(SportsNetwork.com) – The New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins will both
try to build off recent wins when the Metropolitan Division rivals meet in
Tuesday’s battle in the Steel City.
The Devils halted a four-game slide their last time out, edging Ottawa on
Saturday to begin a brief two-game road trip. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, won for
the first time in three games with Saturday’s 3-0 victory in Nashville.
New Jersey has earned a point in three straight tilts, going past regulation
in each of those contests. The Devils dropped a shootout decision Friday
against the visiting Dallas Stars before rebounding with an OT victory the
following night in Canada’s capital city.
Saturday’s game was the first for the Senators following the tragic shooting
of a Canadian soldier in downtown Ottawa on Wednesday. A moment of silence was
held for the victim prior to the national anthems, with both teams circling
members of the Canadian Armed Forces at center ice.
The touching tribute was followed by a hard-fought game that ended with a
game-winning marker from ageless wonder Jaromir Jagr. The 42-year-old Jagr
scored on the power play with 1:21 left in overtime to send the Devils past
the Senators, 3-2.
Damon Severson also scored a goal for the Devils and assisted on Marek
Zidlicky’s tally. Cory Schneider, one day after losing in a shootout against
the Stars, made 33 saves in the victory.
“The extra point can mean a lot,” Schneider said. “It’s important to get.”
The Devils could play tonight without forwards Mike Cammalleri and Martin
Havlat. Cammalleri missed practice Monday with an upper-body injury and is
questionable for tonight. Havlat is on injured reserve with an undisclosed
injury and he expects to sit out Tuesday.
After dropping consecutive tilts against Philadelphia and Detroit, the
Penguins rebounded with Saturday’s shutout victory in the Music City. The 3-0
triumph marked the first game between Pittsburgh and Nashville since the Pens
traded winger James Neal to the Predators during the offseason.
Sidney Crosby scored his fifth goal of the season and Marc-Andre Fleury was
stellar in net, stopping all 25 shots sent his way by Nashville. Two of the
shots came off the stick of Neal, who was dealt to the Preds in exchange for
forwards Patric Hornqvist and Nick Spaling.
Crosby’s first-period tally was all Pittsburgh needed, but Evgeni Malkin and
Pascal Dupuis added insurance goals for the Penguins. Hornqvist posted an
assist in the win and has four goals and five helpers in seven games with the
Pens this season.
“For the most part we did a good job, got into lanes when we needed to,”
Crosby said.
Pittsburgh is beginning a three-game homestand tonight and is 2-2-0 at Consol
Energy Center this season.
Tuesday’s tilt is the first of five meetings between the Pens and Devils this
season. The clubs split four encounters in 2013-14, but New Jersey has claimed
two of three and five of the past seven matchups. Pittsburgh, however, has won
two straight, four of five and eight of the last 10 meetings in the Steel
City.
