"I think I do a good job with my normal routine on most days. (Thursday) was a little different," he said. "I didn't get a nap in with the timing. My pre-game warm-up, I did 75 percent of it. It was one of those days where that's the way it went. It feels like those days, those are the weird situations where you have to go in."
"Going in" would be the final wrinkle of the day.
As he took the ice for warm-up, Wedgewood was expecting to be a spectator from the bench during the game. Blackwood, who has been "dealing with something" according to head coach Lindy Ruff, typically takes shots until less than three minutes remain in warm-up. But around the four-and-a-half-minute mark, Blackwood left the ice.
"He just didn't look comfortable," Wedgewood said. "At that point I was 80, 90 percent (sure I would play). I didn't know what was going on obviously. I asked medical as the drills ended and they weren't sure yet. I prepared. I had eight, 10 shots at the end of warm-up. As I was coming back into the room, I got the nod that he wasn't able to go."
The Devils have a protocol in place for such an occasion. The team's goaltending coach, Dave Rogalski, watches his netminders closely during warm-up, as do the team's athletic trainers. They informed Ruff as soon as Blackwood stepped off the ice of his status.
"We have a goalie coach that is keeping a keen eye on warm-up. We've got a trainer that's aware that (Blackwood has) been fighting an issue at warm-up," Ruff said. "When we knew it looked like he wasn't going to be able to go, we got a hold of (Aaron) Dell, and he quickly got ready to backup. From that point the trainers and medical staff took over with Mackenzie."
With Mackenzie suffering an upper-body injury, the coaching staff informed Wedgewood that he would be making the surprise start in goal.
"I turned my mind on as quick as I could to focus in and let the guys do work in front of me," he said. "There were a few saves where I had to battle, but for the most part it was fun to watch that team go to work tonight."
Wedgewood turned in a stellar performance, turning aside 40-of-42 shots to help the Devils win their second straight game with a 3-2 victory against the Penguins. Not too bad for getting thrown into the fire at the last minute.
"You have to give (Wedgewood) a lot of credit because it's one thing to go into a game where the main goalie has played three or four and you know you're going in," Ruff said, "but to be ready and called upon when you're not the starter and you basically have 15 minutes to prepare yourself mentality and give your team a good game, and he gave us a real good game."
Luckily, Wedgewood had some experience with getting thrust into action. While playing in the American Hockey League, his fellow netminder Keith Kincaid battled an injury that forced him out of starts regularly. So, Wedgewood knows that the job of a backup is to be cast into the spotlight at any given moment.
"On any given night it could be a goalie pull or potential injury. That's the way the league goes and the way life is for us," Wedgewood said. "There's nothing really you can do (about it). I put the work in throughout the week. You prepare for hopefully a start in a back-to-back. You don't know too far in advance when you're going to play.
"I got into my normal pre-game (routine) after warm-up. Got some food in me, picked up the drinks I prepared and got out there. Once the game starts, you're in your home, your safe space. It was good to play again and to get out there was enjoyable for me."
