NEW JERSEY DEVILS (12-7-2) vs. CAROLINA HURRICANES (13-4-0)

New Jersey host the Carolina Hurricanes in a big divisional matchup. The Hurricanes are on the second half of a back-to-back, winning their game against the Flyers, 4-1, on Wednesday night.

You can watch on MSGSN or listen on the Devils Hockey Network.

Read below for your game preview and pre-game story below. Tonight’s game is presented by Complete Mechanical Solutions.

MORNING SKATE RECAP

NEWARK, NJ – Check back following Devils morning skate at 10:30 a.m.

THE SCOOP

The Devils have taken advantage of their four days off from gameplay with a couple of off days and two hard-working practices. The team is back home after a 2-1-0 trip to Florida, where they twice beat the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers.

Joining into the fold as they resume their schedule are Nolan Foote and Shane Bowers, both were recalled at the beginning of the week, while Justin Dowling and Nick DeSimone also remain with the club. The added additions to the roster will give Sheldon Keefe and his staff the ability to change up their lineup as they see fit, having not had any extra forwards on their recent trip South. At practice on Wednesday Bowers skated alongside Dowling and Tomas Tatar, while Kurtis MacDermid, who had been in that left-wing spot, skated on an extra defensive pairing with DeSimone.

This will be the first time Brett Pesce, who spent the first 10 years of his career in Carolina, will face off against his former club. Pesce had not yet made his season debut the last time the two clubs met, in Carolina, in mid-October.

Jacob Markstrom is sitting on career game 499 and could see the net on Thursday, marking a major milestone in the Swedish netminder’s career.

The Hurricanes sit two points ahead of the Devils after their Wednesday night victory in Philadelphia. Carolina scored three goals in five minutes in the third period to break a 1-1 tie and take a 4-1 lead. Perhaps surprisingly, Martin Necas did not register a point, which ended a run of 13 straight games where the Canes forward found his name on the scoresheet. Necas was on the verge of tying the Canes’ longest-point streak in franchise history but missed the mark by one game. Now-Devil, former Cane Dougie Hamilton is tied for the longest streak at 14 games with Sebastian Aho.

WHO’S HOT

Devils: The Devils have been spreading the wealth lately. Nico Hischier earned his third three-point game (0g-3a) of the season on Nov. 14 vs Florida and owns four assists in the team’s last three games. Jack Hughes has seven points in the past five games (3g-4a), while Jesper Bratt is the owner of the Devils most recent hat trick, scored in Florida against the Panthers on Nov. 14.

Hurricanes: It’s all about Martin Necas for the Carolina Hurricanes. He leads their team in every statistical scoring category with 11 goals, 19 assists, and 30 points. In his past five games, he’s picked up nine points, a combination of four goals and five assists.

INJURIES

Devils: Bastian (jaw, IR), Lazar (knee, IR), Hatakka (shoulder, out indefinitely)

Hurricanes: Jarvis (upper-body, IR), Andersen (lower-body, out), Fast (neck, IR)

REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS

• Oct. 15: Hurricanes 4, Devils 2
• Nov. 20 vs. Carolina
• Dec. 27 vs. Carolina
• Dec. 28 at Carolina

STATS LEADERS

GAME NOTES

• Nico Hischier is averaging 20:22 TOI/GP, while his career-high for a single season is 19:29 ATOI
• Jack Hughes earned career-point 300 on Nov. 12 in Florida. Hughes now has 303 points in 327 games.
• Hughes’ three-point game (3a) in Florida on Nov. 14 was his 30th career game with three or more points to pass Aaron Broten for fifth place all-time in franchise history. His next three-point (or more) game would tie him with Scott Gomez (31) for fourth place, all-time.
• Carolina has conceded the third-fewest goals this season, league-wide, giving up 42 goals in their 18 games played.