The New Jersey Devils and Pittsburgh Penguins will play for the second straight day against each other tonight at 7:30 tonight. However, the Penguins will be the home team this time and will look to get revenge after yesterday’s 3-1 loss to the Devils. The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Penguins which had been the longest active streak in the NHL. The Devils also stripped the Penguins of the Atlantic division lead with their victory.

SEASON SERIES

February 2, 2013: NJ 1 PIT 5

February 9 ,2013: PIT 1 NJ 3

February 10, 2013: TBD

April 25, 2013: TBD

Penguins defenseman Kris Letang missed his second straight game due to a lower-body injury and will miss tonight’s game as well. Letang was placed on injured reserve retroactively to last Tuesday. For insurance purposes, the Penguins recalled defenseman Joe Morrow from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Upper St. Clair native Dylan Reese has taken Letang’s spot in the lineup in the last two games. Defenseman Matt Niskanen, who is on injured reserve with an ankle injury, worked with strength and conditioning coach Mike Kadar yesterday and is two weeks in to his 2-4 week timetable.

NOTEWORTHY STATS
New Jersey goaltender Johan Hedberg a.k.a. “The Moose” will face his former team in Pittsburgh once again today. Hedberg, who played for the Penguins in the early 2000′s, has compiled a 2-5-1 record in 9 appearances against Pittsburgh. In addition, he has recorded a .894 save-percentage and a 3.06 goals-against average against the Penguins. Hedberg is 1-0-1 in two games this season.

After the Penguins outshot the Devils 30-16 last Saturday, New Jersey responded by outshooting the Penguins 28-25 yesterday.

New Jersey’s 2.00 goals-against per game mark is the fourth least in the NHL.

Although Pittsburgh recorded 29 penalty minutes yesterday, the Penguins still are the third least penalized team in the NHL.

After the Penguins defeated the Devils 5-1 last Saturday, New Jersey has not lost a game, going 4-0.

Patrik Elias has the most points against Pittsburgh of any New Jersey player in their franchise’s history. In 78 games against the Penguins, Elias has notched 66 points (23 goals and 43 assists).

Tomas Vokoun, who will start in between the pipes for Pittsburgh for the first time in three games, has compiled a 7-7-1 record with a .925 save-percentage and a 2.33 goals-against average in his career against the Devils. Vokoun has won 3 of his 4 starts this season so far.

A DAY TO REMEMBER (FOR NEW JERSEY)

New Jersey’s Stefan Matteau recorded his first point in the NHL yesterday with a big goal that tied the game at one against the Penguins. Matteau, 18, was drafted 29th overall by the Devils in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and made the club out of training camp. In addition, legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur played his 1,200th regular season game in the NHL. More importantly, Brodeur came up big by recording 24 saves in his 662nd career victory in the NHL.

The Penguins will look to have a night to remember at the CONSOL Energy Center tonight with a victory that would give them the Atlantic division lead again.

PROBABLE DEVILS LINES
Matteau-Zajac-Kovalchuk
Elias-Henrique-Clarkson
Carter-Gionta-Bernier
Barch-Josefson-Butler

Salvador-Fayne
Greene-Larsson
Volchenkov-Zidlicky

Hedberg

PROBABLE PENGUINS LINES
Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Boychuk-Malkin-Neal
Cooke-Sutter-Kennedy
Glass-Vitale-Adams

Orpik-Martin
Reese-Despres
Bortuzzo-Engelland

Vokoun

You can follow me on Twitter: @PensNation_Andy