MORNING SKATE RECAP
NEWARK, NJ - The Devils held a morning skate at Prudential Center ahead of hosting the Dallas Stars. The club hit the ice at 10 a.m., which is a half hour earlier than usual due to the game starting at 6 p.m. – which is an hour earlier than usual.
Jack Hughes participated with the team. It’s his first time on the ice with his Devils teammates since the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. Hughes is expected to play for the Devils in the game and log his normal ice time.
All healthy players took part in the skate.
Captain (B)ack
Devils captain Nico Hischier took part in the morning skate, as well as the club’s three previous practices this week. He will return to the lineup for the Devils tonight against the Stars.
“He’s good to go. He’s excited to play,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said.
Hischier missed the past six games for the Devils due to an oblique injury suffered from a cross check by the Canadiens’ Nick Suzuki on Jan. 25 at Montreal.
“Nico is the captain of this team. Heart and soul kind of guy for us,” forward Stefan Noesen said. “He leads by example. He works hard. We’re really excited to have him back.”
Workflow
The Devils used the following workflow…
Palat – Hughes – Bratt
Meier – Hischier – Noesen
Cotter – Haula – Mercer
Tatar – Lazar – Bastian
Dillon – Hamilton
Pesce – Kovacevic
Hughes – Nemec
(MacDermid – Casey)
Allen worked the starter’s net.
Final Stretch
The game against Dallas marks the beginning of the final stretch of games for the regular season. The Devils have 25 games remaining on their schedule, which includes a season-long five-game road trip after tonight’s game.
“It’s a nice number, 25 games, it’s easy to hone in on this last stretch,” Keefe said. “It’s going to be a busy stretch. A long road trip after today’s game. We’ll play some real tough teams out of the gate. It’s both exciting and challenging at the same time. The biggest challenge for our group though is our team and our game.”
The Devils enjoyed an extended break prior to getting back into action. During the 4 Nations tournament, the players were given a nine-day break before returning to practice. The Devils will go a full 13 days between games.
“We had the time to recharge our batteries and get ready for this upcoming stretch here, 25 games. It’s important,” forward Timo Meier said. “Last time we had a break over Christmas we didn’t start well, we didn’t play well after. We know what to do.
“One game here at home before we go on a road trip. This is very important that we take it day by day, starting with the game tonight. We come out the right way with the right mentality and the right way to play.”
Scouting the Stars
Keefe on Dallas: “They’re a structured team. They play hard defensively and don’t give up a lot. They have scoring threats on all four lines. Their defense are very active and involved as well. Lots of depth there. You can’t focus on one line or a couple individuals. They have guys throughout their group, they’re very deep. They’ve been a very good team for a long time and a lot of those reasons are a big part of that.”
