Devils Host Islanders in Season Finale | PREVIEW

New Jersey hosts the Islanders in the season finale. Puck drop is 7:08 p.m. ET.

You can watch on MSGSN or listen on the Devils Hockey Network.

Read below for your game preview and pre-game story below, presented by Nuva Smile.

PRE-GAME STORY

NEWARK, NJ - The Devils held a morning skate on Monday morning ahead of their season finale against the New York Islanders at Prudential Center.

Center Tomas Nosek, who missed the past two games with an injury, took part in the skate and in line rushes, while goaltender Jake Allen manned the starter’s crease.

“It looks like (Nosek) will be in tonight,” interim head coach Travis Green said.

Here was the workflow…

Meier – Hischier – Bratt
Holtz – Haula – Mercer
Palat – Nosek – Bowers
MacDermid / Clarke – Tierney – Foote

Hughes – Marino
Bahl – Smith
Siegenthaler – Nemec
DeSimone

Allen

Big Finish

With Game 82 tonight, this will be the final 60 minutes (maybe more) for the Devils on the year. And that thought is sinking in with the team.

“I’m still excited to play tonight, but knowing it’s the last game sucks,” captain Nico Hischier said. “It’s definitely mixed feelings. All you can do is try to get ready for tonight and end on a good note. Owe the fans, it would be really nice to get that W.”

“This is a game that’s going to be important for us going into the off-season and keep setting a standard for ourselves,” forward Jesper Bratt said. “Even if in the statistics it’s not a game to look at, it’s an important and emotional game for us to set a good standard.

“It’s going to be a hard-working game. We have to play with that passion. We have to keep that identity of how we want to play the game. It’s an important game in that factor.”

For Green and the coaching staff, tonight’s game is another part of the evaluation process.

“You want to see your team face challenges. It’s a challenge when it’s your last game of the year,” Green said. “You learn a lot about teams, you learn a lot about individuals on teams going through good times, but also learn going through hard times.”

PREVIEW

DEVILS (38-38-5) vs. ISLANDERS (37-27-16)

Head-to-Head

The Devils and Islanders face off for the fourth and final time this season. New Jersey has won the three previous meetings, including a 5-4 victory at Prudential Center on Nov. 28. New Jersey also won on Long Island, 4-0 March 24 and 5-4 in overtime on Oct. 20.

Jack Hughes, who is out for the rest of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery, led all players with four goals, five assists and nine points in series scoring. Timo Meier (1g-3a) and Jesper Bratt (4a) each had four points.

Mathew Barzal was the Islanders leader with four points (1g-3a) while Bo Horvat has three goals against the Devils this year. Isles goalie Ilya Sorokin is 0-2-1 with a 4.36 goals-against average and .871 save percentage against New Jersey on the season.

Devils Team Scope:

The Devils will finish the season out of the playoffs. The club is looking for a strong finish to the 2023-24 campaign under interim head coach Travis Green.

Jesper Bratt will finish as the team’s leading scorer. He currently has a career-high 82 points on 27 goals and a career-best 55 assists. He’s followed by Jack Hughes who ended the season with 27 goals and 74 points despite missing 20 games due to injury. Nico Hischier has 27 goals and 66 points while Timo Meier has 27 tallies and 51 points. Defenseman Luke Hughes already has the Devils record for points by a rookie defenseman with 47 (9g-38a) on the season. Goalie Jake Allen is 6-5-1 with a 3.04 goals-against average and .906 save percentage for the Devils on the year.

Islanders Team Scope:

The Islanders are fighting for a playoff spot with two games remaining on their schedule. The club currently holds the third spot in the Metro Division with 90 points. By earning a point in any fashion against the Devils, New York will punch its ticket to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Islanders have earned their position by being one of the best teams down the stretch. The club is 6-0-1 in April, and that includes wins against the NY Rangers, Philadelphia and Nashville. The late surge has allowed the Islanders to jump in a playoff position.

Mathew Barzal leads the team in scoring with 80 points on 23 goals and 57 assists. Bo Horvat has a team-best 33 goals, followed by Brock Nelson’s 32. A resurgent Kyle Palmieri has 28 goals on the season while Anders Lee potted 20.

Noah Dobson has been a breakout star on defense for the Islanders. He has 10 goals, 60 assists and 70 points on the season. Dobson ranks sixth in assists and seventh in points in the entire NHL. However, he missed the team’s last game with an upper-body injury.

Goalie Ilya Sorokin hasn’t been as dominant in the crease as he has been in years past. He’s 24-19-12 with a 2.99 GAA and .909 save percentage. Backup Semyon Varlamov has played well this season, going 13-8-4 with a 2.66 and .916. Varlamov has started six of the past nine games, winning five of them.

By the Numbers:

The Devils have five 20-goal scorers on the roster. Bratt, Jack Hughes, Hischier and Meier all have 27 each while Dawson Mercer has 20 exactly.

The Islanders are 18-12-5 since Patrick Roy took over behind the bench. 

Injuries:

Devils

Hamilton (torn pectoral muscle, LTIR)
Bastian (lower-body, IR)
Nosek (unknown)
J. Hughes (shoulder)
Lazar (upper-body)

Islanders

Mayfield (lower-body, IR)
Dobson (upper-body, day-to-day)