PRE-GAME STORY
NEWARK, NJ - The Devils will close out their preseason schedule Saturday afternoon when they face the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center. Puck drop is set for 12:30 p.m. ET.
New Jersey enters its final exhibition contest with a 3-2-1 record through six games, most recently defeating the Rangers 3-1 Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. It’s been a productive preseason for several of the Devils’ young standouts, with Arseny Gritsyuk and Simon Nemec each tied with Jack Hughes for the team lead in scoring with four points.
The Flyers, meanwhile, are 2-4-0, with both wins coming via the shootout. They dropped a 4-3 decision to the Islanders on Thursday. Travis Sanheim, Rodrigo Abols, Christian Dvorak, and rookie Matvei Michkov share the team scoring lead at three points.
THE LINEUP
The Devils lineup is confirmed to be:
Cotter - Glendening - Gritsyuk
Lachance - Rooney - Hameenaho
Hardman - Malone - Parent
Gruden - Melovsky - Legare
Cholowski - Addison
Edwards - Strand
Vilen - Diotte
Allen
Romanov
Philadelphia, playing its final tune-up at home, is expected to ice a strong lineup that could include Sean Couturier, Sanheim, Michkov, and Trevor Zegras.
Injuries continue to limit New Jersey’s options. Brett Pesce (undisclosed), Stefan Noesen (lower body), and Seamus Casey (lower body) are among those unavailable. Keefe confirmed Friday that Luke Hughes, while healthy and sharp in practice, will not be rushed back into game action before the regular season.
MAKING AN IMPRESSION
For Lachance, who missed the early part of camp due to injury, the game provides one more chance to show his game at the NHL level.
“What I can control is just going out there and doing my thing, working as hard as I can, and playing my style,” he said. “Obviously you want to be on the NHL roster, but you just focus on what you can control”.
Halonen echoed that sentiment, embracing the opportunity to showcase his strengths.
“Every time you get on the ice, you’re being evaluated,” he said. “I’ve shown flashes of what I can do, but I want to keep hanging on to pucks, bringing more to the net, and generating more offense. It’s about putting your best foot forward”.
Keefe noted the balance between giving young players opportunities and ensuring the core group is ready for the regular season.
“You have to put them in spots where they can show what they can do,” he said of prospects like Gritsyuk. “At the same time, the NHL guys need their reps. It’s a balance, but I think we’ve managed to get the young players a good variety of looks this preseason” .
WHAT'S AT STAKE
Saturday’s game won’t count in the standings, but it carries significance for individuals still pushing for roster spots, and for a team looking to tighten details before the season begins in Raleigh next week.
“I think it’s just about continuing to sharpen our game,” Keefe said. “The preseason has been a little long, as it always is, but it’s given us time to evaluate and manage workloads. The key is making sure we’re healthy and ready to peak when the regular season starts”
