MORNING SKATE RECAP
MONTRÉAL, QC - The Devils held an optional skate on Saturday in Montreal.
Ondrej Palat, Curtis Lazar, Paul Cotter, Jesper Bratt, Nathan Bastian, Brenden Dillon, Brett Pesce, Kurtis MacDermid, Jake Allen and Isaac Poulter. were the players on the ice at Bell Centre.
Allen will start in net, up against his former team, while Poulter will be the backup. This will be Allen's first return to Montreal since he was traded to New Jersey at last year's trade deadline.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that despite not practicing yesterday, dealing with swelling in his finger from stitches he received last game, Jack Hughes is expected to play tonight against the Canadiens.
Take Care of One Another
The Devils won't have the services of Jacob Markstrom for the next 4 to 6 weeks, but there is no panic in the room about it. Of course, losing a top player like Markstrom is always disappointing, but as head coach Sheldon Keefe explains, this is all about the team and how they pick each other up in these moments.
"You don’t make a bigger deal of it than it is, first thing," Sheldon Keefe said. "Because ultimately, you put together a team and structure that is bigger and more important than any one player, so that’s the first thing. It’s an innate thing, that players recognize, they’ve got to be better and all of that to help recover. Sometimes it’s about injuries, but sometimes guys just aren’t playing well and the rest, as a group, picks them up. That’s really what you want. It’s a good opportunity for our team to recognize and accept that challenge."
Against the Bruins, particularly as Allen took to the net early in the second, the Devils played some of their best hockey of late, particularly defensively. A good reminder of what they can accomplish when everyone is dialed in.
“Every team has their structure but I think that we’ve shown that when we do it, how strong we can be defensively," Curtis Lazar said. "And that makes the job for any goalie a lot easier. Lots of predictability, know where the shots are coming from and the trust of knowing that when they make the first save we’re going to take care of the rest.”
Saturday Night in Montreal
There's something unique about a Saturday night in Montreal, playing at the Bell Centre. Take it from Keefe who has been a part of many, many matchups from his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who are excited to play, Saturday night in Montreal, Hockey Night in Canada and all that sort of thing. Some of the things that you might take for granted on the other side," Keefe said, "I love this building, the city, everything that comes with it. But it’s real special being here on a Saturday, for sure.”
The Canadiens have been making a strong push in the last six weeks, surging up the Atlantic Division standings, just one point out of a Wild Card spot. They've been one of the hotter teams in the league, despite their most recent loss against the Detroit Red Wings: they're 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.
“Be ready to play, the team is feeling it, you get that momentum, that confidence it’s a big thing, it doesn’t matter who you’re playing against," Curtis Lazar said of the opponent tonight. "We talk about that structure, play to our system, play to our strengths, the stronger we are defensively, the less time we spend in our own zone, the more pressure we put on them which will lead to more turnovers and that’s going to lead to our opportunities. Just continue to be who we are, Saturday night in Montreal, it’s always a fun one. We’ll be ready to go.”