SWITCH
The newly shuffled top-6 was done in an effort to generate more offense, particularly at 5-on-5.
“I just felt that Bratt with Nico can really help and get that line driving, which is what Bratt does best,” Keefe said. “Jack is doing a lot of that with the other group. Trying to get those going. (Ondrej) Palat and Brown paired together, to me are guys that I can trust and rely on and make it hard on the other team that way and give us some minutes. That’s what we’re hoping for.
“It’s all for the most part guys that have played together at different times, it’s just mixing it up a bit right now.”
The trio of Meier-Hischier-Bratt has been deployed a lot over the previous four seasons so it won’t be a completely foreign grouping.
“A very familiar pairing that has played in the past,” Bratt said. “Sometimes when things are going well but you want to switch up something to generate more over four lines, sometimes a change can be good.”
The trio are well supported within their group. Bratt is a player that can drive play and carry the puck through the neutral zone with his speed and craftiness. Hischier and Meier are strong down low in the offensive zone and can cycle well. It gives the line a lot of complimentary dynamics.
“For our line, Nico and Timo are two tremendous players that I’m excited to play with. I’m excited to generate,” Bratt said. “I think we can create a little more volume and O zone shifts. With me coming in, transporting more pucks in the neutral zone for Nico and Timo and using their strengths when we get in the zone.”
RESET
The Devils are coming off of a 3-1 road trip through Western Canada. Though the club lost the final game (4-2 in Seattle), they still collected six of eight points, all on the road.
“First and foremost, it was a great road trip,” said defenseman Brett Pesce, sporting a huge cut above his eye. “The loss aside, if any team in the league goes on the road and goes 3-1, that’s a success. At the same time, we left some points on the table against Seattle. It could have gone either way.”
The Devils are 5-2 in their last seven games. But what started this current run ironically was a loss. It came at the hands of Winnipeg, 4-3. But it was a game that sowed the seeds of the current stretch.
“I thought we played a pretty good game. We were right there,” Pesce said. “Cleaning up the defensive structure, we had a few too many breakdowns in that game. Clean that up and it will take care of itself.”
GLASS ACT
Devils center Cody Glass has always been strong defensively. But lately he’s been adding a lot of offensive flair.
Glass has six goals and nine points in his past eight games while posting a plus-4.
“Confidence is a big thing offensively,” Keefe said of Glass’ recent play. “When he gets a scoring chance, he can score, and he has done that at a high rate. But the thing I like most about his game is he’s really embraced the defensive side of the puck, the physicality in the defensive zone, to get people stopped, to win the puck back. Positionally he’s been very sound. He’s taken things very seriously in the faceoff dot.
“He’s become that much more well-rounded as a player. The offense is great, but he’s also become a guy that I feel I can put out in any situation. His role continues to grow and evolve. He’s taken more on the penalty kill now, putting him out late in games, using him in tough matchups. He’s been a very, very important player for us.”
