Devils Practice Ahead of Final Game Before Break | NOTEBOOK

The Devils practiced Friday ahead of New Jersey's final game before the winter break. New Jersey fell 6-3 to the Oilers on Thursday night and have gone 0-2-1 in the first three games of a five-game homestand.

“We talk a lot in the room a lot about how we should play the game, how we should start a game, but we don’t do that,” Ondrej Palat shared following Friday’s practice. “Yesterday we came out flat, Edmonton was winning battles, they were skating better. Then again, we go into the third period winning and we don’t need to score more goals. Then we’re giving up chances, we’re leaving McDavid all alone net front. We just need to, like we did today, went through the video, learned from it, and come out way stronger tomorrow.”

“We went over some stuff this morning,” Brendan Smith discussed about Thursday night’s loss. “They lost the last three and they were going to come and a be a little bit desperate. I don’t think we were completely prepared for that. They played a good game, you have to tip your hat. They were above us, they competed a little bit harder than us.”

Below is the latest info, updates, interviews, videos and more from the practice session!

Friday's Practice

Forward Nathan Bastian was the only missing healthy player from Friday's practice, Devils head coach Lindy Ruff shared Bastian was taking a maintenance day. Colin Miller, who missed yesterday's game, was back at practice. He and his wife welcomed a new member of the family on Thursday.

The on-ice session lasted 40 minutes and the team brought a high-level of intensity throughout every drill. When New Jersey skated with lines and d-pairings this is how they lined up:

Turning to the Leaders

As leaders in the locker room with plenty of NHL experience, defenseman Brendan Smith and forward Ondrej Palat are two players the Devils will turn to for guidance. Both have experienced the highs and lows of an NHL season and what it takes to snap a losing skid.

“I feel like we have been playing some pretty good hockey, we’ve had some lulls,” Smith discussed. “What we’re trying to do in this room, especially with the veteran class here trying to help everyone understand, you’re trying to get as consistent of a game as possible. That’s practice, come and be ready, take care of your body, eat right, and play well. You have to do that the whole season and it’s hard. An 82 game season is a grueling process and it’s a long season.”

Although they've lost their last three games, the Devils have improved their play in recent games and are only four points out of a playoff spot. The group has discussed what they need to do, but now it's time for them to execute.

“We are right there in the hunt. Hopefully we will get a win and we can get a couple days off to restart, relax a little bit and then get ready for the half a season push," Palat explained. "I know it’s frustrating, we want to play better and we will. We just need to be better.”

Growing Pains

With several rookie defensemen on the Devils roster, they're getting a crash course in what it takes to be an NHL defenseman. Whether that's reading a situation on the fly and understanding the right decision, or slowing down to make the right play, it's a learning process. Head Coach Lindy Ruff shared recently he believes it can take two or three seasons to no longer be a rookie blueliner in the NHL. Ruff and his coaching staff continue to support their players in their development.

“I think what appears to be the simple play, sometimes isn’t the simple play,” Ruff explained. “We’ll get them through that. That’s our job as coaches to get them through that. Young players make young reads and some of those young reads are young mistakes. They’re harsh lessons.

“We talked about the lessons in our meetings today," Ruff continued. "We went through some of those plays. We’re in this thing together. We know that we have to got to each other’s back. And when we make a mistake like that can we bail the other guy out. So it’s our secondary level of defense.”

Giving Back

Jack and Luke Hughes spent an off-day in November surprising members of the Hockey in New Jersey program. The open skate event was put on by Bauer who created a mural at the HNJ facilities. Learn more about the experience by clicking here!

They Said It

Lindy Ruff on why the Devils have drawn less penalties as of late: 

“I think it all comes down to your 1-on-1. Whether you’re beating people up ice, or you’re beating people off the walls, that’s where a lot of the penalties come from. If you’re creating a lot of opportunities where you put the team in a situation where they have to get a stick on you, get a hand on you, if we’re not getting in behind them or beating players with our speed, then I think our penalties have been down.”

Ondrej Palat facing the Red Wings Saturday after losing 4-0 in Detroit last month:

“It was a terrible game for us, a lot of turnovers. They’ll be a desperate team like Edmonton. They’re on a losing streak and so are we. We’re going to be ready tomorrow and come out strong.”

Brendan Smith on decision making with breakout passes:

"I think it's time and place. If you have the lead in the third, if you can get your eyes up and make the play, make the play. If you can't, you've got to live another day and just shovel it out and start anew. I think a big part of that is understanding your situation and live another day. Get it out and regroup."

Upcoming Schedule

On Saturday night, the Devils will host the Detroit Red Wings before the holiday break. On Dec. 27, the first day back from the break, the Ottawa Senators are in town to face New Jersey. Tickets are available here.