The Time: 7:00 PM EDT
The Broadcast: As of 8:00AM on 10/2 I have not seen confirmed information on a broadcast via TV or web. I will update this post during the day if new information becomes available. Post a fanshot or leave a comment if there's any additional broadcasting information that you find.
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (2-0-3) vs. the New York Islanders (0-3-0)
The Last Devils Game: What looked like a likely Devils win, quickly became a much closer game as the Devils held on to win a 4-3 game. John wrote about what he 'heard' of the game in his recap. The official Devils recap from their website, with stats is here.
The Last Islanders Game: The Islanders dropped the first game of a back-to-back set against the Devils at the Prudential Center falling behind early and coming up on the short end of a 4-3 score. Check out Lighthouse Hockey for the Islander's recap and other news.
The Goal: To quote John: Once again, the results don't matter. This is, of course, the second of two back-to-back games. This will be a good test to see how the younger players respond to the quick turnaround against NHL players. They will be playing an Islanders team that will have split their squad again as they also play a game tonight in Quebec City. it seems that the majority of the NHL players will be playing in the game in the Coliseum. The Islanders likely lineup was tweeted earlier by Chris Botta. He lists the forwards here and the defense here. After the jump I have a few more notes on the game.
The best take away from last night, is that everyone is still healthy. With injuries this preseason to Josefson, Volchenkov and Bryce Salvador, it is nice for the team to get through a game cleanly. Let’s hope the team can avoid injuries in tonight’s final preseason game.
Gulitti also writes how Devils coach John MacLean plans to use this final preseason game to look at the young players one last time. Expect most of the young players fighting for a roster spot to be in the lineup for the game. Additionally veterans David Clarkson, Dainius Zubrus and Anton Volchenkov should see action too.
What to look for tonight: Tonight’s game will be the last chance for some players to make their final impression on the Devils coaching staff. Players to keep an eye on tonight will be: Adam Mair, Nick Palmieri, Jacob Josefson, Matt Taormina, Alexander Urbom and Matthew Corrente. The defensive players in that list should especially be eager to make their case for a roster spot with the possibility of Bryce Salvador starting the season on LTIR. Is it possibly that Corrente's physical play and willingness to drop the gloves gets him a spot on the roster? If he plays tonight pay attention to his ice time. He played over 17:00 last night which is impressive considering he served a five minute fighting major. Watch his ice time tonight. Also, pay special attention to the performances of some of the players rumored to be on the chopping block. It might be the last time you see them in a New Jersey Devils sweater.
This game will also mark the first time we will see former Devil Mike Mottau in an Islanders sweater. I know Mottau was a polarizing figure to fans, but I appreciated his time as a Devil. When the Islanders visit the Rock in the regular season, I will be sure to cheer his first appearance on the ice.
Please leave any thoughts about the game, any broadcasting updates and any news (linking to the source) that you find. Thanks for reading.