Devils Face High-Powered Oilers | PREVIEW

By Devils Staff NewJerseyDevils.com Staff November 03, 2026 WATCH & LISTEN 📺 WATCH: ESPN+ 📻 LISTEN: Devils Hockey Network NEW JERSEY DEVILS (9-5-0) vs. EDMONTON OILERS (11-2-2) New Jersey hosts Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at Prudential Center on Tuesday night for a national TV showdown.

Puck drop is 7:38 p.m. ET. Read below for your Game Preview presented by Michael Martinetti Group and pre-game updates.

The Devils look to bounce back after a four-game winning streak ended in Colorado. GAME DAY VIDEO Devils Download: Coming soon Devils Pre-Game Interviews: Brown | Pesce | Keefe MORNING SKATE UPDATES NEWARK, NJ - The Devils held their morning skate at Prudential Center ahead of hosting the Edmonton Oilers.

Forward Evan Rodrigues rejoined the team after missing Monday's practice. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck is set to make his Devils home debut. Defending McDavid The Devils face an impossible task this evening in trying to defend Connor McDavid.

He is in the midst of an historical start to the season with 30 assists and 39 points in just 15 games. McDavid’s assist total alone of 30 is more than any other player in the league has compiled in points. He’s also riding a 15-game assist streak to start the season, a new NHL record.

So, what’s it like trying to defend against him? “It’s not fun,” defenseman Brett Pesce said with a smile. “He's just obviously one of the best, if not the best, to ever play the game, so it's tough.

He creates things out of nothing and he's kind of just in his own league. It's like he's too good for the NHL, which is crazy to say, but it's true. So, just like I said though, just trying to minimize giving him freebies, I think, is really the only thing you can do.” “I haven't spent a lot of time watching the Oilers up until (Monday), but you can't help but to take notice of the pace that he's set,” Keefe said.

“But power play, 5-on-5, he's just so dangerous and drives so much for their team, yet they're playing a very good team game around him, and that in itself, I'm sure sets up to benefit him even more. So just seeing it reach outrageous, I think is kind of where we're at here. But their team's not winning games just because of how he's playing.

They're playing a very good team game, and obviously he's the exclamation point upon it all.” One key to stopping McDavid and the Oilers is making them earn their chances. They will earn enough on their own, but the Devils need to make it difficult for them. And to do that, it’ll take a village.

“It's obviously a team effort, and it's a communal effort to defend him,” former McDavid teammate Connor Brown said. “It's not going to be one guy. We got a lot of good skaters on this team.

We got to make it a hard night for him. We got to make it a difficult night. So, I mean, it's easy to get intimidated by a guy like that.

And so, for us, we got to continue to do the things. If we're turning the puck over and we're giving him freebies and he's able to turn and burn, he's going to make you look bad. So, I'm sure he'll create his looks, I'm sure he'll create his chances, and so just limiting them.” And as Pesce noted: "Every second matters." He Said It Brown on rejoining the top power-play unit: “I thought we had some success at the end of last year, so maybe kind of building off the power play success that we had there.

But for me, I think popping in that bumper spot, just trying to help with the mentality of that group and creating second looks and checking the puck back and putting our work first, watching their kill. They kill hard. They come with a lot of pressure.

So, to be able to steal pucks back and create second and third opportunities, I think is going to be big for this group to wear the penalty kill down.” BY THE NUMBERS Gamecenter Media Game Notes Head to Head: Devils vs. Oilers NHL Standings Devils Player Statistics Oilers Player Statistics THE SCOOP The Devils return home after a successful road trip out west.

The team pulled out a 2-1-0 record with impressive wins at Dallas and Vegas. New Jersey is second in the Metro Division and trying to catch Carolina for the top spot. The Devils have won five of their last six games, and six of their past eight.

The change comes after making an adjustment in the defensive zone and a greater commitment in their own zone. The results speak for the themselves. New goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has two games under his belt with his new team, and two wins to go with it.

He's stopped 36 of 39 shots faced and was critical in snuffing out scoring chances in Vegas. Arseny Gritsyuk (see Players to Watch below) and Jack Hughes have carried the offense over the past 10 games. The Oilers finish a three-game tri-state swing in New Jersey.

They’re going for the sweep after defeating the New York Islanders, 4-0, and Rangers, 4-1. It’s been a fast start under new head coach Mike Babcock. The team opened the season with an 8-1-1 record and has skated out to an 11-2-2 mark to open the season and open a wide lead in the Pacific Division.

The offense has powered the Oilers in the first month of the season. They rank second in the league with 4.20 goals per game (behind Colorado, 4.21) as of Monday. The catalyst has been the big three: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard.

McDavid is enjoyed a start for the ages. He has a 15-game point streak with nine goals and 30 assists for 39 points. He’s recorded an assist in all 15 games played, an NHL record for an assist streak to start a season.

The 15-game assist streak is also a career long. What’s more, McDavid leads the NHL in assists (30) and points (39). Behind McDavid in points are teammates Draisaitl (28) and Bouchard (26).

Another key for Edmonton this season has been its improved defensive play. The team ranks eighth in goals allowed per game at 2.87. Last year, the Oilers surrendered 3.23 goals per game.

With a knee injury to new goalie Frederik Andersen keeping him out until December, Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi have split the duties in goal. PLAYERS TO WATCH Devils: Arseny Gritsyuk The Russian winger scored two goals at Vegas. He has seven goals in his past seven games, which included a five-game goal scoring streak.

On the year, Gritsyuk has a team-best eight goals to go with his 12 points in 14 games. Oilers: Evan Bouchard Connor McDavid is the obvious choice for player to watch. But you’ll be watching him anyway.

So, also keep an eye on Evan Bouchard. He opened the season with a hat trick and five-point game against Vancouver. Only twice in his 15 games has he been held off the scoresheet.

Bouchard’s 18 assists are second in the NHL (behind teammate McDavid’s 30). He also ranks third in the NHL with 26 points (behind McDavid, 39, and Draisaitl, 28). INJURIES Devils: Seamus Casey : knee, IR, non-roster Oilers: Atro Leppanen : IR, Non-roster Mattias Janmark : undisclosed, IR Frederik Anderson : knee, IR, Non-roster Matt Savoie : lower-body, LTIR Alec Regular : undisclosed, LTIR Devon Levi : undisclosed, IR Zack Hyman : undisclosed, IR Isaac Howard : undisclosed, day-to-day 26-27 REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS Nov.

3 vs. Edmonton Jan. 28 at Edmonton STATS LEADERS DEVILS OILERS GOALS Gritsyuk, 8 Draisaitl, 12 ASSISTS J.Hughes, Bratt, 10 McDavid, 30 POINTS J.Hughes, 16 McDavid, 39