MORNING SKATE RECAP
NEWARK, NJ. - The Devils held a morning skate at Prudential Center ahead of hosting the Calgary Flames. All players were on the ice except for goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
“We gave him the option,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Markstrom. “He doesn’t love to skate on mornings of games. We gave him the option, and he chose to stay off.”
Keefe confirmed that Markstrom will start in goal this evening.
The team used the following workflow…
Meier – Hischier – Mercer
Bratt – Hughes – Brown
Gritsyuk – Glass – Hameenaho
Cotter – Bjugstad – Tsyplakov
Siegenthaler – Hamilton
Hughes – Kovacevic
Dillon – Nemec
The Devils have stuck with the flipping of Jesper Bratt and Arseny Gritsyuk. Bratt reunites with Jack Hughes while Gritsyuk is returned to the play with Cody Glass and Lenni Hameenaho.
“It’s a little bit of an adjustment but we played with Gritsyuk for a while, so we know what he is,” Glass said. “It’s a little bit different but at the end of the day communication is key.”
Glass is pivoting the two rookies and he’s seen a lot of growth in both, particularly the still neophyte Hameenaho.
“He’s been awesome,” Glass said. “One of the hardest things for myself, going through juniors and everything, is the offense is there but learning the defensive side in the NHL is really hard because you’re playing against men. He’s done a real good job with that. The sky is the limit for him.”
Practice Time
It’s been three days since they last played a game. In that span, the Devils have held two practices and a full morning skate, meaning they managed to get a lot of work done over this little break.
“We’ve been able to get some good practice time. I’m hopeful that will continue to be productive for us. Between coming out of the break and the gaps that we’ve had between our games, I feel we’ve practiced more in these last few weeks than we have virtually the entire season.
“The last couple days, two practices in a row, you can address a couple different things and build and progress. That’s really hard to do with the typical schedule wh8chis around the corner and coming back to reality. I think that’s made a difference in how we’ve been able to play.”
Scouting the Flames
Keefe: “They play a smart game, work hard. They’re missing some guys and made some moves. They’re missing some of the top-end skill that a lot of teams have. Lots of depth throughout their lineup. You have to be prepared to play, execute and play well. Watching the pre-scout, they handled Carolina quite easily at home just last week. You have to be ready with how they play and what they’re capable of, like any team in the NHL.”
