New Jersey Devils backup goaltender Keith Kinkaid will get his third start of the season in the opener of a home-and-home series; starter Cory Schneider is likely to play Saturday in Newark. Kinkaid is 1-0-1 with a 1.98 goals-against average and .937 save percentage in two starts this season. New Jersey is coming off a home-and-home sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes, winning 4-1 in Raleigh on Sunday and 3-2 in a shootout at Prudential Center on Tuesday. The combination of left wing Taylor Hall and center Travis Zajac has developed good chemistry. "[Hall] drives the play 5-on-5," coach John Hynes said. "I think if you take the special-teams element out of it and what he brings, he's one of the fastest players on the ice, he's extremely competitive, he's strong, he pushes the pace; whoever is on the ice with him, he pushes the pace speed-wise; that in turn helps our team want to play at that level also." Hall, acquired from the Edmonton Oilers on June 29, is pleased at how well he and Zajac have fit together. "I think [Zajac]'s been a guy that I've been really surprised at how he plays," he said. "He's a guy that plays a lot harder than I previously thought and he's been a great fit for the line that I've been playing on. He's so responsible defensively and he's always looking to make plays on offense. It's been a lot of fun." Hall, Zajac and defenseman Damon Severson share the team lead with nine points in 12 games.
