NEW YORK -- New Jersey Devils defenseman Anton Volchenkov will be back in the lineup Sunday afternoon against the New York Rangers (3 p.m. ET, NBC) after serving his four-game suspension for elbowing Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand on April 10.
Volchenkov is replacing Mark Fayne because coach Peter DeBoer is predicting that it will be a physical game against the Rangers and he wants to dress a lineup that is adept to playing that style.
"We put a lineup in that we think will give us the best chance to win," DeBoer said. "That's all I can tell you."
The Devils have to beat the Rangers to keep their faint hopes for a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs alive. Any type of loss will eliminate them from postseason contention.
"They're trying to secure a playoff spot and we're trying to keep ourselves alive," DeBoer said. "It doesn't get much more intense than that."
The Devils have won two in a row after a 10-game winless streak (0-6-4) to stay alive in the postseason hunt. They're coming off a 6-2 win against the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
"Guys know the situation; they know where we're at," DeBoer said. "I think they brought their best game to the rink consistently for the last month and we're finally getting rewarded for that. Hopefully it's not too little, too late."
DeBoer also said that Ilya Kovalchuk came through the game Saturday just fine. It was his first after missing 11 with a shoulder injury. He added that captain Bryce Salvador (hand) is still not skating and will not be available "in the near future."
Martin Brodeur will start in goal for the 15th straight game.
Besides the change on defense, the only other lineup change will be at center, where Andrei Loktionov will replace Jacob Josefson, who played two games in a row.
"We have to win or we are done," DeBoer said. "I think we believe as a group that we can win out, but it's not going to be easy."
Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.