Jets at Devils
The New Jersey Devils are slowly moving up the Eastern Conference standings despite a disastrous start and an unfavorable early-season schedule that has seem them tied for the fewest home games in the league. The Devils return from a successful three-game California road trip when they host the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night. Although New Jersey had its four-game win streak snapped in San Jose on Saturday night, it posted impressive overtime wins at Anaheim and Los Angeles.
Getting away from home may not be a bad thing for Winnipeg, which arrives in New Jersey riding a four-game winless drought (0-2-2) - the last three coming at home. It is the opener of a six-game road trip for the Jets, who have gone to a shootout in five of their last seven contests - including a 3-2 home defeat to Minnesota on Saturday night. "It’s gonna be nice to get out on the road, and kind of refocus here, and just try to go in there and get a win," Winnipeg forward Matt Halischuk said.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN, MSG (New York)
ABOUT THE JETS (10-11-4): Winnipeg's injury-riddled defensive corps received a double dose of good news when Mark Stuart was back in the lineup Saturday and 2012 first-round pick Jacob Trouba received clearance on Sunday to return to action after missing 14 games with a neck injury suffered on Oct. 18. The Jets are already missing blue-liners Zach Bogosian and Paul Postma, one reason they are among the league leaders in goals allowed. Offense has also been an issue of late, with top forwards Blake Wheeler and Evander Kane each mired in an 11-game goaless drought.
ABOUT THE DEVILS (9-9-5): Future Hall-of-Famer Martin Brodeur has been one of the biggest reasons behind New Jersey's resurgence, winning five consecutive starts before taking the loss against the Sharks. Brodeur - and the Devils - received a major scare when he was struck in the neck by a puck in the final two minutes Saturday night. "It was more of a kind of electric shock through my body. It was kind of a little numbness everywhere," Brodeur said after the game. "When I got up, I felt fine. I feel fine now. I'm just a little sore in the neck."
OVERTIME
1. The Jets have won three of the last four meetings, including a 3-0 victory in Winnipeg on Oct. 13.
2. Devils RW Jaromir Jagr, who scored four times in the four-game win streak, needs one goal to surpass Mario Lemieux (690) for ninth place on the all-time list. He's also tied with Gordie Howe for the most career game-winning goals (121).
3. Winnipeg's struggling power play - ranked 26th in the league - has converted on 5-of-15 chances in the past five games. It must contend with the league's third-best penalty kill (86.3 percent), however.