Banged-up Devils host Predators before break (Jan 25, 2018)
The NHL's annual All-Star break commences with the completion of Thursday's schedule, and it can't arrive soon enough for the New Jersey Devils.
Beset by a string of injuries recently and bending under the weight of two wins in their last 11 games (2-7-2), the Devils host the surging Nashville Predators Thursday night at the Prudential Center.
Already without leading scorer Taylor Hall (hand), back-up goalie Keith Kinkaid (groin), 12-goal scorer Brian Gibbons (broken thumb) and defenseman Mirco Mueller (fractured clavicle), the Devils (24-15-8) not only lost their third straight game to the Boston Bruins on Tuesday, they also saw starting goaltender Cory Schneider go down with a lower-body injury and veteran winger Marcus Johansson unable to finish the game after taking an elbow to the head from Brad Marchand late in the third period.
The elbow earned Marchand a five-game suspension from the league on Wednesday.
"I thought we played extremely well, but the bottom line is we didn't find a way to tie it up and get it to overtime," Devils captain Andy Greene said after the 3-2 defeat in Boston. "As far as the injuries, they're going to happen.
We can't use it as a crutch, can't use it as an excuse. We have to, to a man, step up."
The Devils did not practice Wednesday, so there was no update on Schneider, Johansson or Hall. Schneider's status is a major concern since not only is he the club's No. 1 netminder, his absence leaves the goaltending chores in the hands of inexperienced rookie Ken Appleby.
"We have confidence in him, we have to," Greene said of Appleby, who stopped all four shots he faced Tuesday after saving all 24 when he relieved Kinkaid in Monday's 3-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
Johansson's injury is also concerning because he missed 13 games earlier this season with a concussion and -- even though the team did not specify his latest injury -- it appeared his head hit the ice following Marchand's illegal hit.
No matter who is in the lineup, the Devils -- who scored only three goals during their losing streak -- need to regroup quickly or risk losing valuable ground in the extremely tight Metropolitan Division standings.
"Maybe (Tuesday) was good enough, but good enough doesn't get you standings points and doesn't get you out of losing streaks," Devils winger Kyle Palmieri said.
That their opponent Thursday has five wins in its last six games and is the defending Western Conference champion makes things that much more difficult for New Jersey. The Predators (28-11-7) come off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but won five straight games before that, all by one goal. It was their second five-game win streak this season.
Despite all the winning, Nashville still is in a tight race in the Central Division, sitting in second place.
"You win a game, and you seem not to move at all," Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis said to The Tennessean. "You lose a game, and you take three steps backwards."
The Central has four teams already with more than 60 points. Five points separate first place and fourth, making each game the Predators play an important one.
"I think every team in our division is playing good right now," Predators winger Viktor Arvidsson told The Tennessean. "Every point is really important. We want to win the division to get a good spot in the playoffs, so we've got to fight for every point."
Heading into play Wednesday, Nashville had the league's third-best power play and the fifth-best team defense. All-Star defenseman P.K. Subban leads all NHL blueliners with 11 goals and ranks fourth with 35 points. With a goal Tuesday, Subban has seven goals and 17 points since Dec. 13, a span of 17 games.
Subban will be joined at the All-Star festivities this weekend by Predators goalie Pekka Rinne, and coach Peter Laviolette is the bench boss for the Central Division team.
"I'm just excited to represent our team again," said Subban, who captains the Central squad in Tampa. "The Predators have given me so much opportunity since coming here, and I'm just happy to make the most of it."
The Devils have one All-Star representative, Hall, who has a team-high 48 points. However, he missed the previous two games because of injury and it's in question whether he can play Thursday against Nashville or take part in this weekend's fun in Tampa.
