MORNING SKATE RECAP
NEWARK, NJ. -
The Devils did not hold a morning skate due to hosting the New York Rangers in the afternoon at Prudential Center. Head coach Sheldon Keefe spoke with the media prior to puck drop.
Keefe noted that the Devils will use the same lineup that they’ve used the past few games. Goalie Jacob Markstrom starts in goal.
Bratt Attack
Keefe has moved forward Jesper Bratt onto a line with Lenni Hameenaho and center Cody Glass. The trio has had some early success and Keefe likes the idea of Bratt being a line’s driving force as opposed to having him on a line with Jack Hughes, where there are two drivers.
“I thought Bratt was getting in his head a lot,” Keefe said. “Combine that with playing with Jack and you naturally defer or look for him. It was a chance for Bratt to focus on his game while at the same time playing with Glass and Lenni, who’ve played very well as a pair.
“It’s a chance for Bratt to get extra touches, focus on his game, attack the net more, shoot the puck more.”
Deadline Past
Now that the NHL’s annual trade deadline has past, it’s time for the Devils to focus on finishing out the remaining 20 games of the regular season.
“Our team has been in a good place. We need to keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Keefe said. “Since we’ve come back from the break, I’ve like where our mindset has been. I like how we’ve played.”
Rival Run
It took a long time, but the Devils are finally facing their most heated rival in the Rangers. This is the only team New Jersey has yet to play this season. But the two clubs will face each other three teams over the next three-plus weeks.
“It is strange, but when you think about it now, here it is, we’re going to play them a bunch here coming up,” Keefe said. “I guess it could be a good thing to keep us fresh and motivated.”
