The New Jersey Devils will drop the puck against the San Jose Sharks at 7:00 PM tonight at Prudential Center as they conclude their three-game homestand against Western Conference teams. Former New Jersey Devils head coach Peter DeBoer, who was relieved of his coaching duties on December 26^th, 2014 in favor of Adam Oates and Scott Stevens, returns to familiar territory this evening. Ex-Devils defenseman Paul Martin also returns to the Rock, having signed a 4-year, $19.4 million contract with the Sharks during the offseason.

The Devils come into this game with a 0-3-0 start to the regular season. Head coach John Hynes and his squad, are still anxiously seeking their first victory of the regular season after failing to defeat the Winnipeg Jets, Washington Capitals, and Nashville Predators.

Tuesday’s game recap can be found by clicking here.

This is San Jose’s second game in their four-game road trip in the Metropolitan Division. Backed by a 31-save shutout from Sharks goaltender Martin Jones, San Jose defeated the Washington Capitals on Tuesday in Washington, DC by a score of 5-0. The Sharks had a collaborative effort on Tuesday evening as five different skaters scored for their team. They come into tonight’s game with a 3-0-0 record and are currently one position behind the Vancouver Canucks in the Pacific Division standings.

Who to watch:

San Jose:

Joe Pavelski – The two-time United States Olympian and newly appointed captain of the Sharks comes into this game with four points so far this season. He is projected to be on San Jose’s top line with rookie forward Joonas Donskoi and veteran forward Joe Thornton.

 

New Jersey:

Kyle Palmieri – The Montvale, NJ native netted his team’s lone goal on Tuesday night against Nashville. He comes into tonight’s game having played the Sharks frequently during his five-year tenure with the Anaheim Ducks.

 

Projected Lines for San Jose (per dailyfaceoff.com, subject to change):

 

 Forwards:

Donskoi-Thornton-Pavelski

Marleau-Goldobin-Ward

Neito-Hertl-Wingels

Goodrow-Tierney-Brown

 

 

Defensemen:

Vlasic-Braun

Martin-Burns

Dillon-Tennyson

Extra: Dylan DeMelo

 

Goaltenders:

Jones

Stalock

 

Injuries:  Logan Couture (broken right fibula,  reportedly out 4-6 weeks) 

Lines for New Jersey (per dailyfaceoff.com, subject to change):

 

Forwards:

Cammalleri-Zajac-Stempniak

Tlusty-Henrique-O’Neill

Boucher-Josefson-Palmieri

Kalinin-Gionta-Tootoo

Extras: Matteau, Ruutu

 

Defensemen:

Greene-Larsson

Merrill-Moore

Schlemko-Severson

Extra: Gelinas

 

Goaltenders: 

Schneider

Kinkaid

 

Injury List: Patrik Elias (lower body, knee, day-to-day), Ryane Clowe (concussion, long-term), Travis Zajac (lower body, day-to-day)

 

Projected Goaltending Matchup:

New Jersey:

Cory Schneider –New Jersey’s number one netminder comes into tonight’s game with a .900 save percentage and 0-1-0 record. He did not play on Tuesday night due his wife giving birth to their newborn son, Wyatt Schneider.

San Jose:

Martin Jones – Jones comes into this game with a 3-0-0 record and .987 save percentage. He last played on Tuesday night in San Jose’s victory against the Washington Capitals.

 

Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for all updates throughout the evening. Our Twitter and Instagram pages can be found by searching @DevilsArmyBlog. If you are unable to attend the game, it will be televised on MSG+ beginning at 6:30 PM.

 

Nick Papadimas is a New Jersey native, New Jersey Devils season ticket holder, and avid hockey fan. He is an aspiring sports journalist who has covered high school sports and local events for TAPinto.net since 2012. Nick can be reached on Twitter (@ngpaps) or by e-mail at papadimasn@icloud.com.