Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET
Venue: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Broadcast: ESPN+ (national/streaming), SN-PIT (Penguins regional), MSG (Devils regional), SNW/SNE (Canada)
Game Context
The Metropolitan Division features a stark contrast. Pittsburgh sits comfortably in 2nd place with 70 points and is firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff picture (5th-6th overall in the East). New Jersey is 7th in the division with 58 points, 15th in the Eastern Conference, and fighting just to stay mathematically alive in the wild-card race. The Penguins are playing for positioning and momentum; the Devils are desperate for points to avoid falling further out of contention.
Recent Form
- Devils: 4-6-0 in their last 10 games. They opened the post-Olympic schedule with a 2-1 home loss to Buffalo on Feb. 25 and have dropped four straight overall. Offense has been a major issue (averaging just 2.48 goals per game this season, one of the lowest marks in the NHL).
- Penguins: 7-1-2 in their last 10 games before the Olympic break (strong 14-3-3 record since Dec. 25). This is Pittsburgh’s first game back after the three-week break. They enter with excellent underlying metrics and home dominance (points in 9 of last 11 home games overall; 6-2-2 in last 10 home contests).
Injury Report
Pittsburgh Penguins (major blow without captain):
- Sidney Crosby (C) – Lower body (placed on IR; minimum 4 weeks; injured in Olympic quarterfinal)
- Jack St. Ivany (D) – Hand (out after surgery)
- Filip Hallander (C) – Leg (out)
- Yegor Chinakhov (RW) – Personal (day-to-day; status uncertain for tonight)
Positive notes: Kris Letang activated off IR and expected back. Samuel Girard (newly acquired from Colorado) is available.
New Jersey Devils:
- Luke Hughes (D) – Shoulder (LTIR; out until at least Feb. 28)
- Stefan Noesen (RW) – Knee (IR)
- Zack MacEwen (RW) – ACL (out for season)
Positive notes: Jack Hughes (groin) is back in the lineup after missing time before the break. No other major absences reported.
Projected Lineups & Goalies
Devils (Coach Sheldon Keefe)
F: Timo Meier – Nico Hischier – Dawson Mercer
F: Jesper Bratt – Jack Hughes – Connor Brown
F: Arseny Gritsyuk – Cody Glass – Lenni Hameenaho
F: Paul Cotter – Nick Bjugstad – Maxim Tsyplakov
D: Brett Pesce – Johnathan Kovacevic
D: Jonas Siegenthaler – Dougie Hamilton
D: Brenden Dillon – Simon Nemec
G: Jacob Markstrom (expected) / Jake Allen
Scratched: Colton White, Luke Glendening, Evgenii Dadonov
Injured: Hughes, MacEwen, Noesen
Penguins (Coach Dan Muse)
F: Avery Hayes – Rickard Rakell – Bryan Rust
F: Egor Chinakhov (or replacement) – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
F: Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
F: Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Noel Acciari
D: Parker Wotherspoon – Erik Karlsson
D: Samuel Girard – Kris Letang
D: Ryan Shea – Connor Clifton
G: Arturs Silovs (expected) / Stuart Skinner
Scratched: Kevin Hayes, Ilya Solovyov, Ryan Graves
Injured: Crosby, St. Ivany, Hallander (Chinakhov DTD)
Key Player Matchups
- Jack Hughes / Jesper Bratt vs. Pittsburgh’s top defense (Letang/Girard or Karlsson): Hughes returns healthy and remains New Jersey’s biggest offensive threat. Pittsburgh’s blue line (bolstered by Girard) must contain the speed.
- Evgeni Malkin line vs. Devils’ bottom-six: Malkin has been on fire at home (9 points in last 8) and will shoulder extra responsibility without Crosby. Expect heavy minutes for Malkin, Rakell, and Rust.
- Nico Hischier / Dawson Mercer checking line: Critical for shutting down Pittsburgh’s secondary scoring.
- Goaltending: Markstrom has been steady for New Jersey; Silovs or Skinner gives Pittsburgh a reliable option at home.
Series History (2025-26 Season)Tied 1-1-0:
- Nov. 8, 2025: Devils 2-1 SO win (at Prudential Center)
- Jan. 8, 2026: Penguins 4-1 win (at PPG Paints Arena)
Historically, Pittsburgh has points in 16 of the last 24 meetings (12-8-4) and in 8 of the last 13 home games vs. New Jersey (6-5-2). The Penguins have owned the rivalry in recent years when healthy.
Betting Trends
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Jersey’s last 5 games and in 6 of their last 6 vs. Eastern Conference opponents.
- Penguins are 13-12 as favorites this season but much stronger at home.
- New Jersey is 1-6 straight-up in its last 7 games and averaging just 2.48 goals per game overall.
- Pittsburgh has points in 17 of its last 20 games since Dec. 25 and ranks among league leaders in several categories during that stretch.
- Devils rank near the bottom of the league in goals scored; Penguins allow only 2.89 goals per game.
Game Odds
New Jersey Devils 5.5
Pittsburgh Penguins – 162
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Wednesday, February 25, 2026
