Devils at Islanders

DEVILS (14-17-5) at ISLANDERS (10-12-6)

Devils projected lineup
Pavel Zacha
-- Nico Hischier -- Jimmy Vesey
Tomas Tatar -- Jack Hughes --
Yegor Sharangovich
Andreas Johnsson
-- Dawson Mercer -- Jesper Boqvist
A.J. Greer -- Michael McLeod -- Marián Studenič
Ryan Graves -- Jonas Siegenthaler
Ty Smith -- P.K. Subban
Colton White
-- Christian Jaros
Jon Gillies
Kyle Shapiro
Scratched: None
Injured: Miles Wood (right hip), Tyce Thompson (upper body), Dougie Hamilton (jaw), Jonathan Bernier (lower body)
COVID-19 protocol: Mackenzie Blackwood, Akira Schmid, Janne Kuokkanen, Damon Severson, Jesper Bratt, Nathan Bastian, Mason Geertsen
Islanders projected lineup
Anders Lee -- Mathew Barzal -- Josh Bailey
Anthony Beauvillier -- Brock Nelson -- Oliver Wahlstrom
Kieffer Bellows -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- Zach Parise
Ross Johnston -- Casey Cizikas -- Cal Clutterbuck
Adam Pelech -- Scott Mayfield
Zdeno Chara -- Noah Dobson
Robin Salo -- Andy Greene
Ilya Sorokin
Semyon Varlamov
Scratched: Matt Martin, Sebastian Aho
Injured: Kyle Palmieri (lower body)
COVID-19 protocol: Ryan Pulock
Status report
The Devils did not hold a morning skate Thursday. ... Shapiro was signed to amateur tryout contract and will back up Gillies. He played NCAA Division III hockey at the University of Southern Maine and New England College, and is an assistant with the New Jersey Titans of the North American Hockey League. ... Sharangovich, Zacha and Johnsson each is expected to play after being removed from COVID-19 protocol earlier this week. … With goalies Blackwood and Schmid each in protocol, Gillies will make his first start since Dec. 19. … Nelson will play after missing the past two games in COVID-19 protocol. … Palmieri, a center, participated in the Islanders' morning skate but has not been activated from injured reserve. … Pulock, a defenseman, had been skating on his own but was placed in COVID-19 protocol Tuesday. He sustained a lower-body injury Nov. 15.