NEWARK, N.J. -With the Devils playing in the afternoon against Boston, there wasn't a morning skate. So, the lineup and starting goaltender remains a mystery until warmups. However, with the Devils set to play against the New York Rangers Sunday night at Madison Square Garden, both Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier will get a game between the pipes.
"We have back-to-back games. That's not any secret," head coach Lindy Ruff said. "We have a lot of games in a few days here. We've got four-in-six, back-to-back. You could look at this as an opportunity where both goaltenders are going to play."
Got Their Number
The Devils finished the 2019-20 season with the third worst record in the NHL at 19-30-7. Boston, meanwhile, finished 33-16-7 as one of the better teams.
Surprisingly though, the Devils went 5-1-2 against the Bruins despite the lopsided final standings.
"Sometimes you get a team's number and it's a good matchup for you," Ruff said. "Sometimes a team gets your number, and they take advantage of every mistake you make and you can't quite shake them."
The Devils opened last season with two home games against Boston, a shootout loss followed by an overtime victory, earning three of four points.
"It started in the first two games of the year. They were both tight games. I thought that kind of set the tone for the rest of the season on how we needed to play," Ruff said, "don't give that big line a lot of opportunities. We were pretty consistent against them all."
That "big line" would be Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak. The trio is arguably the best line in the National Hockey League in terms of numbers and production.
"We have to be really diligent and know what their strengths are when that line is on the ice, whether we are matching or not matching," Ruff said. "In all likely we'll find a defensive pair we want against them. Then whether it's (Michael) McLeod or Nico (Hischier).
"We know what that line can do. We know the set plays. They've been together so long they make certain set plays that we have to make sure we take away. They have power on the rush with the speed they can generate."
The Bruins are off to a tough start to the year at 6-5-0, including 1-4-0 on the road. They are missing their top goaltender - Tuukka Rask has been out all year following off-season surgery - and are hoping to find their game.
"We know how hard we're going to have to play to beat this team," Ruff said. "They're a good team. Right now, they're desperate for consistency and trying to get on track. We're going to have to play well."
Defensive Defenseman
The Devils will look to get a defensive pair to go against the Bruins' top line, and a good nominee may be the pairing of P.K. Subban and Jonas Siegenthaler. The duo has been the team's most consistent pairing, and Siegenthaler has been a big part of that.
"He's been one of our most consistent defensemen defensively. Numbers alone say that he's been one of our best defenders," Ruff said. "He hasn't made a lot of mistakes. His puck mistakes have been minimal. And he's defended well when he's been on the ice. You can't ask for much. He's got a long reach. He's been killing penalties well for us. There's a lot of good things that Seigs has brought."
