For the second time this season, the New Jersey Devils (9-5-2) will take on the New York Islanders (6-6-2) at UBS Arena on Long Island. The last time these two teams played each other on October 25, the Islanders pulled out a 4-3 overtime win.
Overview
The Devils are hot right now with four wins in their last five games. They’re coming off a 5-3 win against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt dialed it up to 11 that night, carrying the offense with three points apiece. Right now, the team is almost fully healthy and rolling; and they need to use that momentum while it lasts.
The Islanders also have a small hot streak going for them, having won three of their last four games after losing three in a row to end the month of October. They’re coming off a 4-2 win against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. Right now, they’re just trying to keep their heads above the water without the injured Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair.
The Devils are in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 20 points. The Islanders are in fifth place with 14 points.
Lines and Pairings
Devils-
Forwards
Meier-Hischier-Mercer
Palat-Hughes-Bratt
Cotter-Haula-Noesen
MacDermid-Dowling-Tatar
Defense
Dillion-Hamilton
Siegenthaler-Kovacevic
Hughes-Pesce
Goalies
Markstrom
Allen
Islanders
Forwards
Lee-Horvat-Pageau
Tsyplakov-Nelson-Palmieri
Engvall-Cizikas-Holmstrom
Martin-MacLean-Wahlstrom
Defense
Mayfield-Pulock
George-Dobson
Cholowski-Hutton
Goalies
Sorokin
Varlomov
Keys to the Game
Hughes and Bratt Turn it Up
You always like to see the top stars bringing their play to the next level. On Thursday, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each had three points, a goal and two assists for Hughes and the reverse for Bratt. Hughes was playmaking at will, slicing through defensemen like they didn’t exist, and Bratt was always ready to execute the play.
The Hughes line has been bringing it the last five games with eight goals. Hughes has six points in those games and Bratt has seven. Even Ondrej Palat, who struggled mightily to start the season, has two goals and an assist in that stretch. This line seems to have found some chemistry. Look for head coach Sheldon Keefe to play them often.
Next Man Up
The Islanders, already without an explosive offense, are piecing their forward corps together after the Barzal and Duclair injuries. Last time out, that battered offense stepped up, with players from lower on the depth chart filling in the scoring gaps. The newly-formed top line, Bo Horvat, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Anders Lee, accounted for three of the four goals against the Senators. Oliver Wahlstrom also scored a goal to spark the fourth line.
Even without an explosive offense made worse by two injuries to key players, the Islanders can tap into their scoring touch at a moment’s notice.
Where to Watch
Tonight’s game can be seen on MSGSN at 7:30 pm ET.