1_200716_108_InsideTheDevilsBlog_Template_2568x1444 (1)

3-on-1 rushes? 2-on-2 battles? Power play? Penalty kill? The shootout?
You name it, the Devils probably worked on it on Wednesday at practice. It was a fast-paced, physically exhausting skate following last night's 5-2 disappointing effort against San Jose. Just when you thought practice would traditionally have ended, considering the team's travel schedule, Ruff signaled for another drill.
What's that famous line from the movie Dark Knight?
"It's about sending a message."
On Wednesday, Head Coach Lindy Ruff had a message he wanted to convey.
"Part of that was trying to re-establish [the details in our game] and part of that was the message that last night wasn't good enough," said Ruff. "And if that's what we're going to get, we'll practice harder. Until we do get it."
It does not appear as though today was a one-off for the Devils. If they get more performances like Tuesday night, Ruff seems inclined to repeat today's itinerary.
"I told the team this morning, if we played the way we did last night, we're going to practice even harder the next day," said Ruff. "If we're determined, and we play the game the right way, and we're getting the results, the practice time will go down. But all I had to do was watch the first five minutes of last night's game to know that wasn't even close to good enough. We were pretending."