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NEW JERSEY DEVILS (6-4-2) vs. CANUCKS (4-1-3)
New Jersey opens up its Western Canada trip with a Hughes Bowl contest in Vancouver Wednesday night. It will be the second time all three Hughes brothers - Quinn, Jack, Luke - will face each other in the same game.
The Devils got back in the win column against Anaheim Sunday with a 6-2 victory. The win snapped the club’s 0-2-2 skid.
Devils captain Nico Hischier continued his hot play with his NHL-leading ninth goal of the season, he has six goals in his past five games and seven points. Forwards Paul Cotter (6 goals) and Stefan Noesen (5) have also started the year with goal outbursts. Jesper Bratt has a five-game scoring streak with six points (1g-5a), has points in 10 of his last 11 games and is tied with Hischier for the club lead in scoring with 12 points.
The Devils lost Curtis Lazar "for a while" due to an injury per head coach Sheldon Keefe. The Devils recalled Justin Dowling who centered the fourth line at Tuesday's practice.
The Canucks close out a three-game homestand against the Devils. Vancouver is 4-0-1 in its past five games, and 4-1-3 on the season.
Brock Boeser paces the team with five goals and nine points. J.T. Miller also has nine points and a three-game point streak heading into tonight. It’s been a somewhat slow start for Elias Pettersson, who inked an 8-year, $11.6 million AAV at the end of last season. He has just four points (1g-3a) in the opening eight games of the season. Last year’s Norris Trophy winner and eldest Hughes brother, Quinn, is third on the club with eight points (2g-6a) in eight games.
Meanwhile, the Canucks have been without starting goaltender Thatcher Demko all season as he has struggled with a rare knee injury, a problem with his popliteus muscle. This has caused stability issues with the knee and rehab has been a slow process. Kevin Lankinen has filled in admirably, going 4-0-2 with a 2.29 goals-against average and .920 save percentage.
INJURIES
Devils: Lazar (undisclosed), Hatakka (upper-body)
Canucks: Demko (knee, IR), Joshua (IR)
