Devils Host Defending Cup Champ Knights | PREVIEW

New Jersey hosts the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights at Prudential Center Monday night. Puck drop is 7:08 p.m. ET. 

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

Read below for your game preview and pre-game story below.

PRE-GAME STORY

NEWARK, NJ - The Devils held a full morning skate ahead of facing the Vegas Golden Knights. Defenseman Colin Miller was the only player missing from the skate.  

“Colin Miller is sick and won’t be able to play,” head coach Lindy Ruff said.

The team used the following workflow…

Meier – Hischier – Bratt
Toffoli – McLeod – Mercer
Lazar – Haula – Bastian
Willman – Tierney – Hotlz

Bahl – Nemec
Hughes – Marino
Hatakka – Foote

Vanecek starter’s end.

Hakuna Hatakka

With Miller unable to play, defenseman Santeri Hatakka is expected to make his Devils’ debut against Vegas. He was paired with Cal Foote at morning skate rushes.

“Do my job, compete hard,” Hatakka said of his goal in the debut.

“We understand it’s Hatakka’s first game with us, but I thought his last preseason game was a really good example of how he can help our hockey club,” Ruff said. “I think Foote and Hatakka are both strong, physical guys. I think it’s making sure you get back and are making the right play when we’re breaking pucks out.”

Hatakka and Foote both started the season with Utica of the American Hockey League. The duo has been paired together a lot this season in the AHL, and it should help with the transition to the NHL.

“We played a lot together this year,” Hatakka said. “We know each other pretty well on and off the ice. I think it helps when we have that experience together.

“We’re a pretty stable pair,” Hatakka added. “Cal has more experience in the NHL. He’s more stay at home, move the puck well and support me in the battles. I can bring fast skating to our game.”

Bass Pro Shop

The Devils made a change to their top power play unit. The club inserted forward Nathan Bastian at the net-front. He worked with Luke Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier and Nico Hischier.

“We’re looking for a net-front and he’s been a good net-front guy,” Ruff said. “We want to start shooting the puck more and when you start shooting the puck more, and I think when you start shooting it more you want a guy that’s on top of the goalie. And he’s been good at it.

“He’s been really good at puck retrievals. When you watch power plays he’s on, he’s an over 90-percent guy to get the puck back and we get to keep the puck in the zone.”

Grind

The Devils will have played five games in eight days at the conclusion of tonight’s game. With that type of workload, it’s not surprising some of the team’s younger defense corps have struggled at times.

“I think our young D are not accustomed to the amount of games you have to plays in this league,” Ruff said. “It is a hard grind. You have to decide at what point you use your energy.

“Luke and Simon (Nemec) have never been through this grind. This is their first time in the grind. You ‘ve got to be a guy to evaluate where you’re going to pour all your energy into. That takes experience. It takes living with some plays. A couple tough ones the other night. But you have to learn from it and move forward and you’ll be a better player for it.”

PREVIEW

DEVILS (23-18-3) vs. GOLDEN KNIGHTS (27-14-5)

Head-to-Head

The Devils will face the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights for the first time this season. Last year, The teams split the two-game series with each winning at home. The Devils won in overtime, 3-2, Jan. 24. The Knights were victors, 4-3, in a shootout on March 3.

Dougie Hamilton led the Devils in scoring with two goals and three points. One of his goals was the overtime winner. Jesper Bratt (1g-2a) and Jack Hughes (3a) also had three points. Goalie Vitek Vanecek won that home contest after stopping 28 of 30 shots.

Jonathan Marchessault led the Knights in the series with two goals and four points. Jack Eichel (1g-1a) and Ivan Barbashev (2a) each had two points.

Devils Team Scope:

The Devils continue to be hobbled by a severe rash of injuries that has sidelined Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, Ondrej Palat and more.

Since Hughes was knocked out of the lineup with an upper-body injury, the Devils are 2-4-1. That includes a 6-2 setback to Dallas on Saturday night. As of Sunday, the Devils hold the fourth slot in the Wild Card chase with 49 points. They are two points behind Detroit, 51, for the second WC and final playoff position.

Jesper Bratt leads the Devils with 47 points. Bratt is tied for the team lead with Tyler Toffoli (17) and assists with Jack Hughes (30). Despite missing the past seven games, Hughes is still second on the team in scoring with 45 points. Toffoli clocks in at third with 30 points. Rookie defenseman Luke Hughes leads the defensive corps with eight goals, 16 assists and 24 points.

The Devils have been riding goaltender Nico Daws, starting in four of the team’s last five contests.

Golden Knights Team Scope:

The defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights are still one of the most formidable teams in the NHL. The club currently holds the second spot in the Pacific Division with 59 points, seven behind Vancouver.

Vegas begins a four-game East Coast swing this week, staring in New Jersey, heading into the All-Star break and bye week. The Knights will also face the NY Islanders, NY Rangers and Detroit on the trip. Vegas won three straight heading into the contest, including a three-goal third-period rally to defeat Pittsburgh, 3-2.

Vegas has been dealing with a rash of injuries of their own with 10 players out of the lineup. The team has still won four of its last five.

Mark Stone leads the Knights with 32 assists and 47 points. Jonathan Marchessault has a team-best 20 goals, followed by Jack Eichel’s 19.

By the Numbers:

Bratt is one of 15 players with five game-winning goals. His career high is six, set in 2021-22.

L.Hughes’ 24 points are second most by a rookie blueliner in the NHL (B.Faber, 25).

Alexander Holtz has three goals in his last five games.

Mark Stone has a five-game scoring streak for eight points.

Marchessault has a three-game goal-scoring streak.

Injuries:

Devils

Hamilton (pectoral muscle - IR)
Nosek (foot - IR)
Palat (lower body)
Smith (sprained knee - IR)
J. Hughes (upper-body - week-to-week)
Siegenthaler (broken foot - IR)

Golden Knights

Lehner (hip, IR)
Patera (undisclosed)
Carrier (upper-body, IR)
Amadio (upper-body, IR)
Karlsson (lower-body, IR)
Theodore (upper-body, IR)
Eichel (knee, IR)
Hutton (upper-body, IR)
Hill (undisclosed, IR)
Bjornfot (undisclosed, IR)