THE SCOOP
The Devils continue to defy the odds despite a list of injuries that could fill the chapter in a book. The team is 13-4-1 with 27 points on the season – good for first place in the Eastern Conference. The club is 4-0-1 in the past five games despite missing key figures in Jack Hughes (finger), Brett Pesce (upper-body), Dougie Hamilton (undisclosed) and Cody Glass (upper-body).
New Jersey is in the midst of a five-game road trip. The contest against the Lightning will be the third leg of the trip with the Devils picking wins in the opening two contests at Chicago (4-3 OT) and at Washington (3-2 SO).
On Monday, the team recalled defenseman Ethan Edwards from Utica of the American Hockey League. At practice that day, Hamilton and forwards Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov skated at practice. Their availability is yet to be determined for the game against Tampa. Blueliner Brenden Dillon did not practice but did skate prior and joined the team on the trip.
The Lightning are off to a rocky start the season and are in a dogfight for a Wild Card spot. The Bolts have 20 points on the year (two back of the final WC position). A mere four points separate nine teams vying for Wild Card spots. Tampa Bay is in the midst of a three-game homestand. They opened with a 6-2 loss to Vancouver before facing the Devils.
Despite the rough start, the Lightning are still stacked with talent in players like Jake Guentzel, Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel, Victor Hedman, Brayden Point and Andrei Vasilevskiy. However, the injury bug has also run through Tampa with Hedman, Hagel, Ryan McDonaugh and Anthony Cirelli missing action.
