NEWARK, NJ -The Devils are champing at the bit to get back to game action after a two-week delay due to much of the team being placed on the NHL's COVID Protocol List. But after getting many of those players back yesterday, the club will face the Rangers tonight in NYC.
"Definitely itching to get back on the ice as a team," said Devils rookie defenseman Ty Smith. "It felt like a pretty long time coming, but you kind of just understand the protocols and things that we have to do as players to kind of make sure everyone's healthy and safe. So you're kind of just trying your best to have that in the back of your mind. And I look forward to coming back."
With just one full practice under their belts to get ready for their opponent, tonight will most definitely present obstacles but it's a challenge the Devils are eager to face. They have said over the past two days that their youth should serve them well.
"I think after taking that long time off without playing it's going to be a little bit of a challenge to get back into it," said Smith. "But I think we've done a good job these past few days getting back up to speed, I mean, to the best of our abilities. I think being young and kind of having that energy should be something that helps us out."
"I'm just happy everyone's okay," said forward Michael McLeod. "And now we can kind of put it behind us hopefully. We're focused on playing hockey."
KEEPING THE RANGERS DOWN
Perhaps helping fuel a bit of that energy is that the Devils are facing their rivals from across the Hudson. And it's a club that has dropped three straight games, being shut out in two of them. New York will almost certainly come out swinging, hoping to get the jump on a team that hasn't skated in two weeks.
Defending smartly will be key for the Devils.
"I think kind of just things simple and obviously listen to our coaching staff and try to do what they want us to do out there," said Smith. "I think the biggest thing for us is to compete, work hard and, make the simple play, and get the puck to the forwards and try to go North with it as much as possible."
FINDING CONFIDENCE
It's unfortunate for McLeod that the season paused when it did. He was on a bit of a roll with his line mates Nathan Bastian and Miles Wood. That "fourth line" wasn't playing much like a traditional crash and check fourth line. Instead, they were flashing a ton of skill and confidence.
McLeod went into the season searching for his first NHL goal. That came on Jan. 26, and then in the Devils final two games before the pause, the forward had two goals and an assist in a back-to-back series versus Buffalo. It all seems to be coming together for the 12th overall pick in 2016.
"It definitely gives you some confidence," he said of his recent run. "I kind of want to put more pucks on net because you never know what's going to go in. So that's a big thing for me, getting more pucks through and just taking those chances and getting to the net and screening the goalie. I'll try and get a tip or something. So that's been my main focus this year."
LINEUP NOTES
Head Coach Lindy Ruff keeps things tight as it pertains to his lineup. But he did say on Monday that the group that skated that day would be who was available for Tuesday. Meaning the Devils are still without Nico Hischier, Travis Zajac, Nikita Gusev, and Dmitry Kulikov, who were still on the COVID Protocol List on Monday.
