DEVILS (4-3-2) vs. SHARKS (6-4-0)
TV: 10:30 p.m. ET: Televised on MSG+
Head-to-Head:
The Devils and Sharks last played each other on February 27, 2020 when San Jose beat New Jersey 3-2 in overtime. This is the first of two matchups this season and this month between the teams. The Devils host the Sharks on November 30, 2021.
Devils Team Scope:
Devils forwards Pavel Zacha and Andreas Johnsson continue to lead the team in points with seven. Both players had a point in New Jersey's game against LA on Friday night. Zacha has five goals and two assists while Johnsson has four goals and three assists.
Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood made his season debut where he stopped 26 of the 29 shots he faced. Since the team is playing a back-to-back, it is expected that Jonathan Bernier will get the start against the Sharks. Bernier played the first game of New Jersey's California road trip against the Ducks. Anaheim beat the Devils 4-0.
Sharks Team Scope:
San Jose lost their most recent game against the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 4, 5-3. Before that, the Sharks won two straight - over Buffalo and Winnipeg. The Sharks started the season with a four game win streak.
The Sharks top offensive threat is Timo Meier, who leads his team in all three scoring categories - goals (5), assists (6), and points (11). Tomas Hertl is tied with Meier for most goals with five. In San Jose's last five games Hertl has five points (3G, 2A), including one assist in the Sharks last game against the Blues.
Adin Hill and James Reimer have shared the workload in net for the Sharks with Reimer starting four games this season and Hill starting six. Reimer has a 3-1 record with a 1.54 goals against average and a .950 save percentage. Hill has a 3-3 record with a 3.15 goals against average and a .886 save percentage.
By the Numbers:
In his NHL debut, Alex Holtz played 15 and a half minutes and clocked just shy of three minutes on the power play.
Former Devils forward Nick Merkley is on a two-game points streak after notching an assist in the Sharks game against the Sabres on Nov 2 and a goal in the loss to the Blues on Nov 4.
Injury Updates:
Devils:
Jack Hughes (upper-body)
Miles Woods (undisclosed)
Sharks:
Jeffrey Viel (injured reserve)
--Catherine Bogart, NJD.TV