Rangers at Devils preview

RANGERS (12-9-3) AT DEVILS (9-11-4)
1 p.m. ET; NHLN, MSG+, MSG, NHL.TV

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.