NEWARK, N.J. -- Amidst all the rumors of a potential trade in the works for Minnesota Wild defenseman Marek Zidlicky, the Devils went to work Friday morning at Prudential Center in preparation for the surging Anaheim Ducks.
The Ducks were 20 points out of eighth place Jan. 6, but have gone 14-2-3 in 19 games since and are in the hunt for a playoff berth. New Jersey, meanwhile, is 6-1-1 in their last eight games.
"They're a dynamic team and their best players have been their best players lately," Devils coach Peter DeBoer said of the Ducks. "That's why they're winning."
With the exception of rookie defenseman Adam Larsson, who is dealing with a bruised lower back, all active players on the Devils' roster were participants during Friday's morning skate.
The Devils recalled forward Nick Palmieri from the team's American Hockey League affiliate in Albany on Tuesday and he'll be in the lineup Friday. Palmieri, who last was in the lineup Jan. 14 against Winnipeg, will begin the game on the fourth line, with center Jacob Josefson and Eric Boulton.
"We just want him to come in and play that regular role," DeBoer said. "We don't need a top-six power-play forward right now … we might need in that role down the road, but we need him coming off the bench with energy. I want him to be a player who's hard to play against, who's hard on the puck. A lot like (Steve) Bernier and (Alexei) Ponikarovsky have done for us."
One player leading the surge offensively for the Devils recently has been Ilya Kovalchuk, who recorded his 12th career hat trick and first as a Devil on Tuesday in a victory against the Buffalo Sabres. Kovalchuk has 13 goals and 26 assists in his last 17 games, 10 of which have been multi-point games.
Here are the possible line combinations for the Devils:
Zach Parise - Adam Henrique - Ilya Kovalchuk
Petr Sykora - Patrik Elias - David Clarkson
Alexei Ponikarovsky - Dainius Zubrus - Steve Bernier
Eric Boulton - Jacob Josefson - Nick Palmieri
Andy Greene - Mark Fayne
Bryce Salvador - Anton Volchenkov
Matt Taormina - Kurtis Foster
Martin Brodeur will get the start in goal, with Johan Hedberg serving as backup.
Palmieri back in lineup for Devils
Friday, 02.17.2012 / 11:51 AM
By Mike G. Morreale - NHL.com Staff Writer / At the Rink blog
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