NEWARK, N.J. -- Ilya Kovalchuk will be in the lineup when the New Jersey Devils battle the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference Semifinal round series at Prudential Center.
SOG: 25 | +/-: -5
There's no doubt the addition of Kovalchuk should add some spark to the lineup -- and perhaps help carry over the momentum the team built in its victory in Game 2. The Devils outshot (35-20) and outhit (32-24) the Flyers on Tuesday to even the series at one win apiece.
"You're adding our leading scorer … one of the top five scorers in the League, so I think it can't do anything but help," coach Peter DeBoer told the media Thursday morning. "Players know their bodies better than doctors, coaches, anybody else."
DeBoer scratched versatile defenseman Peter Harrold, who has four assists and a plus-2 rating in nine playoff games. Harrold dressed as a seventh defenseman during warmups but rookie Adam Larsson was skating alongside Anton Volchenkov. Andy Greene was with Mark Fayne and Bryce Salvador was paired with Marek Zidlicky.
DeBoer nixed the notion that he would limit Kovalchuk's minutes. The big Russian has averaged 25:09 of ice time in the playoffs; he averaged 24:26 in 77 regular-season games. In eight playoff games, Kovalchuk has three goals, six points and a minus-5 rating.
"For me, if [Kovalchuk] is healthy to go, he's healthy to go," DeBoer said. "It's not healthy with an asterisk. We aren't going to limit him in ice time or anything. If he's in, it's full in."
The (Newark) Star-Ledger reported that Kovalchuk has been suffering from a herniated disc in his back. According to general manager Lou Lamoriello, Kovalchuk has been dealing with the injury since the middle of New Jersey's first-round series against the Florida Panthers.
Follow Mike Morreale on Twitter at: @mike_morreale
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.