The New Jersey Devils are back in action tonight when they play host to the New York Rangers.
The Devils enter this contest with a 2-0-1 preseason record and their lone loss coming against these same Rangers.
Here is the Devils' projected lineup (I'll try to update with the Rangers' when it becomes available):
John Quenneville - Adam Henrique - Jimmy Hayes Jesper Bratt - Pavel Zacha - Drew Stafford Miles Wood - Michael McLeod - Nick Lappin Blake Pietila - Joseph Blandisi - Brian Gibbons
John Moore - Viktor Loov Will Butcher - Steve Santini Brian Strait - Ben Lovejoy
Cory Schneider Mackenzie Blackwood
Five things to watch:
1) Hayes followed up a dreadful debut, in which he took four penalties, with a multi-point effort against the Rangers. The opportunity is there for him to take a job if he puts together a solid string of performances.
2) McLeod wasn't overly impressive at the Prospect Challenge or in his preseason debut. The Devils aren't going to hand him a roster spot so he really needs to step up over the next few games if he's going to get one.
3) I expect Bratt to play in London this season but, if he continues to stand out in a positive way, it's going to be tough for the Devils to send him back without giving him a nine-game tryout.
4) Zacha was one of the best players on the ice Wednesday night vs the Rangers. He showed great hand-eye batting a Drew Stafford pass out of the air, recorded a game-high six shots, and looked quite competent without the puck. The Devils need Zacha to take a big step forward this season so it'll bode well for them if he continues to stand out in the tune-up games.
5) Butcher and Santini could very well be a pairing when the season begins so I'll be watching them closely. I think Butcher's puck-moving skills are nicely complimented by Santini's defensive prowess.
Puck drop is just after 7 p.m. Eastern Time and can be seen on MSG and MSG+2.
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