New Jersey has an all-time record of 96-120-13-6 versus Washington.
The New Jersey Devils will play their first game of the 2024 calendar year on Wednesday night. They will face the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena for their third season matchup. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 P.M.
The club held an optional morning skate at 11:30 A.M. Per the team, the following players participated: Kevin Bahl, Nate Bastian, Jesper Bratt, Graeme Clarke, Nico Hischier, Alexander Holtz, Curtis Lazar, Colin Miller, Simon Nemec, Chris Tierney, Nico Daws, and Vitek Vanecek.
Clarke was notified of his recall last night while in Utica. During his media availability, head coach Lindy Ruff explained that some forwards are dealing with issues and needed Clarke in case they were down a player. If he slots into the lineup, it will mark his NHL debut.
Devils @ Capitals - Capital One Arena
The Devils earned a 0-2-0 record versus the Capitals this season. The Devils were defeated in the first meeting by a score of 6-4 on Oct. 25 at the Rock, and then 4-2 at home on Nov. 10. Dawson Mercer has eight points in nine games versus Washington, tied for the second-most points earned versus an opposing team. Jack Hughes has five points in his last two outings versus tonight's opponent.
Washington is fifth in the Metropolitan Division (18-11-6). They are two points ahead of New Jersey in the standings, which makes it critical for the Devils to win this game in regulation. They are coming off a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins last night. The club scored four goals in the opening 20 minutes of the game.
- New Jersey's injury list includes Dougie Hamilton (out indefinitely), Tomas Nosek (out indefinitely), and Timo Meier (mid-body).
- Washington's injury list includes Sonny Milano (upper body), T.J. Oshie (lower body), Charlie Lindgren (upper body), and Max Pacioretty (Achilles).
- Kirk Muller is an assistant head coach for the Capitals. The organization announced his hiring on July 20, 2023. He appeared in 556 games for the Devils, tallying 520 points.
- Defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler was selected 57th overall by Washington during the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He appeared in 193 games for the Capitals, earning 42 points.
- Luke Hughes scored his first career NHL goal versus Washington. An overtime winner secured his team's 5-4 victory on Apr. 13, 2023. He has three points in three games versus the Capitals.
- The Capitals signed defenseman Ethan Bear to a two-year contract worth $4.125 million on Dec. 28, 2023.
Projected Lineup
New Jersey:
The team's lines and pairings from Tuesday's practice:
Tyler Toffoli - Jack Hughes - Jesper Bratt
Ondrej Palat - Nico Hischier -Erik Haula
Curtis Lazar - Michael McLeod - Dawson Mercer
Alexander Holtz - Chris Tierney - Nathan Bastian
Jonas Siegenthaler - Simon Nemec
Luke Hughes - John Marino
Kevin Bahl - Brendan Smith
Nico Daws/Vitek Vanecek
** With players dealing with issues that could potentially keep them out of the lineup, head coach Lindy Ruff said there is a possibility they utilize 11 forwards and seven defensemen. **
Washington:
Alex Ovechkin - Evgeny Kuznetsov - Tom Wilson
Aliaksei Protas - Connor McMichael - Anthony Mantha
Hendrix Lapierre - Dylan Strome - Matthew Phillips
Beck Malenstyn - Nic Dowd - Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Martin Fehervary - John Carlson
Joel Edmundson - Ethan Bear
Rasmus Sandin - Nick Jensen
Hunter Shepard/Darcy Kuemper
Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be broadcast on TNT and MSGSN. Bill Spaulding will handle the MSGN play-by-play alongside analyst Ken Daneyko and host Erika Wachter. Fans can also listen on the Devils Hockey Network with Matt Loughlin on play-by-play.