BOS-NJD-Preview-Jan22

NEW JERSEY DEVILS (26-17-6) vs. BOSTON BRUINS (23-19-6)

The New Jersey Devils host the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night; but not before a ceremony to induct former head coach Jacques Lemaire into the Devils Ring of Honor.

The ceremony will begin at 6:45 p.m. and puck drop will be 7:23 p.m.

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 Flock Free Bird Control.

WATCH & LISTEN

TV: MSGSN 

RADIO: Devils Hockey Network 

GAME-DAY VIDEO
Devils Minute: Ring of Honor Night
Pre-Game Player Interviews: Meier | Bastian
Pre-Game Interview: Sheldon Keefe

Devils look to bring a consistent 60 minute effort on Ring of Honor Night

MORNING SKATE RECAP

NEWARK, NJ - The Devils will be without the services of Ondrej Palat tonight when they host the Boston Bruins. Palat, who has predominantly played on Jack Hughes' wing this season, will be out of the lineup, unable to play due to illness.

In his place, Paul Cotter will join the top line with Hughes and Nathan Bastian will be on the opposite wing.

Erik Haula joined the team for morning skate as he continues to recover from an ankle injury. Haula sustained the injury at the beginning of the month when the club was in San Jose and Wednesday was the first time he was able to take part in work with his teammates.

“He’s getting closer, obviously just a morning skate," Sheldon Keefe cautioned. "So that’s really why he’s out there, just as more of an indroductory, back to the team. We’ll see how he’s doing after today. He skated on his own before for almost and hour before joining us so he’s ramping back up. The hope is that he will be able to practice with us later in the week.”

May I Have Your Attention

There was a moment early on during the morning skate when Sheldon Keefe pulled his team aside, clearly displeased with the way things were in the early going of the skate. Keefe spoke sternly and harshly to his team and later shared what exactly it is he was telling his team.

“I just wasn’t happy with our execution, our energy," he said. "To me it wasn’t reflective of a team that was trying to find it’s way out of a hole right now. I expected better. I thought we had a good practice yesterday, and I thought we slept in that skate here this morning in that portion.

"We’ve got to stick together here," Keefe continued. "We need our leadership and character to come to the forefront to get things going in our favor. We want to play with leads, we want to get a lead, play with a lead, maintain a lead, get back on the winning side of it. To me, you’ve got to take advantage of every single rep you get as a team and that’s part of why we went out there today.”

Chatting with an Old Friend

As the Devils prepare to induct Jacques Lemaire into the Ring of Honor tonight, the former Devils head coach took in the current teams morning skate, watching and paying close attention to how things were going.

Lemaire also spent some time in Keefe's office this morning chatting. Lemaire and Keefe have long known each other from their time in the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, particularly when Keefe was serving as the AHL Toronto Marlies head coach. Lemaire was a consultant to the Leafs and spent time with Keefe.

"I asked him today what he thinks (of our team) and he gives me his thoughts," Keefe said. "He likes our team but recognizes where we need to get better. But he’s just got great perspective also too, of how hard the league is, the ups and downs, he reminded me there’s not many coaches in the NHL that like their team around Christmas and that there’s lots of hockey left and we’ve got to get ourselves ready and prepared for that. He’s great. Just picked up right where we left off.”

THE SCOOP

The Devils shook things up at practice on Tuesday as the club continues to look for a way out of their offensive slump. Head coach Sheldon Keefe moved some of his top offensive players around to try and create a little more balance through the lineup. Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt were reunited on a line, with Stefan Noesen switching to left wing. Nathan Bastian will have a look on the top line with Ondrej Palat and Jack Hughes, meritting a look after Keefe called him 'terrific' as one of their best players through the last five games or so.

In their offensive slump, the Devils have not scored more than three goals in a game in their last 11 matchups, including just six goals in their past four games.

The Bruins are in the midst of a four-game point streak, having gone 3-0-1 in their last four games and are 9-12-3 on the road this season.

Charlie Coyle, who found himself with two new linemates, captain Brad Marchand and Matt Poitras, ended a 10-game scoreless drought scoring two goals in the Bruins victory against the San Jose Sharks. Both of Coyle’s goals came in the third period and were the game-tying and game-winning goals. Forward Mark Kastelic was injured in their Monday game and Patrick Brown and Max Jonas have been recalled from their AHL affiliate in Providence.

Goaltender Jeremy Swayman carries most of the load in between the pipes and has a 15-15-4 record with a 2.94 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage.

WHO’S HOT

Devils: Nathan Bastian has been on the ice for three of only four even-strength goals the Devils have scored in the last three games.

Bruins: It’s David Pastrnak who is consistently leading the way for the Bruins. He has 11 points in his last five games, with five goals and six assists.

INJURIES

Devils: Haula (ankle, week-to-week), Hatakka (shoulder, IR)

Bruins: Kastelic (undisclosed), McAvoy (undisclosed, IR), Koepke (undisclosed, IR), Lindholm (lower-body, IR). Frederic (illness)

REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

  • Jan. 22 vs. Boston
  • April 8 vs. Boston
  • April 15 at Boston

STATS LEADERS

STATS LEADERS
DEVILS
BRUINS
Goals
Hischier, 22
Pastrnak, 22
Assists
Bratt, J. Hughes, 37
Pastrnak, 31
Points
J. Hughes, 55
Pastrnak, 53

GAME NOTES

  • The matchup between the Devils and Bruins will feature the top two players in the league at drawing penalties. No. 1 ranked is Brad Marchand, who has drawn 26 penalties, while Nico Hischier is right behind him with 25.