Devils Face Lightning Without Star Center Jack Hughes
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The New Jersey Devils are heading back to Tampa, Florida, for their second consecutive matchup against the Lightning this month. However, they'll be without their leading scorer, Jack Hughes, who suffered a serious laceration in a freak accident involving glass. The 24-year-old center will undergo surgery and miss roughly eight weeks of action, though his exact timeline for return will be reevaluated after six weeks. Hughes, who has 20 points in his first 17 games, has been a key contributor to the Devils' offense. His absence will undoubtedly be felt, but coach Sheldon Keefe remains optimistic about the team's chances. 'We've had to get used to these situations before,' Keefe said. 'We'll have to regroup and adjust, but we have the talent and depth to succeed without Jack.' The Devils will also be without Cody Glass, who is week-to-week with an injury, and Zack MacEwen, who is out of the lineup. On the other hand, Connor Brown and Dougie Hamilton are expected to return to practice soon and join the team on their three-game road swing. The Lightning, on the other hand, are still reeling from their shocking 6-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday. Despite holding a 13-1 shot advantage in the first 20 minutes, the team's complacency factor allowed the Canucks to come back and secure the win. Coach Jon Cooper attributed the loss to a lack of focus and a failure to play a '60-minute game.' The Devils will face a Lightning team looking to bounce back from their defeat, with several forwards returning to action, including Brandon Hagel. The game is set to take place on Tuesday night and will be a crucial test for the Devils, who will need to regroup and adjust without their star center.
