Penguins, Devils prepare to see each other often
The New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins are going to see quite a bit of one another down the stretch.
The Metropolitan Division rivals play four times in the next five weeks, with their first meeting of the season coming Saturday night at the Prudential Center.
"These (divisional) games are huge. We have to keep pushing the teams below us down and we want to check the guys above us," Devils goaltender Keith Kinkaid said. "Now we have to go right into Saturday against Pittsburgh, and they've had a tremendous start to the second half, so we have to give it our all, play our game for a full 60 (minutes)."
The Penguins (29-21-3) come into Newark having won four straight games for the third time this season. On Friday night, they beat the Washington Capitals 7-4 as the red-hot Evgeni Malkin had two goals and two assists and Phil Kessel added two goals and one assist.
Malkin was the NHL's First Star of the Month in January, totaling 12 goals and 19 points in 15 games. He has seven goals in his last three games and 28 for the season.
Pittsburgh scored three power-play goals on Friday night, the fourth time they did so this season. The Penguins' league-leading power play has multiple goals in 14 games in 2017-18.
"I haven't been around one as dynamic as this one," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan told reporters about his club's power play. "I think what makes them unique is their instinctive play. We try hard to stay out of their way. I mean that sincerely. Coaching power plays, if you're not careful, you can over-coach a bit."
The Penguins are now 20-9-0 against the Eastern Conference and 11-4-0 versus Metropolitan Division teams. Overall, they have won nine of their last 11 games.
"I think whenever you're going well good things are going to happen," Kessel said. "If your team is playing well, you have more confidence."
Kinkaid and the Devils (26-16-8) won each of their first two games after the All-Star break, rallying past the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 on Thursday after beating the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 on Tuesday.
Playing in the place of injured Cory Schneider, Kinkaid stopped 48 of 52 shots in the past two games and has won four of his last five starts dating to Jan. 16.
Thursday's victory was an uplifting comeback against a divisional rival. Trailing 3-2 more than midway through the third period, the Devils pulled even on a Damon Severson goal at the 11-minute mark and won it on Nico Hischier's first goal in 10 games at 18:33.
"It's a step in the right direction to understand how hard it is at this time of year to win," Devils coach John Hynes said.
Kyle Palmieri had a goal and an assist Thursday -- after producing the same results against the Sabres -- and was on the receiving end of a thunderous Radko Gudas hit in which the Flyers defenseman elevated off the ice before impact.
Palmieri's mild-mannered teammate Travis Zajac later stood up for the team and dropped the gloves with Gudas.
"It shows how close we are as a group how much we care about each other and how much we want to go out and compete for each other," Palmieri said.
The Devils made three roster transactions before Friday's practice. They recalled former first-round pick John Quenneville from the minor leagues, where he had 10 goals and 21 points in 31 games for Binghamton. New Jersey also assigned defenseman Steven Santini to the AHL and sent winger Jimmy Hayes to Binghamton on a conditioning stint.
Hynes said he wanted the two players to receive extended ice time before being recalled again, and added of Quenneville, "we only have 11 healthy forwards with Jimmy going down, so it makes sense to have 12, and the elements John brings -- he's a guy that has good offensive skill and he competes -- if he gets the opportunity, he can come in and help the team."
