New Jersey Devils News

Pesce was activated from IR on Saturday but was a healthy scratch for Sunday’s game. In total, he has sat out for the last nine games but returns tonight with two goals, one assist and 27 shots in 17 games this season.

Meier has missed the last three games with an undisclosed injury but will play tonight vs. the Hurricanes. Meier will skate on a line with Joe Thornton and Marcus Sorensen and re-enters the lineup with 13 goals and 10 assists (23 points) in 25 games.

Allen allowed two goals on 29 shots in the Blues win in Colorado last Friday. Dating back to early-November, Allen has gone 3-5-0 with a 2.52 GAA and .918 SV% in eight starts and one relief appearance. Tonight he faces an Oilers team that is 4-2-1 while averaging just 2.00 goals per game under Ken Hitchcock.

Meier has missed the last three games but skated with Joe Thornton and Marcus Sorensen in Tuesday’s practice, suggesting he’ll be back on Wednesday. Monitor his status when the Sharks hit the ice for tomorrow’s morning skate.

Mantha broke his had in a fight with Patrik Nemeth on Sunday and will miss at least one month. With Mantha out, Gustav Nyquist will move to the top-line on Tuesday and Luke Witkowski will dress as a seventh defenseman.

Rittich surrendered four goals on 28 shots in the Flames loss to the Stars last Wednesday. Rittich has lost two straight starts but finished November at 5-1-1 with a 2.30 GAA, .911 SV% and one shutout. Tonight he will take on a Blue Jackets team that has won eight of their last 12 (8-3-1) contests.

Hellebuyck gave up three goals on 19 shots in the Jets win in New York on Sunday. Hellebuyck has really struggled as of late, allowing at least three goals in six straight games—in total he has given up a combined 21 goals on 152 shots (.862 SV%). To make matters worse, Hellebuyck comes into Tuesday at 4-4-0 with a 3.16 GAA and .903 SV% on the road this year.

Mantha will miss Tuesday’s game against the Lightning with an undisclosed injury but GM Ken Holland said the winger could possibly be out long-term. Mantha will be re-evaluated later in the day and the Red Wings should provide more details on the nature of the injury. With Mantha out, rookie Michael Rasmussen could take on an expanded role but this injury is devastating for a Red Wings team that was playing better than most people expected.

Bratt missed the Devils morning skate on Monday and is listed as a game-time decision for tonight's game vs. the Lightning. Stefan Noesen skated in Bratt's spot on the second line, so look for him to get top-6 minutes tonight if Bratt is unavailable.

Pesce has missed the last eight games with a lower-body injury but is expected to play Sunday in Los Angeles. Pesce has just two goals and one assist in 17 games this season.

Noesen was in the lineup for the last two games, scoring his second goal of the season on Sunday. Noesen will come out of the lineup to allow Michael McLeod to make his NHL debut.

Hellebuyck allowed four goals on 30 shots in the Jets loss to the Penguins on Tuesday. Hellebuyck has hit another rough patch, losing three in a row while allowing a combined 10 goals on 77 shots (.870 SV%). The 25-year-old has a solid chance to get back in the win column against a Blackhawks team that has lost three of their last four.

Rittich allowed two goals on 28 shots in the Flames 2-0 loss in Vegas last Friday. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for Rittich, who is 6-1-0 with a 1.86 GAA, .928 SV% and one shutout in his last seven outings. Despite a strong start from Mike Smith in their last game, Rittich has clearly taken over as the Flames No.1 netminder. The Stars come in on the tail-end of a back-to-back having lost four of their last five games (1-3-1).

Allen stopped nine of 11 shots after replacing Chad Johnson in the Blues 8-4 loss to the Jets on Saturday. Allen has had some struggles this season but has been much better as of late. In his last five starts, Allen has gone 2-3-0 despite posting an impressive 1.62 GAA and .942 SV%. Detroit caught fire for a bit but come into Wednesday having lost three in a row.