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DEVILS (35-13-5) at BLUES (25-25-3)
Head-to-Head
The Devils and Blues meet for the second and final time this season, and first in St. Louis. The two teams squared off Jan. 5 in Newark with the Blues staking a 5-3 victory.
Robert Thomas scored two goals and added an assist for a three-point night. Pavel Buchnevich has three helpers while Brandon Saad, Jordan Kyrou and Ivan Barbashev also chipped in goals.
Jack Hughes scored twice for the Devils while Nico Hischier added a goal. The Devils lost despite outshooting St. Louis 39-19.
Devils Team Scope
The Devils picked up right where they left off following the All-Star break, winning. They're 3-0-1 since the break and 11-1-2 in their past 14 games. The Devils rank second in the Metro Division, three points behind Carolina.
The Devils are without All-Star Jack Hughes, who is out with an upper-body injury. He ranks third in the NHL with 35 goals to go with his team-best 67 points. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton had a seven-game scoring streak for 14 points (5g-9a) snapped by Columbus but still has points in seven on his last eight. Goaltender Vitek Vanecek is riding a 12-game point streak (11-0-1), which included a 10-game winning streak.
Blues Team Scope
Sitting double digit points out of a playoff spot, the St. Louis Blues opted to make a move for the future. They traded star forward Vladimir Tarasenko, 31, and defenseman Niko Mikkola to the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Sammy Blais - who won a Cup with St. Louis in 2019 - defensive prospect Hunter Skinner, a conditional first-round pick in 2023 and fourth-round pick in 2024.
St. Louis had lost five straight games before winning their past two contests against Arizona and Florida. The Devils' contest is the third leg of a four-game homestand.
All-Star Jordan Kyrou leads the Blues in goals (24) and points (51). Meanwhile, Robert Thomas has a team-best 33 assists. Pavel Buchnevich has 42 points (15g-27a) in 40 contests. Goaltender Jordan Binnington is 20-18-3 on the year.
By the Numbers
The Blues have eight players who have scored at least 10 goals, ranking 4th in the NHL (10, Seattle and Vegas).
Injury Updates
Devils
Bernier (hip, LTIR)
Hughes (upper-body, week-to-week)
Smith (lower-body)
Blues
Scandella (right hip)