Tallinder a late scratch for Devils

NEWARK, N.J. -- Devils coach Pete DeBoer said Thursday morning he anticipated using the same group of defensemen that played in Tuesday's 5-1 win over Winnipeg. However, Henrik Tallinder was ruled out by the Devils prior to the game with a lower-body injury.

The Devils had an optional skate Thursday morning and Tallinder did not skate in it. Matt Taormina, who hasn't played in the last four games, will take Tallinder's spot in the lineup.

As a result, the Devils have switched up their defensive pairs as well. Mark Fayne, who was initially supposed to play with Tallinder, skated in warmups with Bryce Salvador. Taormina was paired with rookie Adam Larsson. Anton Volchenkov remained with Kurtis Foster.

If Tallinder were healthy, Salvador would have played with Larsson.

Tallinder was also a late scratch on Dec. 16 against Dallas with back spasms. He missed six straight games before returning on Dec. 31. He has played in the previous nine straight games.

Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter at: @drosennhl

Back to top