NEW JERSEY DEVILS (37-26-3) vs. CALGARY FLAMES (31-25-11)
New Jersey hosts the Calgary Flames at Prudential Center on Thursday night, the start of a three-game homestand.
You can watch on MSGSN2 or listen on the Devils Hockey Network.
Read below for your game preview and pre-game story below. Tonight’s game is presented by Window Works.
• TV: MSGSN2
• RADIO: Devils Hockey Network
NEWARK, NJ – Check back following Devils morning skate at 10:30 a.m. at Prudential Center.
THE SCOOP
The Devils quickly got back on track after a tough loss in Pittsburgh with an all-important victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night. Jake Allen made 45 saves in the 2-1 for his 12th win of the season. The Devils’ two goals against the Jackets came in a 39-second span where Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt each scored their 20th goal of the season.
The win in Columbus gave the Devils a 10-point lead over the Blue Jackets, who had been chasing them in the standings for the third spot in the Metropolitan Division. New Jersey has won four of its last five games.
Tomas Tatar, Ondrej Palat and Curtis Lazar did not practice on Wednesday, head coach Sheldon Keefe saying players are dealing with bumps and bruises. Keefe also confirmed that Jacob Markstrom will start in net against Calgary.
The Calgary Flames are fighting for their playoff lives, sitting just outside a Wild Card position in the Western Conference. The Flames have 73 points this season and are jockeying positions with the Vancouver Canucks, who hold the final Wild Card spot with 75 points, and the St. Louis Blue, also 75 points, who have played two more games than the Flames. The Flames have played the fewest games among those fighting for the final playoff spot in the West.
In their previous game, Calgary snapped a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers. Goaltender Dan Vladar was in net against the Rangers, setting up an opportunity for Dustin Wolf to appear against the Devils. Wolf has been in the Calder Trophy candidacy chatter this season, an award given to the league’s top rookie, with his outstanding play and his 22-14-5 record with a .912 save percentage.
Wolf’s stats are even more impressive, considering Calgary’s struggle to score goals this season. They rank 32nd in the league with just 170 goals scored.
WHO’S HOT
Devils: Jesper Bratt has ten points in his last four games with two goals and seven assists. He’s one assist shy of breaking the franchise record for most assists in a single season. He’s currently tied for the top spot with Scott Stevens’ 60 assists from the 1992-93 season.
Not to be outdone, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier and Cody Glass are also on point streaks. Hischier has four points (2g-2a) in his last four games, as does Meier (3g-1a) and Glass has five points in his first five games as a Devil (2g-3a).
Flames: Mackenzie Weegar is on a stretch of six points over his last five games, dishing out assists on Flames goals. The defenseman is third in points for the Flames this season with 41 points, nearly twice the points of Rasmus Andersson, who ranks second among Flames defensemen with 24 points.
INJURIES
Devils: J.Hughes (shoulder, LTIR), Siegenthaler (undisclosed, LTIR), Hamilton (undisclosed, week-to-week)
Flames: Backlund (out, week-to-week), Kirkland (ACL surgery, out for season), Mantha (ACL surgery, out for season)
REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS
GAME NOTES
