Tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET, the New York Islanders open up their season with a visit to their Metropolitan rival New Jersey Devils (0-1-0) at the Prudential Center in New Jersey. The game can be live streamed here. Isles fans can hear all the action on WRHU Radio while Devils fans can do the same by turning to The Fan WFAN 101.9 FM.
The Islanders are coming off of a season where the team qualified for the postseason for the first time in six years while the Devils are coming off of a season where it missed the postseason for the second time in three years and are coming off an opening night 3-0 shutout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins Thursday. The Islanders took the season series between these two foes 3-2 last year.
Martin Brodeur makes his season debut between the pipes for the Devils after giving way to Corey Schneider on Opening Night Thursday, and missing the start of the Devils season for the first time since 1993-94. Brodeur is coming off of a season where he played in 29 games during the 48-game lockout-shortened season and put up a 13-9-7 record with a 2.22 GAA and .901 save percentage.
Schneider stopped 18 of 21 shots Thursday, but overall wasn't happy with his game.
"It wasn't the best start from me," Schneider said per NHL.com. "It's tough to go down 2-0 to a team like that and have to claw back, but my teammates worked really hard in the second and third periods there, didn't give them a whole lot and we had a couple good chances, but [Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre] Fleury made some big saves. So, [it was a] disappointing start all around."
Brodeur will look across the way and find Evgeni Nabokov (23-11-7, 2.50 GAA/.910 save percentage) manning the crease for the youthful Islanders. The Islanders top line appears as though it will consist of captain John Taveras (28 goals, 19 assists 47 points in 2013) centering Matt Moulson (15, 29, 44) and 2006 first-round draft pick and No. 7 overall Kyle Okposo (4, 20, 24) as the Isles look to continue on the positive momentum the team built in last year's campaign that ultimately ended in a first round exit at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
Jaromir Jagr (lower body soreness) made his Devils debut Thursday night and long-tenured Patrik Elias (groin) also battled through injuries and both are expected to be in the lineup tonight.
Jagr had 16 goals and 19 assists for 35 points last season in time split between the Dallas Stars and Boston Bruins before signing with the Devils out of free agency, while Elias netted 14 goals and 22 assists for 36 points last year in New Jersey.
The Islanders will look to start off hot as the Devils try and rebound after an Opening Night loss when these two teams hit the ice tonight in Newark.
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