Rangers at Devils preview

Hughes didn't practice Friday and won't play because of a lower-body injury. Coach John Hynes said the 18-year-old is day to day, "but he's not ready to go." Hughes appeared to be in pain after blocking a shot midway through the second period of a 6-4 win at the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, though he took five of his 17 shifts in the third period.

The Rangers lost 3-2 in overtime at the Boston Bruins on Friday but are 3-0-1 in their past four games and 7-3-2 in their past 12.

Players to watch

Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin has at least one point in 16 of his past 17 games (eight goals, 19 assists), including a multipoint game in nine of his past 12.

Devils right wing Kyle Palmieri has four points (two goals, two assists) during a four-game point streak. 

They said it

"Maybe if you look at the schedule and say you're going to come out of Boston with a point you'd feel good about it, but we feel like we [threw] away a point (after blowing a 2-0 lead)." -- Rangers coach David Quinn

"There's nobody I'd rather be on a 2-on-1 with in the League (than Nikita Gusev), I think. He's one of the most dangerous guys in the League coming in over the red line. I thought as a line we were pretty solid (against Montreal)." -- Devils forward Blake Coleman

Rangers projected lineup

Chris Kreider -- Mika Zibanejad -- Pavel Buchnevich

Artemi Panarin -- Filip Chytil -- Ryan Strome

Brendan Lemieux -- Brett Howden -- Kaapo Kakko

Brendan Smith -- Boo Nieves -- Jesper Fast

Brady Skjei -- Jacob Trouba

Ryan Lindgren -- Adam Fox

Libor Hajek -- Tony DeAngelo

Alexandar Georgiev

Henrik Lundqvist

Scratched: Micheal Haley

Injured: Greg McKegg (lower body), Marc Staal (ankle)

Devils projected lineup

Taylor Hall -- Nico Hischier -- Kyle Palmieri

Jesper Boqvist -- Pavel Zacha -- Wayne Simmonds

Blake Coleman -- Travis Zajac -- Nikita Gusev

Miles Wood -- Kevin Rooney -- Jesper Bratt

Andy Greene -- Damon Severson

Sami Vatanen -- P.K. Subban

Will Butcher -- Matt Tennyson

Mackenzie Blackwood

Louis Domingue

Scratched: Mirco Mueller, John Hayden

Injured: Connor Carrick (finger), Jack Hughes (lower body)

Status report

Rooney returns after missing seven games because of an upper-body injury. ... The Devils reassigned forward Brett Seney to Binghamton of the American Hockey League on Friday. 

Stat pack

Strome has seven points (one goal, six assists) in his past seven games. Fox has four points (one goal, three assists) in his past four games. ... Hall has six points (two goals, four assists) in his past six games. Coleman has six points (four goals, two assists) in his past three games. New Jersey is 2-1-0 in its past three games.