New Jersey's next three opponents are the Lightning, Panthers, and Bruins.
NEWARK, N.J. -- Through 37 games, the New Jersey Devils earned a 21-14-2 record for 44 points. At the time of publication, the club is fourth in the Metropolitan Division and possesses the first wild card spot.
Injuries are again beginning to mount as Tomas Nosek entered long-term injured reserve (LTIR) on Sunday, and Timo Meier was placed on injured reserve on Saturday. Jack Hughes sustained an upper-body injury on Jan. 5; the next night, on Jan. 6, defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler broke his foot.
In total, there are currently seven Devils players dealing with injuries. Some, like Siegenthaler and fellow defenseman Dougie Hamilton, will be out long-term, while there is no official timetable for Meier or Hughes.
After a couple of practices in Newark, the team will start a difficult three-game road trip versus the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and Boston Bruins.
It will be the first time New Jersey faces Tampa and Florida this season and the third meeting with Boston.
The Lightning are behind the Devils in standings with 43 points and, at the time of publication, out of a wild card spot. They have earned a 5-5-0 record over their last ten games and will play one game before hosting New Jersey on Thursday night.
Last season, the Devils earned a 1-2-0 record versus the Panthers, who arguably enter this week as the hottest club in the league. They have won their last seven games and are 8-2-0 in their previous ten. Florida will face the St. Louis Blues and LA Kings before their game versus New Jersey on Saturday.
The Devils will play the Bruins in a week. Over the next seven days, a lot can change regarding lineups, injuries, and putting together a winning streak. The Bruins will begin a four-game road trip tonight before hosting the Devils on Jan. 15.
One thing to note is that the Devils do not have an extra healthy defenseman on the roster right now.
After his team's loss to the Vancouver Canucks, head Coach Lindy Ruff talked about what Siegenthaler's injury does to his team's defensive core.
"You can see we put (Brendan Smith) back there at the end (of the game). I think you're looking at that short term," he said. "We have (Max Willman) up here who will go up front. We'll spend a little time talking about the roster and where we are going to go with it. Short term, that's kind of what it looks like."
It will not be easy, but the Devils have faced adversity all season long. While ugly at times, the club has stayed afloat just enough to find themselves in the playoff hunt.
The Devils will hold a practice on Tuesday, Jan. 9, at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House in Newark. At that time, the media should hear an update on Hughes' status and if Ondrej Palat, who has a lower-body injury, can travel with the team.