MORNING SKATE RECAP
PHILADELPHIA, PA. - The Devils arrive in Philadelphia looking for the missing piece after a performance where their defensive structure was strong, but the finish around the net didn't follow. Head coach Sheldon Keefe said the group generated enough to win but not enough to be satisfied.
“I wouldn’t say we had tons of chances… but we certainly had more than enough to have a goal,” Keefe said of the 1–0 loss in Florida. “We need to get more. I’ve leaned very heavily into the defensive side to get that in order, and the offense has now dried up. We’ve gotta be good on both sides of the puck.”
To help spark something up front, Keefe is elevating Timo Meier alongside Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt, giving the top line a heavier look with familiarity built in. “Meier and Nico… have spent a lot of time together,” Keefe said. “You want them to carry play… make a difference offensively and defensively… and produce some offense.”
The workflow at morning skate was as follows:
Meier – Hischier – Bratt
Gritsyuk – Mercer – Brown
Palat – Lammikko – Dadonov
Cotter – Glendening – Noesen
Siegenthaler – Nemec
Dillon – Hughes
Cholowski – Hamilton
Jake Allen to start.
CHANCES THERE
While the scoring hasn’t been flowing, players say the chances are there — and that frustration hasn’t taken over.
“We’re getting the chances, we just gotta put them in the net,” Luke Hughes said. “A couple little tweaks… just play our game and the rest will take care of itself.”
Hughes echoed the belief that the group is close. “We’re right there,” he said. “Played pretty well defensively… had our chances, just need to bear down and score and try and create more stuff off the rush.”
Stefan Noesen pointed to the simplest formula of all: get to the hard areas.
“Putting pucks on net and crashing… getting some dirty ones,” he said. “Simplifying your game a little bit and bounces will come.”
The emphasis is clear — execution, competitiveness, and pressure need to translate into goals.
POWER-PLAY TEST
If the Devils want to break out, tonight won’t offer much breathing room. The Flyers bring the No. 2 penalty kill in the league, a disruptive and aggressive unit that forces quick decisions. Keefe said their structure is obvious on both sides of the puck.
“They’re checking and defending very well as a team,” he said. “But it’s about us and our power play and taking what’s there… having good reads, good pace, and being decisive.”
Noesen said the Devils must turn the man-advantage into a crash-the-net operation.
“Becoming more of a shooting power play… taking away goalies’ eyes… trying to bang in some rebounds,” he said.
Hughes agreed that the units have the personnel, it’s about execution under pressure.
“Just gotta make our plays and execute passes and shoot when we have the lane,” he said. “Trusting the guys you’re out there with and trusting your instincts.”
The power play has been a pressure point recently, and tonight’s matchup forces urgency, clarity, and speed. The Devils expect to approach it with volume and simplicity against one of the league’s hardest systems to break down.
FORECHECK FIRST
Keefe said the blueprint for unlocking the offense actually starts before the puck even hits the slot. The forecheck — and the work behind it — must carry over to the offensive side as strongly as it has defensively.
“Our game starts with the forecheck and skating and the work that’s required to do that,” he said. “The effort we’re putting in to check and get to good spots defensively. We need to do the same with the same mindset on offense.”
He pointed to stretches against the Panthers where the Devils had them “on the ropes” but let them off too easily. Sustained pressure, retrievals, and forcing mistakes are the pieces New Jersey believes can turn zone time into goals.
FLYERS’ APPROACH
On the other side, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet continues to build a system rooted in predictability, connected routes, and heavy checking habits — traits that have powered Philadelphia’s strong penalty kill and disciplined five-on-five game.
“They were real predictable,” Tocchet said of his fourth line’s recent play. “Whether it’s fourth line or whatever, you’ve gotta play with predictability… if you don’t wear the puck out, sometimes you’re caught in between.”
He noted that as systems evolve, execution takes time — especially defensively.
“D-zone coverage takes time for the guys to understand when you switch systems,” he said. “We’re two months in.
Tocchet also acknowledged the challenge of league-wide scheduling and limited practice time, saying coaches across the NHL have shifted to teaching systems during morning skates.
“You almost gotta do your system stuff in a morning skate. Never did that before,” he said. “There’s not a lot of practice time… it’s only gonna get worse.”
Philadelphia enters the night structured, detailed, and confident in its pressure game, meaning the Devils’ push for offense will have to come through execution, pace, and a willingness to grind for space.
