THE SCOOP
DEVILS
The New Jersey Devils are trying to end a two-game home-ice slide after losses to Philadelphia and Columbus most recently. New Jersey is coming off an emotional game against the Blue Jackets, where they were forced to reckon with the absence of Brenden Dillon, who was thrown to the ice in a fight with Dmitri Voronko. Dillon was playing in his 1000th NHL game, though he did return briefly; he was held out for the final period for precautionary reasons.
Over the last nine days, the Devils have played five games, with a 3-2-0 record. In that stretch, they’ve only played once on the road, in Buffalo (5-0, W). New Jersey currently sits second in the Metro standings, one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Devils did not practice on Tuesday, but spent their day out in the community, visiting local hospitals.
STARS
The Dallas Stars on one of the hottest teams in the league, currently on a run of 10-1-2 over their last 13 games. Most recently, the Stars lost in overtime to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. But the game wasn’t all they lost as forward Tyler Seguin left the game with an injury and did not return, while goaltender Jake Oettinger, who was scheduled to start the game, dressed as the backup, fighting an illness. Casey DeSmith started for the Stars.
The Stars have a wealth of offensive talent to be on the lookout for in Wyatt Johnston, Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Mikko Rantanen. Dallas has scored the third-most goals to date, with 95. They’re also a force to be reckoned with as a visitor, boasting a 9-1-4 record away from the Lone Star State.