2/4 Pregame Notes: Devils at Blue Jackets

DEVILS VS. BLUE JACKETS
Tonight is the first of four games between the Devils and Blue Jackets in 2016-17. The clubs will face-off again, Mar. 5 at Prudential Center. New Jersey was 1-4-0 against Columbus in the 2015-16 season. Kyle Palmieri had the most points of any Devil, scoring 3g-2a-5pts in five games vs. CBJ. The Devils only victory against the Blue Jackets last season was a 2-1 win on Mar. 20, 2016, in which Scott Wedgewood stopped 27 of 28 shots.
The Devils are closing out their 12th of 18 sets of back-to-back games tonight. New Jersey is 3-5-4 in first games and is 6-2-3 in second games of back-to-backs. The club is 6-5-2 vs. Metropolitan Division opponents and is 12-13-5 against the Eastern Conference in 2016-17.
New Jersey is 3-5-1 overall vs. Columbus and is 1-2-1 at Nationwide Arena since the 2014-15 season. Palmieri has four points (2g-2a) in his last two games vs. CBJ. Taylor Hall has 14pts (5g-9a) in 12 career games against the Blue Jackets.

BLUE JACKETS CONNECTIONS
Devils Head Coach John Hynes served as an assistant coach with Columbus Head Coach John Tortorella on the United States' 2016 World Cup of Hockey team… John Moore was Columbus' first choice, 21st overall, in the 2009 Entry Draft; he saw action in 86 games with the Blue Jackets from 2011-13…Columbus forward David Clarkson played six-plus seasons with New Jersey from 2006-13…Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald and Blue Jackets forward Scott Hartnell were teammates with Nashville for parts of two seasons from 2000-02…Director of Amateur Scouting Paul Castron held the same position with Columbus for nine seasons prior to being hired by the Devils on July 31, 2015.
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
Feb. 3- Removed Andy Greene from Injured Reserve. Assigned Luke Gazdic to Albany (AHL)
Feb. 2- Placed Luke Gazdic on waivers. Placed Jon Merrill on Injured Reserve, retroactive to Jan. 31. Recalled Joseph Blandisi from Albany (AHL).
Jan. 30- Recalled Seth Helgeson, Steven Santini and Karl Stollery from Albany (AHL).