New Jersey Devils Face Off Against Pittsburgh Penguins: Battle on Ice Unveiled

Who: New Jersey Devils (29-19-6, 64 points, 3rd place in Metropolitan Division) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (22-24-8, 52 points, 7th place in Metropolitan Division)

When: 7 p.m. ET

How to Watch: Broadcast on SportsNet Pittsburgh and MSGSN2 locally, stream on ESPN+

Pittsburgh Penguins’ Schedule and Outlook

The Penguins will continue their road trip after this game, facing the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers over the weekend. Returning to PPG Paints Arena the following week, they will host the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers to continue divisional battles.

New Jersey Devils’ Recent Performance

The Devils have had a checkered run following the loss of two crucial players. Their victory with a stunning 5-0 shutout over the Flyers was sandwiched between losses to the Flyers and Buffalo Sabres. More details on these injuries are provided below.

Season Series Recap

Last December, in a weak showing for Pittsburgh, the Pens were shut out 3-0 by Jacob Markstrom and the Devils at Prudential Center.

A Highlighted Statistic

The Devils have demonstrated resilience in close games this season, posting a 7-6-5 record in games decided by one goal.

Getting to Know the New Jersey Devils

Project Lineups (Based on Sunday’s Game)

FORWARDS

Ondrej Palat – Jack Hughes – Jesper Bratt

Timo Meier – Dawson Mercer – Stefan Noesen

Paul Cotter – Justin Dowling – Tomas Tatar

Kurtis MacDermid – Curtis Lazar – Nathan Bastian

DEFENSEMEN

Jonas Siegenthaler – Dougie Hamilton

Luke Hughes – Johnathan Kovacevic

Brenden Dillon – Brett Pesce

Goalies: Jake Allen, Isaac Poulter

Scratches: Erik Haula, Nico Hischier, Brian Halonen

Injured Reserve (IR): Santeri Hatakka

The Devils received a significant injury blow when it was announced that their starting goaltender, Jacob Markstrom, would miss 4 to 6 weeks due to an MCL sprain sustained during a game against the Boston Bruins.

Even with the 4 Nations Face-Off providing some breather periods, the Devils will have to navigate a challenging schedule without Markstrom, who has anchored their defensive efforts all season.

Jake Allen has stepped in for four games thus far, but has struggled, allowing three or more goals in each except one, where he remained unbeaten in a shutout against the Flyers.

Adding to their woes is the restraining order placed on captain Nico Hischier, who is sidelined indefinitely with an upper body injury sustained in a game against the Montreal Canadiens. His absence leaves a noticeable void in both the power play and penalty kill.

Key Player Statistics

(Data courtesy of HockeyDB)