The 11-4-0 New Jersey Devils will host the 7-6-2 New York Islanders tonight at the Prudential Center.
This marks the first regular-season meeting between the two teams after the Devils defeated the Islanders in both of their preseason matchups.
The Devils are coming off a 2-1 shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, while the Islanders enter the game following a dominant 5-0 victory against the New York Rangers. That win handed the Rangers their seventh home loss of the season (0-6-1).
In that game, several Islanders stood out. Ilya Sorokin earned his first shutout of the season, stopping all 33 shots he faced. It was his 23rd career shutout, breaking a tie with Billy Smith for second all-time in franchise history.
Jonathan Drouin and Jean-Gabriel Pageau each recorded three-point nights (1G, 2A), while Bo Horvat extended his point streak to five games. Horvat now has 11 goals on the season, including two against the Rangers.
The Islanders made significant defensive changes for that game, using all-new pairings. They are projected to line up against the Devils as follows:
Islanders projected lineup via NHL.com
Emil Heineman – Bo Horvat – Kyle Palmieri
Jonathan Drouin – Mathew Barzal – Simon Holmstrom
Anders Lee – JG Pageau – Anthony Duclair
Max Tsyplakov – Casey Cizikas – Cal Ritchie
Matthew Schaefer – Ryan Pulock
Adam Pelech – Tony DeAngelo
Alex Romanov – Scott Mayfield
The Devils are expecting Zack MacEwen to return to the lineup tonight.
New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) on X
#NEWS: We have activated F Zack MacEwen off injured reserve.
Devils projected lineup via NHL.com
Stefan Noesen – Jack Hughes – Jesper Bratt
Timo Meier – Nico Hischier – Dawson Mercer
Ondrej Palat – Cody Glass – Arseny Gritsyuk
Paul Cotter – Luke Glendening – Zack MacEwen
Jonas Siegenthaler – Simon Nemec
Brenden Dillon – Luke Hughes
Dennis Cholowski – Colton White
Kristy Flannery (@InStilettos_NHL) on X
#NJDevils Morning Skate Lineup:
Noesen - Hughes - Bratt
Meier - Hischier - Mercer
Palat - Glass - Gritsyuk
Cotter - Glendening - MacEwen
Siegenthaler - Nemec
Dillon - Hughes
Cholowski - White
Markstrom
The Devils continue to battle through several injuries.
Injury Report
- Hamilton (lower body) – minimum 1 week
- Brown (undisclosed) – day-to-day
- Pesce (upper body) – unknown timeline
- Dadonov (hand) – month-to-month
- Kovacevic (knee) – month-to-month
- McLaughlin (undisclosed)
The Islanders listed one player on their injury report: Shabanov (upper body), day-to-day.
Despite their growing injury list, the Devils continue to find ways to win. They remain undefeated at home this season with a 7-0-0 record, fueled by strong offensive performances.
Jack Hughes leads the team with 10 goals and 18 points, while Dawson Mercer has found his rhythm with eight goals and 15 assists. Rookie Arseny Gritsyuk scored the lone regulation goal in Saturday’s win over Pittsburgh and now has seven points (3G, 4A) on the season.
The Devils rank sixth in the league in both power play and penalty kill efficiency heading into tonight’s matchup.
This is the first of four meetings between the Devils and Islanders this season. Last year, the Islanders won the series, going 2-0-1 in the three-game series. The Devils, however, defeated the Islanders in both preseason matchups this fall—6-2 on September 23 and 4-2 on September 26.
The teams will face off again on December 23, January 6, and February 5.
The Devils will look to extend their perfect home record, while the Islanders aim to earn their second win of a seven-game road trip.
Puck drop is scheduled for 4 PM at the Prudential Center.