On Tuesday, the New Jersey Devils will play the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. The Devils just lost to the Buffalo Sabres, 3-1, on Sunday. After several players returned to the lineup, the Devils put up a good effort, but the Sabres were better. This is their last game ahead of the Christmas break.
Related: Brett Pesce Has Stabilized Devils’ Defense Since His Return
The Islanders also played the Sabres in their last game. They hosted Buffalo on Saturday, Dec. 20, and the Sabres won 3-2 in a shootout. The first game of the season series was held at the Prudential Center on Nov. 10. The Islanders won 3-2 in overtime.
Devils Storylines
Although this is their last game before the three-day break, the Devils already got an early Christmas present with the return of several players. Jack Hughes, Arseni Gritsyuk, and Timo Meier all returned to the lineup on Sunday. Hughes scored in the first period, of course. He was the only player to score against the Sabres, and it was hard to believe he’d been away from the team for 18 games.
After Jake Allen got the start on Sunday, Jacob Markstrom will defend the crease against the Islanders. In his last game on Dec. 19, Markstrom made 32 saves for the Devils’ 2-1 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Both goalies have played well for the team this season.
The player to watch in this game is Colton White. He’s been a strong part of the defense after Simon Nemec went down with an injury. He just celebrated his 100th NHL game on Sunday and recorded the secondary assist on Hughes’ goal. White and Brenden Dillon have been a solid third pairing for the team this season.
Team Stats
New Jersey Devils
Season Record: 20-15-1
Top Scorers:
- Jesper Bratt – 6 goals (G), 23 assists (A), 29 points (P)
- Nico Hischier – 10 G, 18 A, 28 P
- Timo Meier – 11 G, 12 A, 23 P
- Dawson Mercer – 10 G, 13 A, 23 P
- Jack Hughes – 11 G, 10 A, 21 P
Goalie Stats:
- Jake Allen – 10-8-0, 2.47 goals-against average (GAA), .912 save percentage (SV%)
- Jacob Markstrom – 9-7-1, 3.40 GAA, .881 SV%
- Nico Daws – 1-0-0, 1.00 GAA, .968 SV%
New York Islanders
Season Record: 19-13-4
Top Scorers:
- Bo Horvat – 19 G, 12 A, 31 P
- Mathew Barzal – 10 G, 19 A, 29 P
- Matthew Schaefer – 9 G, 15 A, 24 P
- Anders Lee – 9 G, 14 A, 23 P
- Emil Heineman – 12 G, 6 A, 18 P
Goalie Stats:
- Ilya Sorokin – 12-10-2, 2.55 GAA, .910 SV%
- David Rittich – 7-3-2, 2.54 GAA, .908 SV%
Projected Lineups
(Subject to change before puck drop)
As per The Hockey Writers’ projected lineup article.
New Jersey Devils
Timo Meier — Nico Hischier — Dawson Mercer
Ondrej Palat — Jack Hughes — Jesper Bratt
Arseni Gritsyuk — Cody Glass — Connor Brown
Paul Cotter — Luke Glendening — Stefan Noesen
Jonas Siegenthaler — Dougie Hamilton
Luke Hughes — Bret Pesce
Brenden Dillon — Colton White
Jacob Markstrom
Jake Allen
Scratched: Angus Crookshank, Dennis Cholowski, Juho Lammikko
Injured: Evgenii Dadonov, Zack MacEwen, Marc McLaughlin, Simon Nemec, Johnathan Kovacevic
New York Islanders
Anders Lee — Matthew Barzal — Simon Holmstrom
Jonathan Drouin — Jean-Gabriel Pageau — Emil Heineman
Anthony Duclair — Calum Ritchie — Maxim Shabanov
Kyle MacLean — Casey Cizikas — Marc Gatcomb
Mathew Schaefer — Ryan Pulock
Adam Pelech — Tony DeAngelo
Marshall Warren — Scott Mayfield
David Rittich
Marcus Hogberg
Scratched: Maxim Tsyplakov, Adam Boqvist
Injured: Ilya Sorokin, Bo Horvat, Kyle Palmieri, Alexander Romanov, Ethan Bear, Semyon Varlamov, Pierre Engvall, Jesse Nurmi, Daylan Kuefler
Next Up for the Devils
The Devils’ next game is on Saturday, Dec. 27, when they host the Washington Capitals after the Christmas break. The season series will continue on Long Island on Jan. 6.