On the back end, Keefe said the Devils have shown progress defensively, even if the results have not always followed.
“There’s been good attention to detail, especially on recoveries,” he said. “It’s a game of mistakes, but it’s the second and third efforts where guys clean things up for one another. Our goaltending has been strong, which gives everybody more confidence, but we haven’t been perfect. That just shows how tight these games are.”
Brenden Dillon echoed that sentiment, noting how thin the line has been between wins and losses.
“I haven’t been part of something like this where so many teams are right in the thick of it,” Dillon said. “You win two or three games, you’re in a playoff spot. You lose one, you’re out. That’s the NHL now. Every play, every period, every shift matters.”
The Devils starting goaltender for tonight's game was not confirmed.
Game Management
Dillon pointed back to a stretch earlier in the season when the Devils managed games more effectively, even when they were not at their best.
“We understood the importance of game management,” he said. “Whether you’re up one, down one, or tied late, there’s merit in getting to overtime, in staying above players, in blocking a shot, in a good penalty kill. The margin of error is so small.”
For Hischier, the focus remains on process rather than outcomes, especially when offense has not always come easily.
“Sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t,” he said. “What we can control is doing the process right. Going to the net, stopping at the net, trying to make pucks fall our way. You can’t get too frustrated. You have to find that balance.”
The Devils understand the challenge Washington presents, from its physicality to the way its defense activates offensively. They also understand the opportunity that comes with the first game back.
“It’s a chance to get back to our game quickly,” Keefe said. “To get positive momentum and put ourselves in a similar situation to how we started the season.”
With the standings compressed and no easy points available, the Devils know tonight is not about easing back in. It is about competing immediately, embracing the grind, and setting a tone that carries beyond one game.
As Hischier put it, “You have to enjoy the process, enjoy the ups and downs, and try to build a rhythm. We’re trying to build that here, starting tonight.”
Against a Capitals team comfortable in tight games, that work begins right away.
