Panthers at Devils
THE STORY: Martin Brodeur will be back in net when the New Jersey Devils host the Florida Panthers on Saturday in a matchup of Eastern Conference contenders. An ankle injury forced Brodeur to sit out Thursday's 4-3 home shootout loss to St. Louis that snapped the Devils' five-game winning streak. Florida, which is tied with the Washington Capitals atop the Southeast Division, is looking to reverse its road woes after dropping 10 of the last 11 (1-6-4) away from home.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FSFL, MSG+
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (25-17-11): Florida halted a two-game skid with a 3-1 home win over Los Angeles on Thursday. Backup G Scott Clemmensen, who made his seventh straight start, has won three straight decisions with a 2.36 goals-against average lifetime against New Jersey. Starter Jose Theodore (knee) dressed Thursday for the first time since before the All-Star break and is expected to play this weekend. Theodore has made just two starts since Dec. 31, losing both. He’s had trouble against the Devils in his career, logging an 8-14-3 record.
ABOUT THE DEVILS (31-19-4): Despite a rare shootout loss – only the third in 12 games this season – New Jersey has collected points in seven straight games (5-0-2). Brodeur has won a season-high four straight starts. He allowed eight goals in the first three, but he blanked the New York Rangers 1-0 on Tuesday for his first shutout of the season. Captain Zach Parise has nine points and C Patrik Elias has eight during seven-game point streaks. Parise has six goals in as many games.
OVERTIME:
1. The first goal usually determines the fate of the Panthers. They are 18-1-6 when scoring first. Since Dec. 8, they have one win when an opponent nets the first goal.
2. New Jersey’s Ilya Kovalchuk has amassed 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in his last five games.