NEWARK (Interstat) — The Philadelphia Flyers will visit the New Jersey Devils Thursday in a National Hockey League game at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Philadelphia is the visiting team, and New Jersey is the home team. The matchup is the second game of the season for Philadelphia and the first for New Jersey.

Philadelphia enters with a 0-1 record after a loss to Pittsburgh. The Flyers were held off the scoreboard in that game, while Pittsburgh produced a decisive offensive performance. Christian Dvorak was among Philadelphia’s most active players in the defeat, recording two shots on goal and one hit. Noel Acciari added one shot on goal and one hit, and Alex Bump registered one shot. Dvorak is the player to watch for Philadelphia in this matchup as the Flyers search for more offense and a stronger start against a Devils team playing its first game.

New Jersey is 0-0 and will open its season at home. The Devils last played in a loss at Boston, where they were kept off the scoreboard. New Jersey will try to use home ice to begin the campaign on a positive note. The Devils’ upcoming schedule includes games against the New York Islanders, Utah Mammoth, Vancouver Canucks, Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, Colorado Avalanche, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. Philadelphia’s next stretch features Carolina, Tampa Bay, Ottawa, Boston, Carolina, Seattle, Detroit, Ottawa, Colorado and Buffalo.

The game offers Philadelphia a chance to even its early record and New Jersey an opportunity to start with a victory. The Flyers will need to generate more chances around the net and limit New Jersey’s transition opportunities. The Devils will aim to control play at Prudential Center and capitalize on home ice. Dvorak’s activity will be a key area to monitor for Philadelphia as it tries to create traffic and scoring chances. Philadelphia will aim to prevent an 0-2 start, while New Jersey will look to avoid a slow start in its opener.

Both teams will continue their schedules after this matchup. Philadelphia’s coming games include opponents from across the Eastern and Western conferences, while New Jersey’s slate also features a mix of divisional and non-divisional foes. The early-season meeting gives each club a chance to set a tone before the schedule thickens. The Flyers will be seeking their first win of the season, while the Devils will be seeking a victory in their opener.

Interstat’s game simulator is projecting a final score of New Jersey 4, Philadelphia 2. Interstat’s ELO system is projecting New Jersey with a 52 percent probability to win.