Daws Starts, Meier Set for 700th | MORNING SKATE

NEW JERSEY DEVILS (1-0-0) at NEW YORK ISLANDERS (0-1-0)

The Devils play their first road game of the 2026-27 season on Long Island against the New York Islanders tonight.

Read below for your Game Preview presented by Cuttler Produce and check back for the Morning Skate Recap.

MORNING SKATE RECAP

ELMONT, N.Y. — Nico Daws will make his first start of the season Saturday night when the Devils face the New York Islanders at UBS Arena.

New Jersey is coming off a 3-2 overtime victory against Philadelphia in Thursday’s season opener, while the Islanders return home after dropping their opener 2-1 in Toronto. Saturday is the first road game of the season for the Devils and the Islanders’ home opener.

It will also be a milestone night for Timo Meier, who is set to play in his 700th career NHL game.

“It kind of makes you realize it’s a lot of games and, yeah, a lot of memories through that,” Meier said. “And always with a new season starting, you try to make new memories and good memories with a team that we feel very good about.”

DAWS GETS THE START

Daws takes over the crease after Jake Allen stopped 23 of 25 shots in the opening-night victory.

For head coach Sheldon Keefe, there’s no need to make the moment bigger than it is for the 25-year-old goaltender.

“It’s his first start of the season. It’s not his first NHL start,” Keefe said. “So he’s got experience, and just play that way.” 

The Devils will be facing an Islanders team Keefe believes will present a significantly different challenge from the one New Jersey saw during the preseason.

“I don’t take much from that preseason game,” Keefe said. “I think if we’re thinking it’s going to be like that, then we’re making a big mistake.”

Keefe watched the Islanders’ season opener in Toronto and saw a team playing with structure and pace.

“They’re playing hard, they’re playing structured and organized,” he said. “It’s going to be a much different game than last time we were in here, and for that matter, much different than our game the other night against Philly.” 

A DIFFERENT CHALLENGE

The Islanders enter Saturday looking for their first win of the season and have already made some adjustments up front.

At Friday’s practice, Emil Heineman moved alongside Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri, while Simon Holmström was reunited with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Brayden Schenn skated with youngsters Victor Eklund and Cal Ritchie. Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer said the changes were an effort to find more five-on-five offense. 

Ilya Sorokin will start in goal for New York. Sorokin went 3-0-0 against the Devils last season with a 0.99 goals-against average, .971 save percentage and one shutout. The Islanders swept last season’s series and have gone 7-0-1 in their last eight games against New Jersey. 

One of the biggest elements the Devils will have to contend with is defenseman Matthew Schaefer.

“It changes the game entirely,” Keefe said of Schaefer’s presence. “It changed their team entirely last season in terms of the pace of the play, offense, just everything that he can do, how he moves around the ice with and without the puck.”

Keefe said the Devils have prepared for Schaefer, but their priority remains dictating the game themselves.

“If we can assert our game, then we’re going to force all their players to have to defend, and that will take some wind out of their sails,” Keefe said. 

Evan Rodrigues offered a simple approach to slowing down the dynamic defenseman.

“When he moves the puck, make him stop,” Rodrigues said. “Make him finish your hit. Make him get that engine going again. Don’t let him freewheel.”

Rodrigues likened it to a car cruising on the highway compared to continually stopping and starting.

“You can skate in a circle for as long as you want, but doing stops and starts is different,” he said. “Getting going again is different.”

700 FOR MEIER

Meier enters his milestone game encouraged by the start New Jersey has made, while recognizing the challenge presented by a Metropolitan Division opponent.

“Good energy, good start with the win we had,” Meier said. “We know today is going to be a tough game against an opponent that we’re going to see multiple times, a division rival, so we got to be ready for that one.” 

As the games have added up over his career, Meier said his perspective has evolved.

“Trying to just enjoy every day and kind of bring what you’ve learned into your daily habits and the way you approach your game,” he said. “But I’m still trying to get better every day and have fun with the guys out there, compete hard, and it’s another chance to do that tonight.” 

Meier skated alongside Nico Hischier and Luke Evangelista in Thursday’s opener. Evangelista picked up an assist in his Devils debut, but Meier believes the trio can continue to grow.

“As a line, we always want to improve,” Meier said. “I think we have a deep team where we can roll a lot of lines and put pressure on teams in that way. So we’re looking to be better than we were last game today.”

FINDING DIFFERENT WAYS

For Rodrigues, one of the keys to the Devils finding consistency this season is becoming comfortable winning games that don’t necessarily play to their offensive strengths.

“You’re not going to score five every night,” Rodrigues said. “You got to find ways to win games one-nothing and two-one.”

That means recognizing when the game calls for something simpler.

“There’s going to be games where the five, 10-foot passes come easy, and there’s going to be games where a team’s hard checking, and you just got to chip it out and live to fight another day,” Rodrigues said.

“When a team is known for their talent and their offense, it’s very easy for players to get frustrated. And when that happens, you can’t play that way. It doesn’t work.”

The question, Rodrigues said, is whether the Devils can embrace those nights.

“There’s going to be games that you have to grind out, and are we going to be comfortable doing that?” 

BUILDING THE POWER PLAY

New Jersey went scoreless on four power-play opportunities Thursday, but Keefe saw plenty in the process that he liked.

The Devils generated 17 shot attempts on the power play, along with several quality scoring chances.

“We could do better,” Keefe said. “With that said, there was a number of things that we did do well.”

Keefe pointed to improved puck movement, spacing and an ability to find shooting lanes.

“There was also, you look at at least three or four really high-quality scoring chances where if even one of them falls, you’re probably asking a different type of question,” he said. “So, yeah, just keep building it.” 

Evangelista continues to carve out a role on that unit, with Keefe particularly impressed by what he does to help New Jersey maintain possession.

“Probably the biggest thing that he’s offered that power play is his ability to get the puck back,” Keefe said. “There’s a lot that goes into making a successful power play. It’s not just the act of shooting the puck in the net, but the process that makes that happen. And Evangelista’s played his role very, very well.”

PROJECTED LINEUPS

Devils
Meier – Hischier – Evangelista
Bratt – Hughes – Mantha
Gritsyuk – Rodrigues – Mercer
Lombardi – Glass – Noesen 

Siegenthaler – Hamilton
L. Hughes – Pesce
Dillon – Chisholm 

Daws
Allen

Islanders
Heineman – Horvat – Palmieri
Maccelli – Pageau – Holmström
Eklund – Schenn – Ritchie
Duclair – Cizikas – Palat 

Romanov – Schaefer
Pelech – Pulock
Stanley – DeAngelo 

Sorokin
Varlamov

THE SCOOP

The Devils take their 1-0-0 record on the road for the first time this season following a 3-2 overtime victory against Philadelphia in Thursday's Home Opener presented by Citizens.

New Jersey controlled much of the game against the Flyers and finished with a 44-25 advantage in shots, but twice had to come from behind. Dougie Hamilton tied the game in the second period before Luke Hughes pulled the Devils even again midway through the third.

Jack Hughes finished it in overtime.

Jesper Bratt and Hughes worked a give-and-go on a 2-on-1 rush, with Hughes finishing Bratt's return pass for his 10th career overtime goal. Only Patrik Elias has scored more overtime goals in franchise history.

The Devils also got a strong performance from Jake Allen, who stopped 23 of 25 shots. New Jersey was unable to convert on four power-play opportunities but generated sustained offensive-zone pressure throughout the night.

Amadeus Lombardi made his NHL debut against Philadelphia, skating 8:03, while offseason additions Luke Evangelista, Anthony Mantha, Evan Rodrigues and Declan Chisholm also made their regular-season Devils debuts.

The Islanders have had a little more time between games after opening their season Wednesday night in Toronto with a 2-1 loss to the Maple Leafs.

New York fell behind 2-0 in the first period before pushing back late. Emil Heineman scored the Islanders' lone goal with 5:51 remaining in regulation, finishing a feed from Bo Horvat for a shorthanded tally. Ilya Sorokin stopped 24 of 26 shots.

The Islanders went 0-for-4 on the power play and won just 20 of 50 faceoffs in the loss, but generated more offense in the third period after managing just 12 shots through the opening 40 minutes.

Saturday is New York's home opener and the first regular-season meeting between the clubs after they saw plenty of each other during September. The Devils defeated the Islanders twice during the preseason, including a 4-1 win at UBS Arena in the exhibition finale one week ago. The two sides also met in two rookie games earlier in the month.

The Islanders enter the season without Mathew Barzal, who is dealing with inflammation in his knee. General Manager Mathieu Darche said earlier this week that Barzal could begin skating this weekend or early next week.

New York's roster does feature several new faces, including Brayden Schenn, Emil Heineman, Matias Maccelli and recently signed defenseman Logan Stanley. The Islanders also return 2025 first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer, who won the Calder Trophy last season.

Saturday is the first of four regular-season meetings between the Metropolitan Division rivals.

WHO’S HOT

Devils: Jack Hughes

Hughes picked up right where he left off last season, scoring the overtime winner in Thursday's 3-2 victory over Philadelphia. It was the 10th overtime goal of his career, moving him alone into second place in franchise history behind Patrik Elias' 16.

Islanders: Emil Heineman

Heineman scored New York's only goal in its season-opening loss to Toronto. With the Islanders shorthanded late in the third period, Heineman won a puck battle along the wall, jumped into the rush and finished a feed from Bo Horvat to cut Toronto's lead to 2-1.

INJURIES

Devils:

• Connor Brown: Upper body; out this weekend

• Nick Bjugstad: Torn left pectoral muscle; out until January

• Johnathan Kovacevic: Knee; out this weekend 

• Seamus Casey: Knee; out 8-10 weeks

Islanders:

• Mathew Barzal: Knee; out for another week

REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

• Nov. 10 vs. NY Islanders: L, 3-2 OT

• Dec. 23 at NY Islanders: L, 2-1

• Jan. 6 at NY Islanders: L, 9-0

• Feb. 5 vs. NY Islanders: L, 3-1

GAME NOTES

• The Devils enter Saturday 1-0-0 after a 3-2 overtime victory against Philadelphia in the Home Opener presented by Citizens.

• New Jersey outshot Philadelphia 44-25 and held a 95-41 advantage in total shot attempts in the opener.

• Jack Hughes scored his 10th career overtime goal Thursday, moving him into sole possession of second place in franchise history behind Patrik Elias (16). The Devils are now 8-1-0 when both Jack and Luke Hughes score in the same game.

• Jack has 18 points (11g-7a) in 22 career games against the Islanders.

• Nico Hischier enters Saturday with 199 career goals, one shy of 200. He is also 11 assists shy of 300 and 12 points shy of 500.
  Dawson Mercer has played 411 consecutive games since making his NHL debut. His streak is a franchise record for consecutive games played from the start of a career and ranks fifth among active NHL skaters.

• Dougie Hamilton recorded his 200th point as a Devil Thursday. His 200 points rank eighth among defensemen in franchise history, while his 58 goals are tied with Damon Severson for fourth-most by a Devils defenseman.

• New Jersey went 0-3-1 against the Islanders last season. It was capped by a 9-0 loss at UBS Arena on Jan. 6, when Ilya Sorokin stopped 44 shots.

• Among current Devils, Jack Hughes leads the club with 11 career goals against the Islanders, while Jesper Bratt and Dougie Hamilton each have 22 career points against New York.