Devils, Flyers Take It Outside in Stadium Series Showdown | PREVIEW

The New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers take this one outdoors. The two clubs meet in the 2024 Stadium Series at MetLife Saturday night. Puck drop is 8:20 p.m. ET.

You can watch on ABC or ESPN+ or listen on the Devils Hockey Network.

Read below for your game preview and pre-game story below.

PRE-GAME STORY

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - The Devils are set to face the Philadelphia Flyers in the Stadium series. And as expected, the team did not disappoint with their team outfits.

The Devils arrived in Sopranos-inspired track suits, white undershirts and gold chains.

“We had two or three different ideas and had a team vote, we put it on the board,” forward Tyler Toffoli said. “Ended up coming up with what we came in with. It got some good reviews. It looked better than we imaged, and had fun with it.”

An added addition to the uniform occurred this morning thanks to Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier: the cappuccino cups.

“We just came up with the espresso. That was very spontaneous. I love a good espresso,” Meier said. “I had (an espresso) at the rink. Then Bratt brought a refill cup so he filled my espresso up again. So, I’m ready to go with two espressos already in my system.”

The coaching staff did not wear the team uniforms. But there may have been a missed opportunity there.

“It’s a special thing for the players,” head coach Lindy Ruff said, then adding: “If I asked, I probably would have (worn the outfit).”

One idea that didn’t get picked was the Bruce Springsteen look with the red hat in the back pocket.

Outdoor Evolution

Devils coach Ruff was a part of the original Winter Classic game in 2008 when his Buffalo Sabres hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“I like it. It helps showcase our team. It helps showcase our product,” Ruff said of the outdoor games. “We get to go back to the roots for a lot of us, playing outdoors, playing in the elements. It’s a heck of an event. I was part of the original one which was incredible. It has just grown. The event has become bigger and better. IO think the league has done an unbelievable job with it. It’s an honor for the New Jersey Devils to be a part of this.”

The Sabres lost that game in a shootout, 2-1. Not that Ruff needs reminding.

“When (Sidney) Crosby pushed the puck through the snow there and ended up beating us,” Ruff reminded everyone. “But I’ve let it go now, ok?”

Important Points

The atmosphere aside, the Devils know it’s still an important game with important points in the standings on the line.

“Guys realize it’s a big spectacle. Our game day routines have been changed,” Toffoli said. “We just have to realize once we get on the ice it’s a normal game day. It’s two points that we really need.”

PREVIEW

DEVILS (27-22-4) vs. FLYERS (29-19-7)

Head-to-Head

The Devils and Flyers meet for the third time this season. The clubs have meet twice previously, with each team hosting one game. In those two contests the road team won in overtime. New Jersey won in Philadelphia, 4-3 in overtime, on Nov. 30. While the Flyers won in the Garden State, 3-2 in OT, on Dec. 19.

Devils defenseman Luke Hughes suffered a heavy hit in Philadelphia that momentarily knocked him out of the game. He would return and score the winning goal in overtime. Jack Hughes leads all skaters in the series with four points (1g-3a). Nico Hischier leads all players with three assists (tied with Hughes).

Philadelphia’s Tyson Foerster and Ryan Poehling each have two goals in the series to pace their respective team.

Devils Team Scope:

The Devils continue their quest to land a spot in the playoffs. The team is currently sitting on outside looking in with the third Wild Card position. The Devils’ 58 points is two behind current No. 2 spot holder (and thus a playoff berth position) Detroit. But the New York Islanders (57 points) and Pittsburgh Penguins (55) are nipping at their heels.

The Devils have strung a few solid performances together of late, though they haven’t always been rewarded for those efforts. The team suffered a 2-1 setback to Los Angeles on Thursday night in a game that could have gone either way. Prior to that, the Devils had gone 3-1-1.

The Devils are led on offense by Jesper Bratt, who has 57 points. His 37 points also pace the team. He’s followed by Jack Hughes who is second with 32 assists and 49 points despite missing 16 games this season due to injury. Forward Tyler Toffoli has a team-high 23 goals. Rookie blueliner Luke Hughes leads the backend with eight goals and 27 points. Goaltender Nico Daws has started the last three games for the Devils, going 2-1. In those three outings, he posted a 1.69 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage.

Flyers Team Scope:

The Flyers are in the midst of a remarkable year. Last season, Philadelphia had the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference. This season, the club is just eight points behind Metro Division-leading New York Rangers and currently sitting in a playoff position.

The All-Star break came at the perfect time for the Flyers. They lost five straight games heading into the break. But the team is 4-0-1 coming out of the break. The Flyers overcame a 3-1 deficit to net a point in a 4-3 overtime loss at Toronto Thursday.

After nearly two full years without a captain, on Feb. 14 the team announced that forward Sean Couturier would wear the ‘C’ for the Flyers (last worn by Claude Giroux on March 19, 2022). Travis Konecny and Scott Laughton were named alternate captains.

Konecny is the team’s leading scorer with 26 goals, 25 assists and 51 points to go with a plus-15. Joel Farabee is second with 42 points (17g-25a). Owen Tippett (19g-14a) and Couturier (11g-22a) follow with 33 points each. Travis Sanheim leads the blueliners with 30 points (5g-25a). Samuel Ersson has been thrust into the starting role, posting a 15-9-4 record with a 2.55 GAA and .900 save percentage.

By the Numbers:

The Devils have five players with previous outdoor game experience (Tyler Toffoli, Erik Haula, Tomas Nosek, Ondrej Palat, Brendan Smith).

Bratt’s nine career goals against the Flyers (9g-11a-20pts) are his most against any opponent.

Jack and Luke Hughes will become the first brothers to dress in an outdoor game (teammates or otherwise) since Daniel and Henrik Sedin in the 2014 Heritage Classic (Vancouver).

Flyers coach John Tortorella has coached in two previous outdoor games (1-1).

Couturier has four points in four career outdoor games (2g-2a).

Injuries:

Devils

Siegenthaler (broken foot, IR)
Vanecek (lower-body)
Hamilton (torn pectoral, LTIR)

Flyers

Foerster (lower-body)
Ristolainen (lower-body)