Pregame Notes: 12/9 Devils vs. Blues

DEVILS VS. BLUES
Tonight is the first of two games between the Devils and Blues this season. The clubs meet again for their season-series finale on Dec. 15 at Scottrade Center.
Tonight closes the Devils' fifth of 18 sets of back-to-back games. New Jersey is 1-2-2 in first games of back-to-backs and 3-0-1 in the second contest.
New Jersey was 0-2-0 vs. the Blues in 2015-16 and were outscored 2-7. The Devils are 1-2-0 at Prudential Center and 1-5-0 vs. St. Louis overall since the 2013-14 season.
The Devils are 3-1-2 vs. the Central Division and are 6-4-2 vs. Western Conference opponents this season.
Taylor Hall has two goals in his last two games vs. St. Louis.
Keith Kinkaid and Cory Schneider are a combined 3-6-1 in their careers vs. the Blues.

BLUES CONNECTIONS
St. Louis Blues Assistant General Manager Martin Brodeur had his no. 30 retired by the Devils on Feb. 9, 2016; he won 3-Stanley Cups with New Jersey, 1995, 2000, 2003….Paul Stastny is the son of former Devil Peter Stastny…Kevin Shattenkirk is from New Rochelle, NY and played with the New Jersey Devils Youth Hockey Association…Head Coach John Hynes coached St. Louis defenseman Robert Bortuzzo in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton from 2009-13…Devils' forward Taylor Hall and Blues' forward Blues' forward Nail Yakupov were teammates in Edmonton for four seasons, 2012-16…Blues' assistant coach Steve Thomas played three seasons with the Devils, 1995-98, scoring 119pts (55g-64a) in 193 GP.
UPCOMING MILESTONES:
Taylor Hall - Needs 1GP for 400 in career.
Michael Cammalleri - Needs 1pt. for 600 in career. Needs 3pts for 100 with NJ. Needs 1GP for 800 in career.
John Moore - Needs 1GP for 100 as a Devil.
Sergey Kalinin - Needs 3GP for 100 as a Devil/career.
Andy Greene- Needs 9pts. for 200 as a Devil/career.