Devils Visit Mile High City | PREVIEW

NEW JERSEY DEVILS (32-21-6) vs. COLORADO AVALANCHE (33-24-2)

New Jersey continues their road swing in Colorado to visit the Avalanche at Ball Arena.

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 presented by Skyview Golf Club.

MORNING SKATE RECAP

DENVER, CO. - The Devils held a morning skate on Wednesday at Colorado’s Ball Arena ahead of facing the Avalanche.

The Devils had their full compliment of players on the ice for morning skate. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom also joined the group as he continues to recover from his MCL injury. He worked the entire skate and put in an extra 20 minutes after the skate concluded.

The Devils lineup looks like it will be the same as

Palat – Hughes – Bratt
Tatar – Hischier – Noesen
Meier – Dowling – Mercer
Cotter – Haula – Bastian

Dillon – Hamilton
Pesce – Kovacevic
Hughes – Casey

Jake Allen manned the starter’s end.

Off-Side

With Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler out for the next few weeks with an undisclosed injury, blueliner Brett Pesce has been forced to slide over to the left side. As a right-handed defenseman, playing on your off-side always provides a unique challenge.

“It’s a different game. You’re on your backhand a lot,” he said. “You’re in more uncomfortable situations. But the more you play it, the more you get used to it. I’m starting to feel pretty normal on that side.”

Luke on PK

With Siegenthaler out, the team has had to make several adjustments to fill his minutes. One area of need has been on the PK, and that’s where the club has looked to getting Luke Hughes more involved.

“He should be able to take on that,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Hughes on the PK. “He’s a young guy. He should be able to learn and grow with every day that comes his way, every opportunity that comes his way. He’s everything you want in a penalty killer, he’s big, he’s got a long stick, he’s fast, can close space quickly. I like the job that he’s done there. I like that he’s embraced it.

“With (Siegenthaler) out, there will be continued opportunity for him and others to take on a little bit more and he’s done a nice job.”

Scouting the Avs

Jesper Bratt on the Avalanche: “Very strong skating team. Really good through the neutral zone and defending. When you make your mistakes in the neutral zone, they’re really good at capitalizing on that with some star players … They’re good at transporting pucks and creating space for each other. That line with Necas and MacKinnon and the D jumping the rush, Makar, Toews, players we need to be aware of when they’re on the ice. It’s a good test for us to play a really good road game.”

--Sam Kasan

THE SCOOP

The New Jersey Devils continue their five-game road trip with a stop in Denver on Wednesday night, coming off a big 5-0 win in Nashville to begin the trip. The game was the second half of a back-to-back coming out of the 4 Nations break, with Jake Allen starting against Dallas and Daws picking up the shutout victory, his first in the NHL, in Nashville.

Jack Hughes took a day off from practice on Tuesday, his first day off the ice since his return from the 4 Nations Face-Off. Curtis Lazar skated in his spot in the lineup during line rushes. No other changes were made at practice, likely indicating the same lineup that won in Nashville will play in Colorado. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom joined the team for this current road trip and, on Tuesday, took part in the whole length of practice. He shared a net with Daws, but this was the first time since his injury that he had stayed out for the entire practice as he inches closer to full health.

The Avalanche are coming off a 3-1 loss to the Blues in St. Louis. With 68 points, they are in the first Wild Card spot in the West, four points behind Minnesota, which currently holds the third spot in the Central Division.

The Avs are led by two of hockey's most dynamic players: forward Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar. Both players were held off the ice on Tuesday, receiving extra rest time after their appearances at the Four Nations Face-Off.

Val Nichushkin could make his return to the lineup for the Avalanche, having not played since Dec. 31. He was on the ice for practice today and is considered an option to return to the lineup against the Devils. He has appeared in just 21 games this season but adds an offensive punch to the Colorado Top-6. He has 17 points (11g-6a) in 21 games played this year.

WHO’S HOT

Devils: Dougie Hamilton has come out of the nearly two-week break of games with four points (1g-3a) in two games. He had a goal and an assist in Nashville and two assists against Dallas. In his last three games, Hamilton has five points.

Avalanche: Cale Makar has six goals and five assists over the past 10 games, including three goals in his past five games.

INJURIES

Devils: Siegenthaler (unknown, IR), Markstrom (MCL, IR)

Avalanche: Mason (day-to-day), Nichushkin (lower-body, IR), Poolman (head, IR)

REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

• Dec. 8, 2024 vs Avalanche, 4-0 L
• Feb. 26, 2025, at Colorado

--Amanda Stein

GAME NOTES

• Timo Meier will play his 600th NHL game.
• Cale Makar became the third-fastest defenseman in the NHL to reach 400 points when he assisted on Devon Toews' goal against St. Louis earlier this week. He is also the first Avalanche defenseman to reach the mark.
• The Avalanche have three former Devils on their current roster: Miles Wood, Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood.