NEWARK (Interstat) — The New York Rangers will visit the New Jersey Devils on Thursday in an NHL game at Prudential Center. The Rangers are 6-2-0 this season, while the Devils are 3-3-0. New York enters as the visiting team and has won six of its first eight games. New Jersey will play at home after an overtime victory at Detroit.

The Rangers opened with a loss at Boston, then beat Tampa Bay, Detroit, Utah and the N.Y. Islanders before a loss at Washington, then beat Vancouver and Tampa Bay. The Devils opened with an overtime win against Philadelphia, then lost to the N.Y. Islanders and Utah, beat Vancouver, lost to Ottawa and beat Detroit in overtime.

Alexis Lafreniere has been a key offensive force for the Rangers. He scored twice in the team’s most recent game, a 4-1 win against Tampa Bay, and added four shots on goal. Dylan Garand made 25 saves in that win, and J.T. Miller recorded an assist. Lafreniere has seven goals over his past four games, including a three-goal performance against the N.Y. Islanders. He also has recorded 10 shots on goal in that stretch and has points in five of his past six games. He also had a goal and an assist against Vancouver, a goal at Washington and three shots on goal in an early-season game against Tampa Bay.

Jack Hughes has powered the Devils’ attack. He had one goal, two assists and eight shots on goal in New Jersey’s 5-4 overtime win at Detroit. Jesper Bratt added one goal and two assists, and Evan Rodrigues finished with one goal and one assist in that game. Hughes has eight points over his past six games, with two goals and six assists, and he has put 26 shots on goal in that span. He has recorded at least one point in five of those six games. Hughes also had two assists against Vancouver, one assist against Utah and one goal against Philadelphia.

The game is the first of the season between the Metropolitan Division rivals. Both teams will continue their schedules after Thursday. The Rangers will head to Columbus next, and the Devils will travel to Washington. New Jersey will then host Colorado, Anaheim and Los Angeles, while New York will host Anaheim and then visit Toronto and Ottawa. The Rangers have scored at least four goals in five of their six wins.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of New Jersey 4, N.Y. Rangers 3. Interstat’s ELO system gives the N.Y. Rangers a 50.7 percent probability to win.