Devils game against Penguins homecoming for many
GM Shero, coach Hynes, several players making return to Pittsburgh
© Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
By
Wes Crosby
NHL.com Independent Correspondent
Devils general manager Ray Shero will make his way back to Pittsburgh for the first time since being fired in May 2014, and he'll be joined by several former Penguins players and employees. New Jersey coach John Hynes, the former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach, will step behind the Consol Energy Center bench for the first time with former Penguins forwards Lee Stempniak and Bobby Farnham.
"I didn't know," Hynes said about whether he figured to ever coach the Penguins. "I think it's one of those things where you always want to be able to concentrate on the job you're in, but at that point, when you're in the American Hockey League, you have some aspirations to go to the National Hockey League. But I didn't really try to overthink it too much."
Forward Tyler Kennedy, who won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2009, is also back, but will likely be a healthy scratch. New Jersey assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald, who served five roles with Pittsburgh, marks six Devils who have recent connections to the Penguins.
The Devils have faced the Penguins once this season, winning 4-0 at Prudential Center on Nov. 14, when Farnham and Stempniak each scored in the third period.
Farnham's departure from Pittsburgh is the freshest, taking place at the end of October. After failing to score in three games with the Penguins this season, Farnham was placed on waivers and claimed by the Devils on Oct. 26.
In 14 total games with Pittsburgh, Farnham failed to score and recorded six shots. In 25 games since joining New Jersey, he has scored eight points and seven goals.
"I think it's one of those things where maybe I didn't get as many bounces or pucks didn't go in quite as easily in the past," Farnham said. "But one of those things where you feel confident that you're capable of doing stuff like that."
Stempniak's production has also surprised after he struggled offensively in Pittsburgh with four goals and 11 points in 21 games two seasons ago. He scored 28 points with the New York Rangers and Winnipeg Jets last season, but already has 14 goals and 36 points in 49 games with New Jersey.
While those familiar names will be present in Pittsburgh, a few Penguins will be absent.
Forward Beau Bennett will not play Tuesday after aggravating an upper-body injury in his first game back against the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. Forward Chris Kunitz will also be sidelined after missing the game Saturday with an undisclosed injury, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said.
Pittsburgh placed Bennett on injured reserve and recalled forward Scott Wilson, who leads the AHL with 20 goals, from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Tuesday. Wilson skated on Pittsburgh's fourth line to the right of center Kevin Porter and left wing Conor Sheary during its morning skate.
"We're just going to try to play good, detailed hockey up here," Wilson said.
Forward Matt Cullen replaced Kunitz at first-line left wing alongside forwards Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist.
Here are the projected lineups:
DEVILS
Mike Cammalleri - Adam Henrique - Lee Stempniak
Joseph Blandisi - Travis Zajac - Kyle Palmieri
Reid Boucher - Jacob Josefson - Tuomo Ruutu
Bobby Farnham - Stephen Gionta - Jordin Tootoo
Andy Greene - Adam Larsson
Seth Helgeson - Damon Severson
Eric Gelinas - David Schlemko
Cory Schneider
Keith Kinkaid
Injured: Patrik Elias (knee), Jon Merrill (upper body), John Moore (lower body), Jiri Tlusty (upper body)
Scratched: Tyler Kennedy, Stefan Matteau, Marc-Andre Gragnani
PENGUINS
Matt Cullen - Sidney Crosby - Patric Hornqvist
Carl Hagelin - Evgeni Malkin - Phil Kessel
Tom Kuhnhackl - Eric Fehr - Bryan Rust
Conor Sheary - Kevin Porter - Scott Wilson
Olli Maatta - Kris Letang
Trevor Daley - Brian Dumoulin
Ben Lovejoy - Derrick Pouliot
Marc-Andre Fleury
Jeff Zatkoff
Injured: Beau Bennett (upper body), Nick Bonino (hand), David Warsofsky (concussion), Chris Kunitz (undisclosed)
Scratched: Sergei Plotnikov, Ian Cole
Status report: Pouliot played 11:58 in his season debut against Vancouver. He was expected to make Pittsburgh's opening roster out of training camp after playing 34 NHL games last season, but was reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after a disappointing preseason. … New Jersey assigned forward Sergey Kalinin to Albany on Tuesday and recalled Gragnani.
Who's hot: Malkin recorded his 10th career hat trick against Vancouver. He leads Pittsburgh with 23 goals and 47 points, each seven more than Crosby. … Stempniak has scored at least one goal in three consecutive games and at least one point in four straight. His 36 points are his most since 2010-11, when he scored 38 with the Arizona Coyotes.
