Devils Aim for Record 14th Straight Versus Leafs | PREVIEW

The Devils meet the Toronto Maple Leafs at Prudential Center, looking for their 14th straight win which would be a new franchise record.

With another sellout crowd expected, fans who have tickets for the game are encouraged to arrive early to ensure smooth entry into the building.

You can watch the game on MSG and MSGSN 2 or listen on the Devils Hockey Network. 

Read the game preview below and check back following morning skate for lineup updates, videos, our Pre-Game Story and more. 

Video: One More Time | Devils Minute

NEWARK, NJ. – Tonight, the Devils have a chance to do what the team has never done in 40 years of existence: win its 14th consecutive game. 

MSG’s Matt Loughlin prior to game 13 spoke with the Devils’ number 13 Nico Hischier so before a potential game 14, he spoke with number 14, Nate Bastian. 

“If there’s any team in the league I want to beat, it’s these guys so 14 would be nice,” laughed Bastian. “I’m not a superstitious guy, I just ended up with the number in junior and was able to get it again.”

The team made some adjustments on Monday against the Oilers with the lineup and those adjustments look to be staying tonight based on morning skate lines: 

Tatar – Hischier – MercerHaula – Hughes – BrattSharangovich – Boqvist – ZetterlundWood – McLeod – Bastian

Siegenthaler – HamiltonGraves – MarinoSmith – Severson

Coach Ruff also confirmed Vitek Vanecek as the starter in goal tonight. 

“I play the same way,” Fabian Zetterlund said of whether he’s on the top line or with Yegor Sharangovich and Jesper Boqvist like he is tonight. “Playing with Boqvist and Sharangovich is nice for me too, I played with those guys before. It’s nothing new. I like to play with those guys.”

Ruff talked about his adjustments and his thought process behind it. 

“There’s been a lot of line changes along the way based on gut feelings of who is going well or someone isn’t having a great night, not a lot of chemistry on the line or maybe I want to load up and play a line more than the other line. We’ve been predominantly trying to use all four lines. To shake things up, either we’re not doing well enough or maybe we can do better,” he said, adding that he and his coaching staff are consistently looking for ways to improve the club, even in the midst of this record run. 

“Areas we can get better from game to game. Whether trying to improve our first periods, our breakouts. A few games ago, I thought our O-zone play was getting perimeter so we tried to fix that,” Ruff continued. 

“Special teams, getting off to a better start. There’s always things you can work on.”

DEVILS (16-3-0) vs. MAPLE LEAFS (10-5-5)

TV: 7:00 p.m. ET; Televised on MSG and MSGSN 2

Head-to-Head

This is the second of three meetings this season between the Devils and Leafs. 

Last week, the Devils won 3-2 in overtime in Toronto. The Leafs tied the game late on a goal by William Nylander but Yegor Shrangovich scored 57 seconds into the extra frame to give New Jersey its 11th straight win. 

The two sides will next meet on March 7 at Prudential Center. 

Devils team scope:

The Devils have now won 16 of 17 games as they continue their epic run. They’re eight points clear of the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Metropolitan Division (by comparison, only nine points separates the Hurricanes from last place Columbus in the division). The Devils are also only two points behind Boston for top spot in the entire NHL. 

Jesper Bratt continues to lead the Devils with 24 points (8 goals), Nico Hischier is second on the club with 22 points and leads the team with nine goals. Hischier’s career high in goals is 21 but with nine in 18 games, he’s on pace for over 40. 

Maple Leafs team scope:

Toronto has picked up at least a point in five straight games heading into tonight. A 4-2 loss to the Penguins is their only game where they haven’t picked up a point through the entire month of November, with a record of 6-1-3. 

The Leafs are a bit banged up, particularly on the blueline. Jake Muzzin’s spinal injury early in the season and T.J. Brodie’s oblique already had the club down two of its top-four defenders but on Monday against the Islanders, their number-one defenseman Morgan Rielly went down with a long-term knee injury forcing the team to scramble for blueline bodies. 

Mitch Marner leads the Leafs in points with 23 through 20 games. John Tavares tops the club in goals with 11. The Leafs will miss Rielly’s contribution from the point as he had 16 points — all assists through the team’s first 20 contests. 

By the numbers:

Only 10 other teams in NHL history have won 13 consecutive games or more, including the Devils who did it during the 2000-01 season. Most recently, the Florida Panthers won 13 in a row last season. If the Devils can win tonight, they would reach even more elite company as only six teams have ever won 14+. The most recent team to do that was the 2016-17 Columbus Blue Jackets, who went on to win 16 in a row. The NHL record for most consecutive wins were the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins who won 17 in a row only to have it broken by the Devils in a 6-6 tie. 

The Devils have four players in the NHL’s top five in plus/minus. Jonas Siegenthaler (+19) is second, Ryan Graves (+17) is third, Tomas Tatar (+16) is fourth and Hischier (+15) is fifth. 

Injury Updates:

Devils

Jonathan Bernier (Hip – IR)Ondrej Palat (Groin – IR)Mackenzie Blackwood (Sprained MCL – 3 to 6 Weeks)

Maple Leafs

Morgan Rielly (Knee – IR)T.J. Brodie (Oblique – IR)Ilya Samsonov (Knee – IR)Jake Muzzin (Neck – IR)Carl Dahlstrom (Shoulder – IR)