Flames Vs Devils preview: New Jersey reshuffles lines, confirms Markstrom
flames vs devils gets the spotlight Thursday night as New Jersey continues its seven-game homestand with a 7: 12 p. m. ET puck drop at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils confirmed Jacob Markstrom will start in goal despite skipping the morning skate, and the lineup card underscores a late-season theme: coaches using real game reps to evaluate roles as the offseason approaches.
Flames Vs Devils at Prudential Center
New Jersey enters the matchup after a 3-0 loss to Detroit on Sunday that snapped a four-game winning streak. The context around that result matters: the Devils’ playoff chances had already dimmed, and the defeat “almost guarantees” there will be no Spring hockey for the club. That framing changes the stakes for flames vs devils from a standings-driven event into an audition environment, where individual performance can influence “jobs, contracts, roles, ” and a broader set of offseason decisions about roster makeup and positional needs.
The Devils also arrive with something they rarely get in a compressed schedule: practice time. It has been three days since their last game, and over that span they held two practices plus a full morning skate. Head coach Sheldon Keefe emphasized that the recent gaps have allowed the team to “address a couple different things and build and progress, ” a pace of work he described as more extensive than “virtually the entire season. ” The pattern suggests Thursday’s game is as much a test of whether that practice translates as it is a one-off result on the homestand.
Sheldon Keefe confirms Jacob Markstrom
Markstrom’s status carried early-day intrigue because he was the only player not on the ice for the morning skate. Keefe said the Devils “gave him the option” to stay off, adding that Markstrom “doesn’t love to skate on mornings of games. ” Keefe then confirmed Markstrom will start in goal “this evening, ” removing any uncertainty about the crease for puck drop at 7: 12 p. m. ET.
That confirmation lands in a game where other details point to a potentially tighter, lower-scoring shape. One betting preview described both teams as ranking “30th or worse in goals per game this season, ” while also noting the Devils rank sixth in shot attempts over their last 10 games. The figures point to a matchup where volume and defensive execution—shot suppression, blocks, and goaltending—could matter more than pure finishing, making Markstrom’s start a central variable in how New Jersey manages the flow.
Jesper Bratt and Arseny Gritsyuk swap
Up front, New Jersey has “stuck with the flipping” of Jesper Bratt and Arseny Gritsyuk. The change reunites Bratt with Jack Hughes, while moving Gritsyuk onto a line with Cody Glass and Lenni Hameenaho. The projected forward groups list as: Meier–Hischier–Mercer; Bratt–Hughes–Brown; Gritsyuk–Glass–Hameenaho; Cotter–Bjugstad–Tsyplakov.
Glass acknowledged the adjustment while pointing to familiarity—“we played with Gritsyuk for a while”—and emphasized communication. He also singled out Hameenaho’s development, calling the rookie “awesome” and highlighting the challenge of learning the defensive side of the NHL “because you’re playing against men. ” The pattern suggests the Devils are using this late stretch to see which combinations can handle NHL defensive demands, not just create offense, a theme reinforced by Keefe’s broader remarks about what can be built during multiple practice days.
On the back end, the pairings listed were Siegenthaler–Hamilton, Hughes–Kovacevic, and Dillon–Nemec. That structure, combined with Markstrom’s confirmed start, signals a preference for stability behind the forwards while the coaching staff continues to test specific fit questions in the top nine—especially with Bratt’s placement next to Jack Hughes and the Glass-led line featuring two rookies.
Calgary arrives with its own roster context. Keefe described the Flames as playing “a smart game” and working hard, while also noting they are “missing some guys and made some moves, ” and are “missing some of the top-end skill that a lot of teams have, ” but still have “lots of depth throughout their lineup. ” Keefe also pointed to a recent example of what Calgary can do, saying they handled Carolina “quite easily” at home “just last week. ” That assessment frames the Devils’ challenge as execution-driven rather than talent-driven: New Jersey must be prepared for a structured opponent that can win on detail and depth.
The next confirmed milestone is immediate: puck drop is set for 7: 12 p. m. ET Thursday at Prudential Center. Beyond the result, the context leaves one specific question hanging over flames vs devils: which Devils players use this homestand stretch—now explicitly tied to “jobs, contracts, roles”—to force clearer offseason decisions about the roster’s direction?
