NEW JERSEY DEVILS (33-22-6) vs. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (35-18-6)

New Jersey visit the Golden Knights in Vegas on the second half of a back-to-back.

You can watch on MSGSN or listen on the Devils Hockey Network.

Read below for your game preview and pre-game story below. Tonight's game is presented by Guaranted Service.

MORNING SKATE RECAP

LAS VEGAS, NV - The Devils announced the goaltender Jacob Markstrom has been activated from the Injured Reserve list and head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that he will start tonight against Vegas.

“He’s play tonight. He’s ready to go,” Keefe said. “Marky is the emotional leader of our team as well, too. Coming in here will be a tough day, tough opponent on back-to-back and all that, it’s good to have him.”

Markstrom has been out of the lineup since suffering an MCL sprain Jan. 22 against Boston. He’s practiced for the past two weeks with the team and his addition will be a huge boost to the team.

“He’s such a competitor. He’s a leader in the room,” Keefe said. “The way he plays goal, he competes. He gives everything he has in there. We’re going to have to do a good job to protect him and give him an opportunity to get back up to speed.

“He’s a competitor in the net. He gives absolute effort every time out. Players and the team can feed off of that.”

Neutral Zone

The Devils suffered a 3-1 loss to Vegas on Feb. 6. Part of the Devils’ issue in that game was getting through the neutral zone against the Golden Knights. It’s a point of emphasis for tonight’s game.

“They’re gap is tight, back pressure is tight, forecheck pressure is tight, which makes it hard to get out of your zone clean,” Keefe said. “I through we did a tremendous job yesterday (against Utah). We’re going to have to do that again. Worst we’ve been all season was last game we saw Vegas. Partially on them, partially on us. It’s a main focus going into today for sure.”

Meeting the Challenge

The Devils have a big challenge ahead against Vegas, a Stanley Cup-caliber team. The Devils are also playing on back-to-back nights with a long travel. Despite all the circumstances, Keefe is excited to see his team push through it.

“We have to push through adversity. That’s the message for us,” Keefe said. “I see it as a tremendous opportunity. Coming into a tough building, tough opponent, gave it to us pretty good last time out, tough schedule, been on the road. The list of useless excuses is long, but this is the kind of game we’re I’d love to see our team rise above it.”

--Sam Kasan

THE SCOOP

The Devils are 2-1-0 on their current 5-game road trip. Vegas is the fourth of five stops, with the club playing the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night before returning to New Jersey. The team is coming off a 3-1 win in Utah, where Timo Meier, Nico Hischier, and Curtis Lazar all scored. For Hischier the goal was his 400th career point.

Nico Daws posted the victory against the Utah Hockey Club and is now 3-0-0 this season.

Goaltender Jacob Markstrom is nearing a return to the lineup as he continues participating in full practices with the team. Head coach Sheldon Keefe said on Saturday morning that Markstrom is trending positively, though he would not confirm when the netminder will be called upon.

In Jonas Siegenthaler's absence, Keefe has had to tinker with his defensive pairings. Most recently, Simon Nemec entered the line against Utah and spent the better part of the game paired with veteran Brenden Dillon.

The Golden Knights sit atop the Pacific Division with 76 points through 61 games, holding a four-point lead over the Edmonton Oilers. Vegas has made T-Mobile a challenging place for opponents to come in and take down the home team, boasting a 21-6-3 record.

Jack Eichel leads the charge in points with 70 for the Golden Knights, while 24-year-old Pavel Dorofeyev leads the team in goals with 24. Dorofeyev is currently in his first full season with the Golden Knights, having surpassed his career-high in games per season (previously 47), appearing in 59 games so far for Vegas, while registering career-highs across the board in goals (24) and assists (13). On home ice, Tomas Hertl leads the charge in goals, with 13 of his 23 goals scored in front of his home crowd.

Vegas is without one of its top defensemen, Shea Theodore. Theodore broke his wrist in the first game of the 4 Nations face-off with Team Canada and is considered week-to-week.

WHO’S HOT

Devils: Nico Daws has been dynamite in the Devils net when called upon. He's 3-0-0 to start his season with New Jersey with one shutout and a .968 save percentage.

Golden Knights: Tomas Hertl is on a point streak of eight games on home ice, while Ivan Barbashev is coming off a four-point game (2g-2a).

INJURIES

Devils: Siegenthaler (unknown, IR), Markstrom (MCL, IR)

Golden Knights: Theodore (wrist), Schwindy (lower body, IR), Karlsson (lower body, IR)

REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

• Feb. 6 vs. Vegas, L 3-1
• Mar 1 at Vegas

--Amanda Stein

GAME NOTES

• The Devils are 20-5-3 when scoring first this season
• Jack Hughes earned his 70th point of the season against Utah, marking three consecutive seasons of 70-or-more points.
• The Golden Knights have the third-best power play in the league, clocking in at 27.9 percent. The Devils aren’t far behind sitting fifth at 27.2 percent.

• Where the two clubs differ on special teams is on the penalty kill. New Jersey boasts the league's second-ranked PL (83.6 percent), compared to the Golden Knights' 21st-ranked PK at 76.9 percent efficiency.