MORNING SKATE RECAP
NEWARK, N.J. - The Devils will be without Brett Pesce and Johnathan Kovacevic when they open a home-and-home against the Washington Capitals Thursday night at Prudential Center.
Pesce is ill, while Kovacevic is undergoing further evaluation after suffering an injury late in the second period in Winnipeg. Vladislav Kolyachonok is coming up from Utica and will play, giving New Jersey six defensemen after dressing seven in each of the past two games.
Stefan Noesen and Lenni Hameenaho will also enter the lineup, with Amadeus Lombardi sitting out. Connor Hellebuyck is confirmed to start both tonight and Saturday's rematch in Washington.
The Devils (13-6-0) return home after a 4-2 loss in Winnipeg Tuesday ended their five-game winning streak. They have won six straight at Prudential Center.
RESHAPING THE LINEUP
Kovacevic's situation is “not a day-to-day thing at this point,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said, with imaging Thursday expected to provide a clearer picture.
Beyond the absences on defense, Keefe wants fresh players as the Devils approach the end of what he considers their most demanding stretch of the season.
“I feel like this schedule, the way that it's gone, it's taken a piece of us a little bit, and want to get some fresh guys in,” Keefe said.
The Washington games are the ninth and tenth of that 10-game segment. Keefe said the cumulative effects were apparent in the past two games, including Sunday's 4-0 win in Toronto, and pointed to the combination of travel, time zones, opponents and limited practice time.
Keefe said Lombardi's game has slipped during the stretch and viewed a night out as an opportunity for the young forward to reset, even with a lighter workload than some teammates.
Noesen and Hameenaho were recalled Wednesday, when Anthony Mantha was placed on long-term injured reserve. Noesen recorded six points (two goals, four assists) in seven games with Utica, and Keefe praised the reports on both his play and how he handled his time there.
HAMEENAHO BACK WITH GLASS
Hameenaho will make his first NHL appearance of the season after recording nine points (six goals, three assists) in 11 games with Utica.
He is expected to skate with Jesper Boqvist and Cody Glass, reuniting with a center he played alongside last season, when he appeared in 33 games for New Jersey. Hameenaho credited Glass' ability to help defensively while contributing offensively.
“I feel like he's just a smart player, easy to play with,” Hameenaho said.
Glass also welcomed the chance to play together again, noting that their previous experience should help as they work to reestablish their connection.
“Obviously, he's more on the quiet end, so I'm going to have to loosen him up a little bit,” Glass joked.
POWER PLAY NEEDS RESULTS
The Devils' first power-play unit remains unchanged, but Keefe made clear that further adjustments could follow if the group does not improve.
New Jersey went 0-for-4 in Winnipeg and enters Thursday ranked 26th in the NHL at 18.0 percent, converting 11 of 61 opportunities.
Keefe cited the group's past success and Luke Hughes' development as reasons for showing patience. He sees Hughes' responsibilities on the power play as an important part of his growth beyond special teams.
“The power play minutes, the opportunity, the responsibility, that bleeds into five-on-five play,” Keefe said. “That's a big part of Luke's development as well.”
At the same time, Keefe emphasized that Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier are the players who drive the unit, and that the coaching staff shares responsibility for getting more from it.
“We're approaching 20 games, and we need to see some results,” he said. “And that's not to put everything on Luke, because it certainly is not.”
Keefe said changes are “right around the corner if we don't see some significant growth and results here.” His evaluation extends beyond goals to the unit's process and the momentum it creates for the rest of the team.
A DIVISIONAL TEST
Washington (10-6-0) has won its past two games, including a 3-2 overtime victory in Ottawa Tuesday. The Capitals won the teams' first meeting 4-2 on Oct. 17.
Keefe said facing the same opponent twice will help connect the review of one game with preparation for the next, particularly with so little practice time available.
“These are important points. We need to play well and get good results in our division,” Keefe said.
For Connor Brown, the priority following the Winnipeg loss is maintaining the approach that helped New Jersey win eight of its past 10 games.
“The points are that much more important,” Brown said. “But it's important for us to not try to do anything out of the ordinary of what we've been doing that's allowed for us to have success.”
EXPECTED LINEUPS
Devils
Gritsyuk - J. Hughes - Bratt
Meier - Hischier - Evangelista
Noesen - Rodrigues - Brown
Boqvist - Glass - Hameenaho
Siegenthaler - L. Hughes
Chisholm - Hamilton
Dillon - Kolyachonok
Hellebuyck (confirmed starter)
Allen
Capitals
Tuch - Strome - Kyrou
A. Protas - Dubois - Wilson
Ovechkin - Sourdif - Beauvillier
Jenner - I. Protas - Leonard
Chychrun - Roy
Fehervary - Liljegren
Hutson - St. Ivany
Thompson (projected starter)
Lindgren
