The Devils and Golden Knights are expected to dress the same skaters they used in their previous games when they meet Friday. New Jersey is projected to stay with the group it used in a 5-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, while Vegas is expected to roll back the lineup from a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.
For the Devils, that means Arseny Gritsyuk, Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt on the first line, with Timo Meier, Nico Hischier and Luke Evangelista on the second. Anthony Mantha, Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist are projected on the third line, and Amadeus Lombardi, Cody Glass and Connor Brown are listed on the fourth.
The Golden Knights project to open with Ivan Barbashev, Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, followed by Brett Howden, William Karlsson and Mitch Marner. Trevor Connelly, Tomas Hertl and Braeden Bowman are on the third line, with Raphael Lavoie, Nic Dowd and Marc Gatcomb on the fourth.
The biggest question hanging over the night is Carter Hart. He took part in the morning skate, but his status for Friday remains unclear, and he is still listed with an undisclosed injury. Parker Wotherspoon is listed with an upper-body injury, while Victor Olofsson remains out with a lower-body injury but skated in a noncontact jersey.
That makes Friday less about lineup intrigue than about stability. The Devils did not skate Thursday, which points to a hold-the-line approach after the loss to Colorado, and the Golden Knights appear set to keep the same group that beat Ottawa. Ryan Craig said he is hopeful Olofsson can join the team for the four-game road trip that begins Monday, but for now the more immediate answer is that both clubs are preparing to go forward with what they already have.
