NEW JERSEY DEVILS (5-2-1) vs. LIGHTNING (3-2-0)

New Jersey host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Hispanic Heritage Night. Puck drop is 6:45 p.m.

You can watch on MSGSN or listen on the Devils Hockey Network.

Read below for your game preview and pre-game story below. Tonight's game is Cuttler Produce.

MORNING SKATE RECAP

NEWARK, NJ - The Devils held an optional morning skate Tuesday ahead of hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Debut

Rookie defenseman Daniil Misyul will be making his NHL debut tonight against the Lightning.

“I’m excited,” he said. “I was told yesterday. It’s a good opportunity and a good time for me. I’m excited.”

Misyul, 24, is a 6-foot-3, 176-pound blueliner that was selected by the Devils in the third round (70^th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft. He’s played the last six seasons in various locations, including Yaroslav of the Kontinental Hockey League and Utica of the American Hockey League. His debut has been a long time coming.

“It’s a lot of work for this day,” Misyul said. “I think it’s amazing for me. I can’t wait for tonight.”

Misyul only played one season – last year – in North American hockey but has adapted quickly.

“It’s a great opportunity for him,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “The message we gave him is that he does not need to complicate things out there. He’s a big body that we expect to be physical and in place and move the puck efficiently up to the forwards. That’s about it. Hold his position and make up for any nerves or inexperience that he has playing in the NHL, any of those gaps can be made up by playing good sound, positional hockey.

“We’ll get a look at him here tonight in a game setting.”

On the Enemy

The Devils know that tonight will be a stiff challenge with the Lightning coming to town. The team has been a perennial Stanley Cup contender for over a decade, which includes two championships and three Stanley Cup Final appearances.

The success over the years of the club goes beyond just the players on the roster.

“I think there’s elite skill at all positions, forwards, defense and goaltending,” Keefe said. “And great character about their group, which I think as allowed them to stay competitive when they’ve lost a lot of key contributors. Their culture and their corps is well established and they lean on that consistently. They’re a formidable opponent year in and year out.”

Power-Play Net-Front

Forward Stefan Noesen has been added the Devils' top power-play unit in the net-front position. His goal is to not change his style of play.

"I just work," he said. "Watching those guys is pretty special. I do my job, retrieving pucks, getting it back to those guys and allowing them to make their plays."

THE SCOOP

The Devils are off to a hot start to the season. They opened the year with a 5-2-1 record to take an early lead in the Metro Division. New Jersey starts a stretch of four games in six days, three being at home.

Devils captain Nico Hischier is leading the club on and off the ice. His five goals and eight points are both tied for the team lead. He’s also coming off a three-point night (2g-1a) in the club’s previous game against Washington.

New Jersey’s secondary scoring has powered the club in the early month of the season. Stefan Noesen (2g-6a), Paul Cotter (5g-1a) and Erik Haula (2g-4a) have been major factors on the scoresheet. Meanwhile, goaltender Jacob Markstrom has been a rock in goal for the team since his arrival.

It was an interesting off-season for the Tampa Bay Lightning, who will face New Jersey on teh second half of back-to-back games following a 5-2 loss in Toronto. Long-time captain Steven Stamkos has moved on from the club, his home since 2008, to join Nashville. The Bolts replaced Stamkos with free agent Jake Guentzel.

Tampa also parted ways with Mikhail Sergachev, Anthony Duclair, Matt Dumba and Tanner Jeannot while adding Ryan McDonagh (returning), Cam Atkinson, Zemgus Girgensons and Conor Geekie.

Of course, the Lightning roster still features the likes of Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel, Victor Hedman, Andrei Vasilevskiy and that guy named Nikita Kucherov, who won the NHL’s scoring title with 144 points and 100 assists to boot.

The Lightning opened the season with three straight victories, thanks in large part to the play of Kucherov. He posted a hat trick in the team’s first game, a 4-1 victory at Carolina. He’s followed that up by potting four more for the club in the past four games.

WHO’S HOT

Devils: Devils captain Nico Hischier is coming off a 2-goal, 3-point night against Washington. He has 7 points (4g-3a) in his last 5 games.

Lightning: Nikita Kucherov opened the season by scoring a hat trick at Carolina and has racked up 7 goals in the first 4 games of the season.

INJURIES

Devils: L.Hughes (shoulder), Pesce (ankle), Hatakka (upper-body), Vilen (upper-body).

Lightning: Finley (undisclosed), Fortier (undisclosed)

REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

• Oct. 22 vs. Tampa Bay
• Nov. 16 at Tampa Bay
• Jan. 11 vs. Tampa Bay

GAME NOTES

• The Devils went 0-2-1 against Tampa Bay last season with Jesper Bratt leading the team with two goals.
• New Jersey's PK has allowed just two goals against in 21 times shorthanded, tied for least allowed after eight games played in team history (2022-23).
• Captain Nico Hischier scored the fastest two goals by the same player in franchise history wtih a pair in 10 seconds. They both came 44 seconds into the second period against Washington, also a franchise record for fastest two goals to start a period beating the previous mark of 48 second.
• The Devils rank 3rd in the NHL if faceoff percentage (53.6).