Devils Look to Rebound Against Flyers
The New Jersey Devils are struggling with both injuries and inconsistency, putting them closer to a wild-card spot than the top of the Metropolitan Division. They hope to turn things around Wednesday night when they host the Philadelphia Flyers in Newark, N.J.
New Jersey is playing its third game since losing goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who sustained a sprained MCL in last week’s 5-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Captain Nico Hischier, the team’s leading scorer with 24 goals, also missed Monday’s 4-2 loss to the Flyers after suffering a cross-check from Montreal’s Nick Suzuki in Saturday’s overtime victory. Hischier’s status remains uncertain.
The Devils have struggled over their past 14 games, going 4-7-3. They previously held a three-point lead in the division but have since dropped to third place, now trailing the Washington Capitals, who have two games in hand.
Without Hischier on Monday, the Devils fell behind 3-0 before goals from Dougie Hamilton and Timo Meier narrowed the gap. However, they went 0-for-3 on the power play and have been held to two or fewer goals nine times since Dec. 27.
Jesper Bratt noted the team lacked sharpness, saying, “We knew what kind of game it would be. Playing against Philly, we needed to embrace that challenge, but instead, we played too cute with the puck and fed into their offense.”
Flyers Aim for Another Win
Philadelphia is looking for its third victory over the Devils this season and has been in strong form, going 6-2-1 over its past nine games. The Flyers had earned points in six straight (5-0-1) before back-to-back losses to the New York Rangers and New York Islanders, where they were outscored 9-2 despite generating 64 shots on goal.
On Monday, the Flyers bounced back with a four-goal performance. Bobby Brink and Joel Farabee scored within 28 seconds of each other, while Garnet Hathaway added another early in the second period.
“It’s never easy facing the same team twice in a week,” Farabee said. “We knew they were dealing with injuries and a backup goalie, so we had to take advantage.”
Scott Laughton, returning after missing three games due to a personal matter, contributed a goal and an assist. Goaltender Samuel Ersson continued his solid play, making 31 saves. Over his past 10 appearances, Ersson has posted an 8-2-0 record with a 1.96 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.
Philadelphia played without captain Sean Couturier, who was sidelined due to illness, and his status for Wednesday remains uncertain.
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