GDT: Panthers @ Devils - 7:30 PM - ESPN+ HULU

[JK3]

FLORIDA PANTHERS (25-15-3) vs. NEW JERSEY DEVILS (26-15-4)

New Jersey hosts the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Tuesday night at Prudential Center, puck drop is 7:38 p.m. ET. The Devils stumbled during a six-game road trip that saw the club go 1-4-1. The team responded in its first game back at home with a 3-2 overtime win against Tampa Bay on Tuesday. In the two previous meetings between clubs the Devils took both games, 4-1 and 6-2.

Jack Hughes leads the Devils in scoring with 52 points, he’s riding a four-game scoring streak with six points total (2g-4a). Jesper Bratt broke a nine-game goalless streak against the Rangers. Despite the goal drought, Bratt still has produced and hasn’t gone more than two straight games without a point. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom ranks fourth in the NHL in both goals-against average (2.19) and shutouts (3). Ondrej Palat has a three-game point streak with two goals and three points total. He has 11 points (7g-4a) in his past 15 games.

The Panthers are chasing Toronto for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, they trail by three points in the standings. Florida is facing the Devils on the second half of back-to-back games after a 4-3 loss at Philadelphia Monday night. Sam Reinhart scored two more goals in the losing effort, Reinhart leads the team in goals (27) and points (51). Captain Aleksander Barkov has a team-best 27 assists. The team has five players in double digit goals and seven players with 20 or more points. Defenseman Aaron Ekblad suffered an injury before the recent two-game road trip and didn’t travel.

INJURIES
Devils: Haula (ankle, day-to-day), Hatakka (shoulder, IR)
Panthers: Gadjovich (upper-body, IR), Ekblad (undisclosed)

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[Bleedred]

Please no Jake Allen.

Unless Markstrom is one of the game time decisions Keefe was speaking about.

Looks like it will be Spencer Knight for them, as Bob played last night.

Blow up Knight.

 

[JK3]

Please no Jake Allen.

Unless Markstrom is one of the game time decisions Keefe was speaking about.

Looks like it will be Spencer Knight for them, as Bob played last night.

Blow up Knight.

Yeah no word on who's starting for us, Allen took the optional skate today, Markstrom didn't.

Not sure who started against the Panthers in our two wins.

 

[Bleedred]

Yeah no word on who's starting for us, Allen took the optional skate today, Markstrom didn't.

Not sure who started against the Panthers in our two wins.

It was Markstrom the first game (maybe his best game before December) and Allen in the second game, which was the big blowout win two nights later.

And Knight started the first game, then Bob started the big blowout win.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Never like the sound of that. Wonder if some guys are battling a bug. Here's who took the optional this morning.

 

[NjDevsRR]

 

[Saugus]

Would like to see us mess up the Panthers again. Always a good thing to match up well against the defending Cup champions.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Let’s see a scoring outburst

Knight is not good

 

[njdevils1982]

panthater number 1 reporting for duty!

cant wait to laugh tonight

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

LGD.

 

[None Shall Pass]

Would make sense. It's been wrecking people in these parts. I can't imagine doing anything, let alone playing an NHL game while dealing with it.

 

[BostonDevil]

Win

 

[Emperoreddy]

Yeah no word on who's starting for us, Allen took the optional skate today, Markstrom didn't.

Not sure who started against the Panthers in our two wins.

They were spilt. Marky won the first game. Allen won the second.

 

[TheBeerNerd]

Would make sense. It's been wrecking people in these parts. I can't imagine doing anything, let alone playing an NHL game while dealing with it.

Ooooo. That would do it. Gross.

 

[Clam Jensen]

Would make sense. It's been wrecking people in these parts. I can't imagine doing anything, let alone playing an NHL game while dealing with it.

100%. Absolutely wrecked our house. Nasty symptoms for a day and then 6 more days of not wanting to leave bed.

 

[HoliksGhost]

 

[Bleedred]

Let’s see a scoring outburst

Knight is not good

I’m not gonna say he’s a bust, but he’s not worth his contract and it now looks like Bob will outlive him in the Panthers organization. And Bob hasn’t had a great year either, which has been a common regular season theme since he’s been there.

I remember people suggesting we take Knight with our first round pick in 2019 because he might actually be worth the 5th overall pick or wherever we were originally supposed to pick before we won the lottery.

I’m surprised the Panthers didn’t buy him out in the offseason. $15+ million in goalies this year. At the time Knight got that contract I think they gave it to him with the idea and premise that he would outlive Bob in the Panthers organization and be their starting goaltender definitely by 2025. He hasn’t been good since and had personal issues and took a leave of absence.

I think it would have been cheaper to buy him out this past offseason than it will be if they have to go that route next year.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Panthers lost last night, so I have a feeling they’ll be in full shit heel mode.

 

[NJDevs26]

LOL figures just when it looks like we’re getting back on track here comes the January virus blues

 

[longislanddevil]

Please no Jake Allen.

Unless Markstrom is one of the game time decisions Keefe was speaking about.

Looks like it will be Spencer Knight for them, as Bob played last night.

Blow up Knight.

I don’t think Markstrom has played more than 3 in a row all season (perhaps he did when Allen was injured and I don’t remember it). It’s OK to give him some extended run. I’d like to see him get to 5 straight which would mean he plays tonight against Florida and Thursday at Toronto. We can roll with Allen on Saturday for first half of the back-to-back.

 

[TheBeerNerd]

Don't forget our strongest soldier PK Subban is on color commentary today.

 

[NjDevsRR]

LOL figures just when it looks like we’re getting back on track here comes the January virus blues

Or its been going around the team since Christmas

 

[HoliksGhost]

Or its been going around the team since Christmas

Lingering since before Christmas

 

[Better Call Sal]

Don't forget our strongest soldier PK Subban is on color commentary today.

 

[Bleedred]

I don’t think Markstrom has played more than 3 in a row all season (perhaps he did when Allen was injured and I don’t remember it). It’s OK to give him some extended run. I’d like to see him get to 5 straight which would mean he plays tonight against Florida and Thursday at Toronto. We can roll with Allen on Saturday for first half of the back-to-back.

After I got to the second sentence of your post I swore you were gonna say ''It's ok to give him some rest'' and I was like ''Oh come on!''. Glad to see it was the opposite!

I have a bad feeling it will be Allen tonight. Not necessarily because Markstrom is one of the game time decisions, but because this is the way it was always going to go.