Maple Leafs at Devils
After coming up empty in California, the New Jersey Devils return to the comforts of home to host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. New Jersey kicked off its four-game road trip in fine fashion, topping Dallas in overtime on Nov. 15, but fizzled on the West Coast as it was outscored 11-4 in losses at Anaheim, Los Angeles and San Jose.
The Devils will be glad to get back on the ice at Prudential Center, where they own a 6-0-1 record and have allowed more than two goals on only two occasions. It has been feast or famine for Toronto's offense lately, and the team is hoping to satisfy its appetite Wednesday after being limited to one goal in each of its last two contests - including Tuesday's home loss to Carolina. The Maple Leafs have produced fewer than two tallies in four of their last eight games and scored six in each of the other four matches. Jake Gardiner has recorded two goals in his last three games and four overall this season, matching the total of the rest of the team's defensemen.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet (Toronto), MSG Plus (New Jersey)
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (8-8-3): The road has not been kind to Toronto this season, as the club is just 1-5-3 away from Air Canada Centre and has registered only one goal in four of its last five games as the visitor while netting two in the lone victory in that span. Leading scorer James van Riemsdyk (eight goals, 17 points) has been kept off the scoresheet in consecutive games for the first time this season after notching four tallies and two assists in his previous two contests. Rookie Auston Matthews, the first overall pick in last June's draft, continues to slump as he has been held to three assists in his last 13 games after collecting 10 points in his first six NHL matches.
ABOUT THE DEVILS (9-6-3): New Jersey hopes to get its 28th-ranked power play in gear after going 0-for-29 over its last nine games. The Devils are just 7-for-59 (11.9 percent) with the man advantage, and three of the goals have been scored by Taylor Hall, who is out as he recovers from knee surgery. The club also could be without Kyle Palmieri, who has tallied once on the power play, as the veteran forward sat out Monday's loss to the Sharks with upper-body soreness.
OVERTIME
1. Devils rookie D Yohann Auvitu (upper body) has missed three straight games and remains day-to-day.
2. Including Wednesday's contest, Toronto plays four of its next five on the road.
3. It is unknown when New Jersey LW Mike Cammalleri will return to the team from a personal issue that has kept him away for the last five games.