Devils Practice in Tampa on Friday | NOTEBOOK

TAMPA, FL - The Devils practiced at Amalie Arena on Friday. 

Read the notebook below for the latest info, updates, interviews, videos and more from the practice session!

Friday's Skate

Devils head coach Lindy Ruff took a puck to the face on Thursday in Raleigh and was still feeling the effects on Friday, resulting in Associate Coach Travis Green running practice. There will be a further update on Ruff's condition tomorrow. 

Erik Haula (personal) was not on the ice, resulting in some jumbled line combinations for the club.

Nick DeSimone, claimed off waivers on Thursday from Calgary, was not on the ice as he hadn't arrived in Tampa in time to join his new teammates.

Looking For One More Point

The Devils last played in Tampa several weeks ago and in that game played exceptionally well, outshooting the Lightning 30-20 and rallying from a 3-1 deficit to force overtime but in the extra frame, they lost on a goal by Darren Raddysh 1:52 in. 

Nico Hischier knows that the team will have a tough test against the Lightning tomorrow but he feels they're up to the task. 

“It was a tight game but it’s tough against this team when you’re down. They shut it down pretty good. In some areas, we can still be better,” stated the Devils captain. 

Colin Miller agreed. 

“I thought we had a good, solid effort," said Miller of the team's 4-3 OT setback on January 11. "When you look at our game as a whole, we did a really good job. Going to take the same effort tomorrow.”

The Devils sit four points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They're also three points behind the Lightning with three games in hand. Lightning sit third in the Atlantic Division but could become a Wild Card target for the Devils depending on how other teams play. 

“Big game," said Hischier. "We know it’s the last time before a little break. There’s a team we’re chasing. We want to win that game. We played really well here last time. We just need to fix those little mistakes and go out with a winning mindset. It’s going to be a big game for us.”

It's also the final game before the bye week and all-star break for the Lightning so both teams will be emptying their tanks.

Miller Breaks the Mold

Colin Miller caught the attention of the hockey world last Saturday against Dallas when he ripped a shot at 102.59 miles per hour. The shot was the hardest the NHL has seen since EDGE started tracking shots three years ago. 

“I guess I got a hold of that one," he laughed. "Sometimes they come off harder than others. It would be nice to see a couple more squeak in than just go really hard.”

The previous hardest was achieved only two days before that when Darren Raddysh of Tampa Bay fired one 102.40 mph.

Improvements Wanted

The Devils will be looking for a boost from within on Saturday as they aim for a crucial two points against the Bolts. Colin Miller said that the task at hand is clear. 

“Our own zone is something we’re continually trying to improve. Getting back to our positions, just be able to read each out there it makes it a lot easier,” Miller began, adding that the team needs to improve their output early in games. 

“Starting on time. There’s lots of excuses right now for a multitude of reasons but we have one more here before the break," he continued. "We really just need to make sure we’re coming out strong and see what happens.”

The Devils have had the fewest number of games when scoring first in the NHL by a wide margin. Of their 46 games, they've only scored the first goal 13 times. When they do score first, they have a lot of success with a 9-2-2 record. The next-closest team to the Devils is Washington, who's scored first 17 times. The Devils have trailed first 33 times this season, tops in the League behind Anaheim, Washington and San Jose who have all been scored first on in 29 contests. New Jersey is 15-17-1 when trailing first.

Adapting to Injuries

Miller was asked about the injuries on the team, particularly on the blueline. He wasn't prepared to give the team any excuses or an out despite now missing the team's top pairing (Jonas Siegenthaler and Dougie Hamilton) for a good portion of the year. 

"There’s definitely been changes. It hasn’t been too bad. You look at the guys who have come up, they’ve done a good job. I’ve been with Luke (Hughes) or Kevin (Bahl). Going back to our details, the things that make us good, we’re on top of the systems then it shouldn’t matter who you’re playing with.”