NEW JERSEY DEVILS (40-35-3) vs. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (40-22-16)

New Jersey plays its penultimate home game of the 26-27 season against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Puck drop is 7:08 p.m. ET.

Read below for your game preview presented by Coast Linen Services and check back for the pre-game story.

MORNING SKATE RECAP

NEWARK, NJ - Check back following morning skate around 11:00 a.m. ET.

THE SCOOP

New Jersey hits home ice looking to bounce back and finish the season strong in front of their home crowd, kicking off the final four games of the season.

While the Devils (40-35-3) have officially been eliminated from playoff contention following a tough recent stretch, they'll look to play spoiler against a divisional rival. Captain Nico Hischier continues to lead by example with 26 goals on the season, while Jesper Bratt has been the primary playmaker, racking up 48 assists.

The Penguins head into Newark boasting a 40-22-16 record (96 points). Pittsburgh has been surging at the right time and currently sits securely in second place in the Metropolitan Division. They arrive at Prudential Center motivated to lock down home-ice advantage for the first round of the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs.

For Pittsburgh, veteran captain Sidney Crosby remains the engine, having tallied 67 points (28 goals, 39 assists) this season. Anthony Mantha has also been a major goal-scoring threat with 31 tallies for the Pens. For New Jersey, Jack Hughes continues to be a dynamic offensive threat whenever he steps on the ice as one of the top players in the NHL since the Olympics.

WHO’S HOT

Devils: Jack Hughes has been nearly unstoppable since the Olympic break, racking up 32 points over his last 18 games, highlighted by a recent five-point performance (2g-3a) against Washington. Jesper Bratt is also riding high from that same 7-3 victory over the Capitals, where he set a personal record with a massive five-point night (1g-4a) of his own.

Penguins: Evgeni Malkin just became the 23rd player in NHL history to reach 1,400 career points, hitting the milestone with his 14th career hat trick during a recent 9-4 blowout win over Florida. In that same game, Sidney Crosby tallied a goal and an assist to reach 72 points on the year, officially clinching an NHL-record 21st-consecutive point-per-game season.

INJURIES

Devils:
Pesce (lower-body)
Noesen (knee)
MacEwen (upper body)
Gritsyuk (undisclosed)

Penguins:
Skinner (eye)
Lizotte (upper body)
Hallander (leg)

REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

• Nov. 8 vs. Pittsburgh, W 2-1 SO
• Jan. 8 at Pittsburgh, L 4-1
• Feb. 26 at Pittsburgh, L 4-1
• April 9 vs. Pittsburgh

GAME NOTES

• Penguins are second in the NHL, averaging 3.55 goals per game this season. 
• Pens also have the sixth-ranked power play (24.7%) and eighth-ranked penalty kill (81.7%) in the NHL. 
• Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby lead the Penguins in scoring against the Devils this season with three point apiece. Crosby has only played two of the three games. 
• Dougie Hamilton and Jack Hughes each have two assists against the Penguins this season to lead the Devils in points. Hamilton has played Pittsburgh twice, while Hughes has played them three times. 
• The three goal scorers for New Jersey against the Penguins this season are Paul Cotter, Luke Hughes and Arseny Gritsyuk.