Preview: Devils at Blues

DEVILS (12-10-6) at BLUES (16-10-4)
8 p.m. ET; FS-MW, MSG+ 2, NHL.TV

Devils team scope

The New Jersey Devils will make forwards PA Parenteau and Beau Bennett healthy scratches for the first time this season when they try to end a three-game losing streak (0-3-0), during which they have been outscored 14-3. "For our team, we have to play the game the right way," coach John Hynes said. "What I mean by that is we have to play a two-way game. Every player in our lineup has to win puck battles, they have to forecheck, they have to backcheck, they have to be responsible in our defensive zone, they have to win more puck battles. Those are things whether guys that are out of the lineup today or even some guys in the lineup, they haven't been doing it as much as we need them to be and stick to how we want to play systematically." Center Pavel Zacha will return to the lineup after missing the past four games after being hit in the mouth with a puck Dec. 3 against the Nashville Predators. Forward Luke Gazdic will make his Devils debut after being recalled from Albany of the American Hockey League on Wednesday. Goalie Cory Schneider, who didn't play in a 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues last Friday, will start.

Blues team scope

The Blues are coming off of a 6-3 road loss to the Predators on Tuesday, but return home where they are 12-1-3. They will make changes to the lineup after losing three of their past four games (1-3-0). "I think all of us know that we've got to play better on the road and we can't rely on home cooking all the time," coach Ken Hitchcock said. "... So we know that's got to get fixed. But when we're at home we've got to continue and play consistent hockey. We've been able to put a lot of pressure on teams at home. We've played with a lot of diligence and great structure and so we've won a lot of games in the third period or the second half of games." Goalie Jake Allen, who was pulled after allowing five goals on 33 shots Tuesday, will start; he's 1-3-0 the past four games after an eight-game winning streak.

Devils projected lineup

Taylor Hall -- Travis Zajac -- Devante Smith-Pelly
Miles Wood -- Adam Henrique -- Kyle Palmieri
Michael Cammalleri -- Pavel Zacha -- Nick Lappin
Luke Gazdic -- Vernon Fiddler -- Sergey Kalinin
Andy Greene -- Damon Severson
Jon Merrill -- Ben Lovejoy
John Moore -- Kyle Quincey
Cory Schneider
Keith Kinkaid
Scratched:Jacob Josefson, PA Parenteau, Beau Bennett
Injured:None

Blues projected lineup

Jaden Schwartz -- Paul Stastny -- Dmitrij Jaskin
Robby Fabbri -- Jori Lehtera -- Vladimir Tarasenko
Alexander Steen -- Patrik Berglund -- David Perron
Scottie Upshall -- Kyle Brodziak -- Ryan Reaves
Joel Edmundson -- Alex Pietrangelo
Brad Hunt -- Kevin Shattenkirk
Jay Bouwmeester -- Colton Parayko
Jake Allen
Carter Hutton
Scratched:Nail Yakupov, Ty Rattie
Injured:Carl Gunnarsson (lower body), Robert Bortuzzo (lower body)

Status report

Wood will move off the fourth line to play with Henrique and Palmieri. Smith-Pelly moves into Parenteau's slot on the top line at right wing. ... Jaskin will return after being a healthy scratch Tuesday. Steen will play on the third line with Berglund and Perron. Yakupov, who was skating in Reaves' spot on the fourth line, is expected to be a healthy scratch for the eighth time in 10 games. Reaves, who was injured late in the game Tuesday, is probable to play according to Hitchcock after he left the morning skate early. ... Gunnarsson will miss his third straight game. ... Edmundson and Bouwmeester will flip spots on defense.

Who's hot

Hall has three goals and five assists in the past five games. ... Tarasenko has a four-game point streak (one goal, six assists) and 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in the past 19 games; he's second in the NHL with 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists). ... Fabbri has three goals and two assists the past four games.