Penguins at Devils
The Pittsburgh Penguins were sitting pretty with victories in three in a row to all but clinch home-ice advantage for their upcoming first-round playoff series before the complexion changed in a hurry. One day after announcing offensive-minded defenseman Kris Letang will miss the upcoming postseason with a neck injury, the Penguins will look to regain their composure and complete a five-game regular-season sweep of the New Jersey Devils on Thursday when they visit the Prudential Center.
"Right now it's hard to swallow. It was not expected. Like I've done in the past, I'm going to put my energy into getting better," said Letang, who is expected to be sidelined four-to-six months following surgery for a herniated disk in his neck. The 29-year-old played an integral role in helping Pittsburgh to the Stanley Cup title last season, collecting three goals and 12 assists while averaging a club-best 28:53 of ice time. While Pittsburgh's top-ranked offense came to play to help the club build a three-point lead over Columbus with a 4-1 triumph over the Blue Jackets on Tuesday, cellar-dwelling New Jersey is sputtering along at the other end of the spectrum with just nine goals in its last seven contests to see its NHL third-worst goal total dip to 2.2 per contest. Taylor Hall took over the club lead in points (52) by recording his team-best 33rd assist on defenseman John Moore's overtime goal in the Devils' 1-0 triumph over Philadelphia on Tuesday.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), SN360, MSG-Plus (New Jersey)
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (49-19-11): Jake Guentzel hasn't missed a beat since returning a four-game absence due to a concussion, scoring in three straight contests and adding an assist for his second three-game point streak of the season. The 22-year-old Guentzel, who had made a smooth transition from the American Hockey League with 42 points in 33 contests, has scored in both Pittsburgh's 4-3 shootout win over New Jersey on Nov. 26 as well as a 6-4 slugfest with the Devils on March 17. Fellow rookie Matt Murray started both of those contests and has turned aside 101 of 107 shots for a .944 save percentage during his current three-game winning streak.
ABOUT THE DEVILS (28-37-14): Keith Kinkaid is giving New Jersey food for thought as the impending unrestricted free agent completes a one-year, $725,000 deal. "It's a real important decision for us, Keith's position," coach John Hynes told NorthJersey.com. "We, and he, want to make the right decision." Kinkaid has yielded just 16 goals in his last eight outings, highlighted a 35-save performance against the Flyers as he extended his career high in starts to 22. Kinkaid has been under the gun in a pair of meetings with Pittsburgh, recording a season-high 46 shots in the November tilt while making 37 saves in the most recent encounter.
OVERTIME
1. Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby (NHL-best 43 goals) has collected eight points (five goals, three assists) in four meetings with New Jersey.
2. The Devils are just 1-for-18 on the power play in their last six games.
3. The Penguins are one victory shy of reaching the 50-win mark for the fourth time in team history and first since 2013-14.