THE SCOOP
The Devils rebounded Saturday afternoon from an 8-4 loss at home to the Tampa Bay Lightning, defeating the Anaheim Ducks 4-1 in a complete effort. The win snapped a five-game home losing streak and also vaulted the Devils back into a wild card position in the Eastern Conference.
On the season, Jesper Bratt leads the team in points with 27 while Timo Meier is first on the club in goals with 11. Meier remains out as he is away from the team tending to a family health matter.
Bratt has continued to put up points and assists for the team, leading the club with 21 helpers, but has struggled to score as of late. He potted one against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, his first goal in 17 games with the last one being on November 6. He started the season with four goals in seven games but since then, has only netted two in 22.
Devils are also dealing with nine absences, including eight injuries and one player out on personal leave in Timo Meier. News came down after Friday's practice that Arseny Gritsyuk won't be available for this weekend's games and on Saturday morning, Coach Keefe confirmed that Simon Nemec will miss some time after a lower-body injury suffered in that same practice Friday.
Vancouver has had an eventful week after trading their captain and leading pont-getter Quinn Hughes on Friday, in exchange for Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and a first-round pick. Buium is a rookie blueliner who has three goals and 14 points in 31 games this season.
Canucks have had a tough season, sitting dead last in the NHL with 25 points. They're eight points out of a playoff spot. They only have two wins in their last 11 games, coincidentally their last win game three games ago last Saturday at home against the Minnesota Wild.
