4/6 Pregame Notes: Devils vs. Penguins

DEVILS VS. PENGUINS
Tonight is the fifth and final game between New Jersey and Pittsburgh in 2016-17. The Devils are 0-3-1 this season against the Penguins and are 0-1-0 at home. The club is looking to avoid going win-less vs. Pittsburgh for the first time since the 1994-95 season (0-1-2). New Jersey is hosting Pittsburgh for the second time this season after losing, 5-2, on Dec. 27 at Prudential Center.
The Devils have one game remaining against a Metropolitan Division opponent when they face-off against the NY Islanders on Saturday at Prudential Center. New Jersey is 11-14-3 vs. the Metro Division and is 18-26-7 against Eastern Conference opponents.
Kyle Palmieri has points (6g-2a-8pts) in each of his last six games against Pittsburgh.

PENGUINS CONNECTIONS
Executive VP/General Manager Ray Shero was Pittsburgh's EVP/GM from 2006-14…Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald held several positions with Pittsburgh from 2007-15, including serving as Assistant GM in 2014-15…Head Coach John Hynes spent six seasons with the Penguins' organization from 2009-15, including five seasons as Head Coach of their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton…Assistant Coach Alain Nasreddine played for the Pens' organization from 2004-08 and served as an assistant coach under Hynes with W-B/Scranton from 2010-15…Senior Director of Player Personnel Dan MacKinnon spent the previous 10 seasons with Pittsburgh, including the last seven as Director of Player Personnel; he served in that role for their 2016 Stanley Cup Championship Team…Ben Lovejoy spent five-plus seasons with the Penguins (2008-13, 2014-16) and was part of their 2016 Stanley Cup Championship team…Beau Bennett played 129 games with Pittsburgh from 2012-16, scoring 16g-29a-45pts…Penguins' Assistant GM Bill Guerin was the Devils' first choice (5th overall) in the 1989 NHL Draft. He skated in 380 games with New Jersey over the course of seven seasons 1991-98, and was a member of the 1995 Stanley Cup Championship team.