Match Overview
Tonight the New Jersey Devils face off against their Steel City rivals for the seventh of eight games this season. The Devils won two of the first three, including one in Pittsburgh, but have now lost three in a row versus the Penguins since then.
On Tuesday, New Jersey was down 6-0 going into the third, but made an amazing push to only lose 7-6. It seems as if Pavel Zacha and Jesper Bratt will return to the lineup tonight. Ty Smith and Mackenzie Blackwood are close, but still remain out tonight.
Projected Devils’ Lines
Forwards
Kuokkanen – Hughes – Sharangovich
Zacha – Hischier – Bratt
Wood – McLeod – Bastian
Johnsson – Boqvist – Merkley
Defense
Murray – Tennyson
Siegenthaler – Severson
Butcher – Carrick
Goalies
Dell
Wedgewood
Projected Penguins’ Lines
Forwards
Guentzel – Crosby – Rust
McCann – Carter – Zucker
Aston-Reese – Blueger – Kapanen
Sceviour – Jankowski – Rodrigues
Defense
Dumoulin – Letang
Matheson – Ceci
Pettersson – Marino
Goalies
Jarry
DeSmith
What/Who to Watch
- Penguins’ forward Kasperi Kapanen hasn’t played since a March 24th game against the Sabres. Pittsburgh coach Mike Sulliven said this morning that Kapanen is a game-time decision for tonight. He is currently having the best season, points-per-game wise, of his career with 21 points in 30 games. Kasperi has one point, which is an assist and is a minus-two in three games against New Jersey this season.
- On the topic of returns, Devils co-point leaders Jesper Bratt and Pavel Zacha are both expected to rejoin the lineup tonight. Bratt and Zacha are both on pace for career highs in points over 82 games. They are expected to play on a line with their close friend and team captain Nico Hischier.
- The Devils have played Janne Kuokkanen, Jack Hughes and Yegor Sharangovich together for eight consecutive games. This has very clearly helped the production of all three players, but more specifically Yegor and Jack. In their eight games together Sharangovich has collected three goals and nine total points (3-6-9) and Hughes has seven points (3-4-7). Both players scored on Tuesday and look to contribute to what the Devils hope to be their first win in two weeks.
Tonight’s Devils game is on MSG+2 at 7 PM EST.