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Matchup Overview
The Devils beat the Penguins 4-0 in their initial matchup this season. -NYDailyNews.com
Tonight will be the last game for both teams before the all-star break begins. Due to the postponement of Sunday’s contest against the Capitals, the Penguins have had just as much time off as the Devils (both teams last played on Saturday), and will be rested for their home game finale tonight. Both teams are looking to finish out this week on a high note and put themselves in a more advantageous position in the playoff race, coming out of the break. The Devils are currently two points ahead of Pittsburgh, and occupy the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. The significance of a win tonight speaks for volumes with the Devils, who are looking for a season-high five wins in a row, and a four-point cushion over the Penguins in the standings.
Devils Overview
New Jersey made a significant push over the past two weeks as their injured players returned to the lineup. They’ve won four in a row and five of their last seven. The return of leading scorer Mike Cammalleri and half-board specialist Jacob Josefson has been bountiful for the Devils offense, which scored 15 goals in their last four contests. Mike Cammalleri has the top of line of himself, Adam Henrique, and Lee Stempniak firing from all cylinders, combining for three goals and ten points since Cammalleri’s return. The power play has come alive since Josefson’s return, going three-for-five over those two games. It’s possible New Jersey could be without defensemen Adam Larsson and David Schlemko due to illness, which we won’t know more about until later on today. They’re already without John Merrill and John Moore. The Devils will have Sergey Kalinin available for tonight’s game after sitting out their previous matchup. Cory Schneider will start his sixth consecutive game before flying out to the all-star festivities in Nashville.
Penguins Overview
The Penguins are winners of their last two and three of their last four. The’ve had a decent January, going 5-2-3. Out of their five wins however, four of them came at home, where they went 4-0-1. Pittsburgh will be without forward Beau Bennett, and are waiting until game time to evaluate the status of defenseman Kris Letang and forward Chris Kunitz. It’s worth mentioning the Penguins will be without their highest plus/minus forward in Kunitz (+13) if he doesn’t play tonight. Although he only has 18 points the whole year, his play has improved the last five games, where he’s tallied three goals and five points. Both Kunitz and Letang have played huge roles in Pittsburgh’s recent play over the past two weeks, which has resonated throughout the Penguins lineup to their top-tier forwards like Crosby, Malkin, and Kessel.
Who to watch
Can Mike Cammalleri have another big game against the Penguins tonight? -Getty Images
Mike Cammalleri…As previously noted, his line has been on fire since he returned from injury. Aside from the ten points him, Henrique, and Stempniak have accumulated the past three games, they combined for two goals and seven points in their previous matchup against the Penguins. Although he’s boosted the offense’s play tremendously since his return, Cammalleri is also looking for his first goal since returning, and has fared well against teams he previously played this year.
Evgeni Malkin…He’s coming off a hat trick performance in Pittsburgh’s comeback victory over the Vancouver Canucks, and has been Pittsburgh’s hottest forward this month with five goals and 13 points in eight games. Malkin always seems to know how to solve the Devils whenever his team emerges victorious. He could wind up flying under the radar in tonight’s matchup, especially if the Kunitz/Crosby pairing continues to remain an offensive threat, which might occupy the Devils defense most of the time tonight.
What to watch
Will the power play continue to click…? As I mentioned earlier in this article, the Devils power play has yielded some bountiful results since Jacob Josefson returned into the lineup. Granted two games is a relatively small sample size, it makes the performance of the power play all the more important tonight. It’s less likely that Josefson’s return coinciding with the power play coming alive again is much less of a coincidence than some might think if the units continue to find the net tonight.
Will the road magic continue…? New Jersey’s away record (14-9-2) has been an instrumental part in their success this season. While they weren’t particularly impressive on the road this past month, it can mostly be attributed to the mounting injuries Coach Hynes had to deal with. With the recent success this healthy lineup has achieved and the aforementioned trends and correlations the Devils seemed to have developed against Pittsburgh, tonight’s matchup could be an easy win for the Devils if they stick to the game plan.
Where to watch
MSG+ (Local)
ROOT (Pittsburgh)
When to watch
7:00pm EST