The playoff-bound New Jersey Devils visit the Boston Bruins in their road finale Tuesday, which is also the front end of a back-to-back to conclude the regular season.
New Jersey (41-32-7, 89 points) is looking to break out of a three-game losing streak and find its game before the start of the playoffs. The skid began with a 7-2 home loss to Boston last Tuesday.
The Devils have been outscored 12-4 over the past three games after absorbing a narrow 1-0 setback Sunday to the New York Islanders. It was their seventh shutout loss of the season.
“You want to feel good rolling into the playoffs and not losing games,” Devils forward Erik Haula said. “First and foremost, we have two games left. We have to get in the win column and feel good heading into the playoffs.”
Coach Sheldon Keefe’s Devils enter their final two playoff tuneups with the No. 3 standing in the Metropolitan Division and a first-round playoff date against the Carolina Hurricanes already secured.
Not only will New Jersey be looking to maintain a healthy lineup through Wednesday, and a final home contest against the Detroit Red Wings, they will try to dial up a playoff intensity.
“You play the game to win,” New Jersey defenseman Luke Hughes said. “Even if the points don’t matter, you play the game to win and you play the full 60. Obviously, I’m disappointed (with Sunday). We played hard. Pucks just didn’t go our way. We just have to keep going and bring our A-game next game.”
Goaltender Jacob Markstrom made several high-danger and breakaway stops among his 21 saves. His continued dexterity was welcome after he missed 11 games due to a knee injury sustained Jan. 22 against the Bruins.
“Marky was really solid, though not tested a great deal,” Keefe said. “He was really solid, which is a positive.”
Playing its final game of the season, Boston (33-39-9, 75 points) looks to gain a fourth win in six games to give itself an opportunity to climb out of the Eastern Conference basement.
The Bruins’ lineup has featured many newcomers, especially since the March trade deadline. Two more rookies, forward John Farinacci and defenseman Frederic Brunet, were recalled from AHL Providence on an emergency basis Monday.
“One game is probably hard (to judge), but I still think it’s an eye-opening experience for all the players that come in at this point,” Bruins interim coach Joe Sacco said. “They get to see NHL pace, NHL players, things they’ve maybe only seen in the preseason.”
Devils forward Marc McLaughlin, a Massachusetts native who was a deadline acquisition from the Bruins, got a Monday call up from AHL Utica and could face his former team.
The Bruins are coming off a 4-1 road win Sunday over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Fabian Lysell’s first NHL goal was the game-winner, while Morgan Geekie scored for a career-high fifth straight game and has a 10-game point streak.
Team-leading scorer David Pastrnak has points in nine straight games, with eight goals in the stretch.
“I already knew he was a special player, but seeing it first-hand just confirms it even more,” Lysell said of Pastrnak. “Tremendous hockey sense, obviously his shot, everything is elite, so it’s cool to see.”
While the performance of those veterans has been constant this season, Sacco’s future behind the bench becomes uncertain after Tuesday. He hopes his team can put forth one more strong effort.
“You just look back at the journey (to) where we’re at as a group, there’s been a lot of changes going on throughout the year,” Sacco said. “I’m just going to try, as the coach, to take it all in and enjoy the last game. … We’ve played some good games lately, which has been nice to see.”
–Field Level Media
