Palat is dealing with an apparent bug and his status is up in the air for Thursday's contest against the Los Angeles Kings. Palat has been quietly productive lately, scoring six points (3G / 3A) in his last six games.
With Vitek Vanecek recovering from a lower-body injury, Daws was thrust into starting on back-to-back nights earlier this week and will start again on Thursday. Despite an up-and-down campaign, Daws played phenomenally with two games in 24 hours (2-0-0), saving 57 of 60 shots (.950 SV%). Daws will look to continue his hot hand as the Devils are -112 home favourites against a Los Angeles club that was defeated 7-0 by the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday and is 3-5-2 in their last 10 games.
Pesce has missed the last two games due to an illness, and his status remains in the air for Tuesday's matchup against the Dallas Stars. The 29-year-old Pesce isn't flashy on the blueline but provides a steadying defensive presence for the Hurricanes. Through 41 games this season, he was seven points (3G / 4A), 61 shots, and 71 blocks.
With Vitek Vanecek sidelined due to an illness and a lower-body injury, the Devils will opt against giving Akira Schmid his first start since December 21st, instead turning to Nico Daws for the second time in as many nights. The 23-year-old German netminder was outstanding in last night's game against the Kraken, stopping 27 of the 28 shots he faced enroute to a 2-1 victory. He'll have to outduel Juuse Saros with a tired Devils team in front of him if Daws wants to pick up back-to-back victories on Tuesday.
With Brandon Smith being activated from the Injured Reserve on Tuesday, Santeri Hatakka was reassigned to Utica (AHL) as the odd man out. The 23-year-old made a strong impression in his first seven games with the Devils' this season, with two assists, eight SOG, two PIMs, and a +7 plus/minus. He will return to Utica, where he had 11 points (3G/8A) in 31 games before his call-up.
MacEwen was placed on waivers on Monday but cleared and was reassigned to Belleville (AHL) on Tuesday. The 27-year-old signed a three-year contract with the Senators in the offseason but has failed to impress with only two goals, one assist, 16 SOG, and 46 PIMs in 22 games so far this season. He heads back to the AHL for the first time since 2022-23 where he appeared in three games with Lehigh Valley (AHL).
Pesce has missed the last two games due to an illness, and his status remains in the air for Tuesday's matchup against the Dallas Stars. The 29-year-old Pesce isn't flashy on the blueline but provides a steadying defensive presence for the Hurricanes. Through 41 games this season, he was seven points (3G / 4A), 61 shots, and 71 blocks.
Dadonov was limited to only 8:35 time-on-ice before exiting the game with a lower-body fracture. Dadonov had three points (2G / 1A) in his last five games. The opening in the Stars lineup could create an opportunity for the Stars to recall their top prospect, Logan Stankoven, who is currently the AHL scoring leader.
Cotter was a late scratch for Monday's game, with Vegas only announcing his absence at the start of warmups. Cotter has six goals and 13 assists in 52 games this season.
Vitek Vanecek played the last four games for the Devils, and despite being outstanding in a 1-0 losing effort to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, the Devils will turn to Daws between the pipes. A rested Daws will hope to rebound after troubling performances in his last three outings (0-3-0), allowing 12 combined goals and posting an ugly .836 SV%. The Devils will attempt to snap a two-game losing streak (0-1-1) as -127 home favourites against a Seattle Kraken club that has been outscored 5-2 in their last two games (0-2-0).
MacEwen has been a healthy scratch for five straight games, last playing on January 23rd, and has been placed on waivers. The hard-nosed forward has three points (2G / 1A) and 38 hits while averaging 6:23 time-on-ice through 22 games this season.
Markstrom will start for the sixth straight game on Monday night as he and the Flames look to extend their winning streak to five games. After posting a pedestrian .896 SV% in his first 16 games (6-8-2), Markstrom has been a leading force in helping the Flames compete for a playoff position, posting an exceptional .936 SV% in his 16 games since (11-5-0). The Flames are +144 road underdogs against a New York Rangers club also riding a four-game winning streak.
Vitek Vanecek played the last four games for the Devils, and despite being outstanding in a 1-0 losing effort to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, the Devils will likely turn to Daws between the pipes. A rested Daws will hope to rebound after troubling performances in his last three outings (0-3-0), allowing 12 combined goals and posting an ugly .836 SV%. The Devils will attempt to snap a two-game losing streak (0-1-1) as -127 home favourites against a Seattle Kraken club that has been outscored 5-2 in their last two games (0-2-0).
Pesce was a late scratch for Thursday's game against Colorado, with the Hurricanes not announcing his absence until the start of warmups. Tony DeAngelo will likely draw into the lineup in his place.
Markstrom will return to the crease for the Flames on Thursday night, his fifth straight start. The 32-year-old Markstrom has been sensational lately, winning two straight games by saving 53 of the last 54 shots he's faced (.981 SV%). The Flames are +126 road underdogs against a Devils that is welcoming Jack Hughes back into the lineup and is coming off an impressive 5-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche.
Hughes has not played since January 5th but will return to the lineup on Thursday against the Calgary Flames. The Devils are coming off an impressive 5-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday but have predominantly struggled in Hughes' absence. Hughes has been limited to only 32 games in an injury-plagued 2023-24 campaign but has 45 points (15G / 30A).
After straight three straight games (1-2-0), Markstrom will be well-rested in the Flames' return to the ice after the All-Star break. In his last outing, Markstrom saved all 32 shots he faced in a 1-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, his second shutout of the season. The Flames, in their first game since trading talented two-way center Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks, are +164 road underdogs against a Boston Bruins club riding a two-game winning streak.
