The Golden Knights will get help up front for Tuesday’s 4:30 p.m. game at the New Jersey Devils.
Center Brett Howden (lower-body injury) participated in the team’s morning skate without restrictions, paving the way for him to return to the lineup for the first time since Nov. 23.
Howden has three points in 21 games this season. He wasn’t the only injured player to take a positive step Tuesday. Defenseman Shea Theodore, out since Dec. 9 with a lower-body injury, skated with the Knights in a red no-contact jersey.
“It feels like it’s been a really long time,” Howden said. “I guess it has been. Just really excited to be back with the guys, back on the road. Nice to be back in the lineup.”
The Knights need all the positivity they can get before playing the Devils. New Jersey (.696) has the third-best points percentage in the NHL, behind Boston (.848) and Carolina (.717). The Devils have won six of their past seven.
New Jersey should provide a daunting challenge for the Knights, who have lost four of their past five.
“They’re dynamic offensively,” defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. “They’ve got some guys that can score. They’re playing well at both ends of the ice, but I think the big thing is they’re pretty talented with the puck.”
The Knights’ lack of offense is a main culprit in their recent slide. They are scoring the 25th-most goals per game in the NHL in January (2.78), and center Jack Eichel (five games), right wing Jonathan Marchessault (six), left wing Chandler Stephenson (seven) and left wing Reilly Smith (nine) have lengthy goal droughts.
Getting back on track will be a difficult task against a Devils team that allows the third-fewest goals per game (2.61) in the league. The Knights can at least take solace in their success on the road this season and historically at Prudential Center.
Their 15-4-1 record away from home is the third-best in the NHL, and they’re 3-0-1 playing in New Jersey. The Knights have to hope those trends continue in their third-to-last game before the All-Star break.
Lineup and starting goaltender information wasn’t immediately available. The game will be shown exclusively on ESPN+/Hulu and will require a subscription to watch.
Knights vs. Devils (4:30 p.m.)
TV: ESPN+/Hulu
Radio: KKGK (98.9 FM, 1340 AM)
Line: Devils -182; total 6½
Knights record: 29-17-2
Devils record: 30-12-4
Head-to-head: 0-0-0 (Knights 1-1-0 last season)
Contact Ben Gotz at [email protected]. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.
