before rallying.
“It was definitely a tough first period. For myself, I was pretty bad,” Dougie Hamilton told the media, along with The Hockey News’ Kristy Flannery, after that game. “It was an ugly first period, but a good goalie and power play wins us the game.”
Tonight marks the final meeting between the Devils and Sharks this season, with New Jersey aiming for a season sweep.
Projected Lineup and Notes
At the Devils’ morning skate, team reporter Amanda Stein noted a few lineup adjustments. Jake Allen is expected to start in net after earning the win in the last matchup against San Jose, stopping 16 of 17 shots. Defensive pairings were also shuffled during the skate.
Quick Facts / Players to Watch
Devils:
- Jack Hughes has 8 points (6g, 2a) in his past 5 games, including a hat trick and a 3-game scoring streak.
- Hughes’ 9 goals are tied for the most in the NHL this season.
- Dougie Hamilton has 3 goals and 4 points in his last 3 games, including two power-play goals and 3 points in the Oct. 24 win over San Jose.
Sharks:
- Rookie Macklin Celebrini enters with an active 5-game point streak (5g, 6a), highlighted by a hat trick and 5-point night earlier this week.
Devils Looking to Bounce Back
Following Tuesday’s loss, Devils captain Nico Hischier said the team is focused on a strong response.
“I’m already looking forward to San Jose, because that game says a lot. We need a bounce back,” Hischier told NHL.com.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe echoed the sentiment: “It’s pretty obvious they don’t feel great about the game, but we’ll push past it. And I’m really interested in our response.”
The puck drops at 10 p.m. ET as the Devils look to bounce back and complete a season sweep of the Sharks.