Devils Host Stars, Conclude Back-to-Back  | PREVIEW

New Jersey is wrapping up the second half of a back-to-back with a home game against the Dallas Stars.

The Devils are honoring three-time Stanley Cup Champion and current Assistant Coach Sergei Brylin in a pre-game ceremony as he becomes the second-ever inductee for the Ring of Honor presented by Citizens. Fans are encouraged to get to the game early and in their seats by 6:45 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.

PRE-GAME STORY

NEWARK, NJ - The Devils did not hold a morning skate due to playing on back-to-back nights, having bested Columbus, 4-1, on the road Friday evening.

Devils head coach Lindy Ruff did meet with the media to cover a variety of topics.

On Sergei Brylin being inducted into the Ring of Honor

“The value of having a former player with three Stanley Cups with an organization is incredible. He’s an incredible man. For a guy to put all that time in as a player, to win Cups, and put all that time in wanting to help develop players in Binghamton and Utica and now bring him in here, I can’t say enough about the job he’s done.”

On facing Dallas

“Big strong team, a lot of speed. They have a lot of offensive weapons. We have to make sure that we play well away from the puck.”

On dealing with Dallas’ size

“You use your size by making it incredibly tough on the opponent by getting into pucks, using your size to protect them … We have to have great sticks. We have to get underneath their sticks. You still have to get into the body. But you have to find different ways to win battles against bigger players.”

On the Islanders coaching change

“I’m never surprised. We’re in a business where it happens. I don’t think you can ever be surprised.”

On Brylin playing tonight’s game

“I think he’s still in good enough shape to. We can sign him to a one-day contract.”

--Sam Kasan, Devils beat reporter

PREVIEW

DEVILS (23-17-3) vs. STARS (26-13-5)

Head-to-Head

This is the first of two meetings between the Devils and Stars this season with the second on Mar. 14 in Dallas.

Last year, the Devils fell 4-1 at Prudential Center on Dec. 13 before picking up a 3-2 overtime win on Jan. 27 at American Airlines Center.

Devils Team Scope:

The Devils four second-period goals sealed a 4-1 win over the Blue Jackets in Columbus Friday night. The win secured two big points for New Jersey who are in the hunt for a playoff spot. John Marino, Alexander Holtz, Nico Hischier, and Nathan Bastian scored for the Devils. Simon Nemec, Kevin Bahl, Max Willman, and Cal Foote all recored assists. Vitek Vanecek stopped 29 of the 30 shots on goal he faced. New Jersey has focused on puck management, strong net front presence, and boxing out all which were big parts of their win.

New Jersey continues to be a top faceoff team, winning 54.5% of their draws with Michael McLeod leading the way. McLeod's 66% win rate leads the NHL, and is 3.7% higher than the second-best faceoff center in the league. The Devils power play didn't convert on any of their four opportunities against the Blue Jackets; however, New Jersey still has the fourth-highest scoring rate (27.5%) on the man-advantage.

Tyler Toffoli and Jesper Bratt are tied for the team lead in goals with 16 each. Bratt is also tied with Jack Hughes for the most assists on the Devils with 30, while his 46 points lead New Jersey. Since Vanecek played Friday's game, Nico Daws is likely to get the start against the Stars. Daws is 3-3-0 this season with the Devils where he's averaging 2.71 goals against and has a .916 save percentage.

Saturday's game is the second half of the Devils 10th back-to-back this season. It also kicks off a two-game homestand before New Jersey heads on the road for a pair of games ahead of the All-Star break.

Stars Team Scope:

The Stars are looking to rebound from a 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers that kicked off a four-game road trip. In the loss, Dallas was held to 15 shots, including only one in the first period. Tyler Seguin’s goal in the second period gave the Stars a fighting chance heading into the final frame; however, three unanswered goals would seal the win for the Flyers. Even with the loss, Dallas is a top team in the NHL and the Western Conference. With 57 points, the Stars are third in the Central Division and in a playoff spot.

Dallas is a strong offensive team averaging 3.61 goals for per game played, which is third in the NHL. They’re also a top face-off team, winning 54% of their draws with Jamie Benn averaging the second-highest win rate in the NHL at 62.3%. When it comes to special teams, the Stars have the third-best penalty kill, stopping their opponent’s power play units from scoring 84.6% of the time. Dallas’ power play is 12th in the league with a 23% scoring rate.

Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz are tied for the most goals on the team with 18 while Jason Robertson’s 30 assists lead the Stars. Robertson also leads the team in points with 45. Dallas has eight players with 10 or more goals through 44 games and six players have 30 points or more. Jake Oettinger and former Devil Scott Wedgewood make up the Stars goaltender tandem. Oettinger has a 13-9-2 record where he’s averaging 2.96 goals against with a .904 save percentage. Wedgewood has a 12-4-3 record with a 3.03 goals against average and a .897 save percentage.

Saturday’s game is the start of a back-to-back for the Stars, as they face the New York Islanders on Sunday.

By the Numbers:

14 & 15: Both the Stars and Devils have come back to win quite a few games this season. The Devils are tied with the Colorado Avalanche for a league-leading 15 comeback wins, while the Stars are tied for second-most comeback wins with 14. 14 of the Devils 15 wins are one-goal comebacks while the Stars have eight one-goal comebacks and six two-goal comebacks.

64: Dallas leads the NHL with 64 third-period goals

Injuries:

Devils

Hamilton (pectoral muscle - IR) 
Nosek (foot - IR)
Palat (lower body)
Smith (sprained knee - IR)
J. Hughes (upper-body - week-to-week)
Siegenthaler (broken foot - IR)

Stars

Miro Heiskanen (lower-body)