The New Jersey Devils will face the Los Angeles Kings for the first time this season as they look to snap a two-game losing streak.
The Devils started the season strong at 8-3-0, while the Kings sit at 5-3-4. After winning eight straight, New Jersey has dropped its last two contests.
The Kings are in the middle of a four-game homestand and are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Both teams will be eager to get back in the win column tonight.
The Devils pulled off a last-minute Halloween surprise, signing goaltender Jacob Markstrom to a two-year contract extension worth $6 million annually. Following the announcement, Markstrom spoke with NHL.com about his excitement to remain in New Jersey.
“To know where you’re gonna be and to keep playing and representing the New Jersey Devils — I want to say thank you to the Blitzer family and their ownership group, Fitzy as well, and obviously my teammates too,” said Markstrom. “They’re a big part of why this is a special place to play, and the fans of the hockey club. We’re excited, my family’s excited, and for me personally it’s nice to turn the page on this one and just focus on playing hockey.”
The Devils have been plagued with injuries early in the season.
Devils:
Kings:
With several players sidelined, the Devils have made changes to both their offensive and defensive units.
On defense, the pairings have been shuffled:
Hughes will shift to his offside on the right, filling in for the injured Brett Pesce. Head coach Sheldon Keefe discussed the adjustment with NJD.TV:
“You don’t have the lefty/righty balance as much, so someone has to play the right side,” Keefe explained. “We decided to give Luke a go there — we think there are some good offensive things he can provide. Giving him a veteran guy is important; Luke’s still young and needs a foundation, someone to settle him down and talk to him on the bench. We need him to step up in lots of ways, so we’ve got to support him appropriately, especially now when we’re asking him to go to his off side.”
Connor Brown will not play tonight after missing practice on Friday morning. Keefe provided an update during pregame availability with NJD.TV:
“Brown’s not available today. He could be day-to-day; we’re hopeful he can bounce back pretty quickly, but he’s not available tonight.”
When asked if the game-day lines would resemble Friday’s practice, Keefe confirmed:
“I think that’s fair to say, yeah.”
Friday’s practice lines:
Noesen – Hughes – Bratt
Palat – Hischier – Gritsyuk
Meier – Lammikko – Mercer
Cotter – Glendening – Halonen
Defense:
Siegenthaler – Hamilton
Dillon – Hughes
Cholowski – Nemec
This marks the first meeting between the Devils and Kings this season. They will face off again on March 14.
Jack Hughes is a player to watch for New Jersey, entering the game tied for the NHL lead in goals with nine. For Los Angeles, Corey Perry has five goals and seven points in his last five games.
Puck drop is scheduled for 9 PM ET as both teams aim to get back in the win column.
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