Devils at Panthers
THE STORY: Peter DeBoer returns to the site of his first head coaching job in the NHL as his New Jersey Devils visit the Florida Panthers on Monday. DeBoer was given his initial chance in the league by the Panthers, who hired him on June 13, 2008 - his 40th birthday - before handing him his walking papers April 10. DeBoer was only out of an NHL job for three months before the Devils named him their coach July 19. He has guided New Jersey to six wins in its last eight games and a 3-1-0 record on its five-game road trip that concludes in Florida. The Panthers, who sit atop the Southeast Division, are 1-0-0 on their four-game homestand and have earned at least one point in eight of their last 10 contests (5-2-3).
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New Jersey), FS Florida
ABOUT THE DEVILS (10-7-1): DeBoer is not the only member of the Devils returning to face his former team. Ryan Carter failed to notch a point in seven games with Florida this season before being claimed off waivers by New Jersey on Oct. 26. The 28-year-old, who has two goals and an assist in 11 contests with the Devils, said a victory over the Panthers is more meaningful to DeBoer than to himself. "You want to win the game. You want to win every game, but you've got to understand there are certain teams you want to win against more," he said. "For (DeBoer), I think it's probably a little more important than it is for me."
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (10-6-3): Jose Theodore stopped 39 shots Saturday as Florida kicked off its homestand with a triumph over the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was Theodore's 20th career victory against Pittsburgh, his highest total against any NHL team. The Panthers are 9-0-0 when allowing two goals or less, a feat they've accomplished four times in their last six games. Stephen Weiss has registered six of his 18 points this season over his last three contests.
OVERTIME:
1. The Devils are 6-4-0 on the road this season thanks to four wins in their last five away from home.
2. Florida has gone 2-1-3 in its last six home games, but has lost 20 of 28 in its own building dating back to last season.