The New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins couldn't be more different in terms of personnel and style of play but the two sides have gotten off to remarkably similar starts this season.
The Devils started the year 0-3-1, looked terrible in the process and had everyone - myself included - writing them off. Since that point they have gone 9-3-0 and picked up wins over the likes of the Blackhawks (twice), Islanders and Rangers, among others, in that span.
On the other side of the coin the Penguins started the year with three consecutive regulation losses and some were calling for head coach Mike Johnston to be fired. The Penguins elected to ride things out and they've been rewarded for doing so as the team has won 10 of the last 13 games and are getting the results many expected they would heading into the season.
As good as the results have been for each team of late that may not be the main storyline entering this game.
As you may recall many of the people calling the shots in New Jersey were plucked from the Penguins' organization.
Head coach John Hynes was the coach of the Baby Pens for half of a decade. Assistant coach Alain Nasreddine was also hired from the Penguins' organization. And who were those two hired by? Former Penguins GM Ray Shero.
Devils' players have had nothing but good things to say about the new captains of the ship and you can bet they'd love to get a win for those guys tonight in Pittsburgh.
LINEUPS Cammalleri - Henrique - Stempniak Kalinin - Zajac - Palmieri Matteau - Josefson - Tootoo Farnham - Gionta - O'Neill
Greene - Larsson Merrill - Severson Moore - Schlemko
Schneider
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Dupuis - Crosby - Bennett Perron - Malkin - Kessel Kunitz - Bonino - Hornqvist Sprong - Cullen - Fehr
Cole - Letang Dumoulin - Lovejoy Maatta - Scuderi
Zatkoff
THREE KEYS 1) A quality start from Schneider. He is red hot having allowed two goals or less in six consecutive games and he'll probably need to extend that streak to seven for the Devils to have a chance. Offense hasn't been a big problem for the Devils thus far but if they trade chances with the Penguins it probably won't end well.
2) Pressure, pressure, pressure. The Penguins are in the latter half of a back-to-back so they'll be tired and more mistakes tend to be made when that's the case. The Devils need to forecheck hard and force them into mistakes.
3) Get the first one. It takes a lot to come from behind in today's NHL; especially as a tired team going up against a goaltender like Cory Schneider. The Devils will really be in the driver's seat if they get on the board first. The game can be seen at 7 eastern on MSG+ and Root Sports.
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