Devils Gameday Preview: Bounce Back Game Against the Mammoth

The New Jersey Devils are returning home to Prudential Center to begin a three-game home-stand. Following a tough 6-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Saturday night, New Jersey will look to bounce back when they host the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday night.

Utah enters the matchup after a 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers on Sunday. The defeat came in the second half of a back-to-back, after the Mammoth picked up a win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.

Devils Storylines

For the Devils, Tuesday night presents an important early-season opportunity to respond and establish a different standard moving forward. After the disappointing shutout loss to a key divisional opponent, New Jersey will be looking for a much stronger offensive showing. The team needs to find a way to generate consistent pressure, create quality scoring chances, and translate its opportunities into goals.

One of the biggest storylines to watch is Nico Hischier‘s pursuit of his 200th career NHL goal. The Devils captain will be looking to reach the milestone, and a strong performance from him could provide the spark this group desperately needs. His leadership and offensive production will be particularly important as New Jersey looks to regain its confidence and build some momentum.

The top line, featuring Hischier, Timo Meier, and Luke Evangelista, will also be worth monitoring. As they continue to work at establishing chemistry and developing consistency, finding a way to get on the scoresheet will be a priority. Their ability to generate offense and create opportunities could play a significant role in determining the outcome. With the Devils searching for answers after Saturday’s performance, this is an opportunity for their top players to set the tone.

Special teams remain another major storyline heading into Tuesday’s matchup. New Jersey is currently 0-for-9 on the power play, and the inability to capitalize on the man advantage is becoming an area of concern. The Devils need to find a way to generate more dangerous opportunities with the extra skater and take advantage of the chances presented to them. A power-play goal could be exactly what this group needs to get its confidence back.

Tuesday will also mark the Devils’ debut of Jesper Boqvist. It has been three seasons since Boqvist last suited up in black and red, but he will officially make his return to the lineup against the Islanders after being a healthy scratch in the first two games. Boqvist is expected to slot onto the fourth line alongside Amadeus Lombardi and Cody Glass. 

Ultimately, Tuesday is about more than simply putting Saturday’s loss behind them. The Devils need to demonstrate that they can respond to adversity, play with urgency, and avoid allowing one disappointing performance to carry over into the rest of the week. A complete effort, particularly from their top offensive players and special teams units, would be an important step in the right direction, and the most crucial storyline of all to watch.

Team Stats

New Jersey Devils

Season Record: 1-1-0

Goalie Stats:

Jake Allen: 1-0-0, 1.89 goals-against average (GAA), .920 save percentage (SV%)

Nico Daws: 0-1-0, 6.01 GAA, .813 SV%

Utah Mammoth

Season Record: 2-1-0

Goalie Stats:

Karel Vejmelka: 1-1-0, 1.52 GAA, .917 SV%

Sebastian Cossa: 1-0-0, 1.00 GAA, .947 SV%

Projected Lineup

(Subject to change before puck drop)

New Jersey Devils

• Timo Meier — Nico Hischier — Luke Evangelista
• Anthony Mantha — Jack Hughes — Jesper Bratt
• Arseny Gritsyuk — Evan Rodrigues — Dawson Mercer
• Amadeus Lombardi — Cody Glass — Jesper Boqvist

• Luke Hughes — Brett Pesce
• Jonas Siegenthaler — Dougie Hamilton
• Brenden Dillon — Declan Chisholm

• Jake Allen
• Nico Daws

Scratched: Stefan Noesen, Remi Poirier

Injured: Johnathan Kovacevic, Connor Brown

Utah Mammoth

• Clayton Keller — Nick Schmaltz — Vincent Trocheck
• Anders Lee — Logan Cooley — Dylan Guenther
• Jack McBain — Barrett Hayton — Lawson Crouse
• Michael Carcone — Kevin Stenlund — Daniil But

• Mikhail Sergachev — Mackenzie Weegar
• Nate Schmidt — John Marino
• Dimitri Simashev — Andrew Peeke

• Karel Vejmelka
• Sebastian Cossa

Scratched: Nick DeSimone, Liam O’Brien, Kailer Yamamoto

Injured: Maveric Lamoureux

Next Up for the Devils

After Tuesday’s matchup, the Devils will then face the Vancouver Canucks in a 3:30 PM matinee matchup on Saturday, followed by a 7:00 PM faceoff against the Ottawa Senators on Monday, Oct. 12.