Other lineup notes, it appears that Curtis Lazar and Nathan Bastian will be scratched while Palat and Justin Dowling are in.
“It’s hard to take them out,” Keefe said of Lazar and Bastian. “When we’re playing out our best, those guys have been a big part of it. We haven’t been playing our best, and those guys to me have slipped a little bit, their game, their effectiveness, the forechecking, that’s part of it.
“The other piece is you look at different things and different people that you want to look at, how it all fits, how it all works and make a decision. That’s really it. I still have lots of belief in those guys. When they come back in, they’ll do a good job for us as they have. Right now, we’re going to look at a little something different.”
Back on Track
The Devils have lost three of their last four games. But prior to that, the team had won three of four. So, it’s been an up-and-down ride of late. The club is trying to find more consistency in its on-ice game.
“We’re seeking consistency as most teams would say they are,” Keefe said. “For us to overcome our circumstances with injuries and all those kinds of things, we need a lot more than what we’re getting right now.”
“A group that plays the same way, believes in each other and we’ve proven that throughout the year,” Hischier said. “We just have to get back to that. Play with confidence and we look forward from here.”
Playing the right way is important, but with just 11 games remaining in the regular season, the Devils are in desperate need of wins.
“We just have to start winning some games,” defenseman Luke Hughes said. “At this point in the year, the race is really tight. We’ve put ourselves in a really good spot, really good position, but we just have to finish it out, go game by game and try to win as many games as possible.”
Brotherly Love
Though Jack Hughes is out of the lineup for the Devils, the matchup will still feature brothers Luke (New Jersey) going against Quinn (Vancouver). With the Canucks on the east coast for a road trip, the brothers have found some time to see each other this week.
“I had some good family time this week,” Luke said.
Canucks Scouting Report
The Canucks are two spots out of the playoffs and will be desperate in the game. While the Devils are in a more comfortable position, they also aren’t a lock for the postseason. So, both teams have a lot to play for tonight.
“They’re going to come out fast,” Luke Hughes said. “They’re in a fight for their lives and we’re starting to get into a big fight. Two teams pushing. We need to come out strong and come out fast.”
