On Friday, the New Jersey Devils will host the San Jose Sharks in the second of their three-game homestand, riding a six-game winning streak.
Related: Devils News & Rumors: Daws & Waivers Rules, Injury Updates, Win Streak
This is the Sharks’ third contest of their four-game road trip, but the last on the East Coast before they head to Minnesota to face the Wild. The Sharks earned their first win of the season on Thursday against the New York Rangers.
Devils Storylines
Cody Glass was noticeably absent from the morning skate. During his media availability, head coach Sheldon Keefe stated, “He’s going to miss some time; the exact period we’re not quite sure, but it’s not a day-to-day situation.” He last played against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday, recording an assist and 12:19 of ice time. He has been a strong center for the bottom six.
Without Glass, Dawson Mercer is now centering the third line. When asked about it, Keefe stated, “We know that he can do it. He was a little reluctant just because that line with Nico had been going so well for us.” While Mercer may be reluctant, there is no denying the line’s success. He recorded two assists against the Wild on Wednesday night, while Paul Cotter scored the first goal of the night.
While Jacob Markstrom has also been absent for several games, he is working his way towards a return to the crease. He shared the net with Nico Daws in today’s morning skate. According to Amanda Stein, Markstrom will also participate in tomorrow’s practice.
The player to watch in this game is Arseny Gritsyuk. He recorded his first NHL goal against the Wild. With four assists to his name, he now has five points on the season. Now on the right wing alongside Timo Meier and Nico Hischier, he will have even more scoring chances.
Team Stats
New Jersey Devils
Season Record: 6-1-0
Top Scorers:
- Jesper Bratt – 4 goals (G), 7 assists (A), 11 points (P)
- Jack Hughes – 6 G, 3 A, 9 P
- Timo Meier – 3 G, 4 A, 7 P
- Dawson Mercer – 3 G, 4 A, 7 P
- Nico Hischier – 2 G, 4 A, 6 P
Goalie Stats:
- Jake Allen – 3-0-0, 1.91 goals-against average (GAA), save percentage (SV%) .931
- Jacob Markstrom – 2-1-0, 3.89 GAA, .845 SV%
- Nico Daws – 1-0-0, 1.00 GAA, .968 SV%
San Jose Sharks
Season Record: 1-4-2
Top Scorers:
- Macklin Celebrini – 5 G, 6 A, 11 P
- Will Smith – 2 G, 6 A, 8 P
- Dmitry Orlov – 0 G, 7 A, 7 P
- William Eklund – 1 G, 4 A, 5 P
- Jeff Skinner – 3 G, 1 A, 4 P
Goalie Stats:
- Alex Nedeljkovic – 1-2-1, 4.00 GAA, .875 SV%
- Yaroslav Askarov – 0-2-1, 5.72 GAA, .838 SV%
Team Lineups
(Subject to change before puck drop)
As per The Hockey Writers’ projected lineup article
New Jersey Devils
Ondrej Palat — Jack Hughes — Jesper Bratt
Timo Meier — Nico Hischier — Arseni Gritsyuk
Paul Cotter — Dawson Mercer — Connor Brown
Stefan Noesen — Luke Glendening — Brian Halonen
Luke Hughes — Brett Pesce
Jonas Siegenthaler — Dougie Hamilton
Brenden Dillon — Simon Nemec
Jake Allen
Nico Daws
Scratched: Dennis Cholowski
Injured: Jacob Markstrom, Cody Glass, Marc McLaughlin, Evgenii Dadonov, Zack MacEwen, Johnathan Kovacevic, Juho Lammikko
San Jose Sharks
Tyler Toffoli — Macklin Celebrini — Will Smith
William Eklund — Alex Wennberg — Jeff Skinner
Collin Graf — Philipp Kurashev — Adam Gaudette
Barclay Goodrow — Ty Dellandrea — Ryan Reaves
Mario Ferraro — Vincent Desharnais
Nick Leddy — Vincent Iorio
Dmitry Orlov — Timothy Liljegren
Yaroslav Askarov
Alex Nedeljkovic
Scratched: Sam Dickinson, Michael Misa
Injured: John Klingberg, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Ryan Ellis, Carey Price
Next Up for the Devils
The Devils will have one day off before hosting the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, Oct. 26, for a matinee matchup at 1:00 pm. New Jersey will then hit the road for a four-game West Coast road trip, their first of the season.
