Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins @ New Jersey Devils

Game Time: 7:00pm/ET
From: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Penguins Record: 24-21-4 (10th in Eastern Conference)
Devils Record: 31-15-3 (2nd in Eastern Conference)
Last Meeting:
December 26th, 2008 @ New Jersey (1-0 Penguins)

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS LINE COMBINATIONS:
Pascal Dupuis - Sidney Crosby - Evgeni Malkin
Chris Minard - Jordan Staal - Petr Sykora
Tyler Kennedy - Maxime Talbot - Miroslav Satan
Eric Godard - Bill Thomas - Paul Bissonnette

Rob Scuderi - Ryan Whitney
Mark Eaton - Kris Letang
Brooks Opik - Phillipe Boucher

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS PROBABLE GOALTENDER:
Marc-Andre Fleury (16-12-2 / 2.78 GAA / .911 SV%)

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS INJURIES:
Sergei Gonchar (left shoulder surgery) - on injured reserve
Mike Zigomanis (shoulder) - on injured reserve
Ruslan Fedotenko (broken right hand) - on injured reserve

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS LEADERS:
GOALS: Evgeni Malkin (19)
ASSISTS: Evgeni Malkin (52)
POINTS: Evgeni Malkin (71)
+/-: Evgeni Malkin (+15)

NEW JERSEY DEVILS LINE COMBINATIONS:
Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Jamie Langenbrunner
Patrik Elias - Dainius Zubrus - Brian Gionta
Brian Rolston - John Madden - David Clarkson
Brendan Shanahan - Bobby Holik - Mike Rupp

Paul Martin - Johnny Oduya
Colin White - Mike Mottau
Bryce Salvador - Andy Greene

NEW JERSEY DEVILS PROBABLE GOALTENDER:
Scott Clemmensen (21-9-1 / 2.27 GAA / .922 SV%)

NEW JERSEY DEVILS INJURIES:
Martin Brodeur (left elbow/biceps surgery) - on injured reserve

NEW JERSEY DEVILS LEADERS:
GOALS: Zach Parise (29)
ASSISTS: Patrik Elias (34)
POINTS: Zach Parise (57)
+/-: Travis Zajac (+24)

Once again the Pittsburgh Penguins will have to perform at their best. The New Jersey Devils have won their last seven games and they sit at the top of the Atlantic Division. They forechek aggressively and they don't allow many goals.

Ironically, it's the Penguins that will need to play the trap tonight in order to win.

When Martin Brodeur went down with an injury I thought the Devils' season was over. But they have learned to win without him, which is very scary.

The Penguins shut out the Devils in December, and they will need that same sort of defensive effort tonight.

Brooks Orpik returns to the Penguins blue line. Hal Gill and Alex Goligoski will be scratched. I don't understand the scratching of Goligoski and I don't understand the dressing of Phillipe Boucher.

The Penguins exploded for 5 goals in the third period against the Rangers and Marc-Andre Fleury played a very solid game. He was especially good in the second period and he kept the Penguins in the game. They will need the same sort of effort for 60 minutes tonight.

Prediction: 2-1 Penguins