Five Questions with Nico Hischier

NHL.com's Q&A feature called "Five Questions With …" runs every Tuesday. We talk to key figures in the game and ask them questions to gain insight into their lives, careers and the latest news.
The latest edition features New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier:

Nico Hischier, the No. 1 selection in the 2017 NHL Draft, remains determined as ever to become one of the best two-way centers in the NHL.
After an impressive rookie season with the New Jersey Devils, Hischier has elevated his play even more in his second season despite being matched against top lines and defense pairs, and without the benefit of having 2018 Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall on his left wing since Dec. 23 because of a lower-body injury.
Hischier has more goals (16) and points (36) after 47 games this season than he did last season (eight, 29), though the Devils are 12 points from the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. He had 52 points (20 goals, 32 assists) last season, tied for sixth among NHL rookies, to help the Devils earn their first playoff berth since 2012.
Coach John Hynes made Hischier an alternate captain for the first time in his NHL career because of the absence of injured center Travis Zajac (lower body) at the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. The 20-year-old center responded by scoring the tying goal at 11:26 of the third period and the game-winner at 1:56 of overtime in a 3-2 victory, giving him 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in the 16 games during Hall's absence.

"I was surprised and honored (to see an 'A' on my jersey), but if the coach gives you that responsibility, you want to have a good game," Hischier said. "I just tried to play my game, work hard in the defensive zone."
Hynes has lauded Hischier's growth but continues to challenge him to become an even better player.
"I think when you look at a player with the hockey sense and competitiveness he has, it's the continuation of understanding the nuances of the game and being able to read plays and put yourself in situations to be in position to make plays on both sides of the puck," Hynes said. "He cares so much about the team and doing well, he may pull himself out of the face-off circle when things aren't going good.
"It's not because he doesn't want to do it, it's because he feels he's letting people down and part of being the man is you can let some people down at times, but you got to stay in the box and take your swings, too."
Hischier realizes this and said being assertive is something he continues to work on every day in practice and in game situations.
Here are Five Questions with … Nico Hischier:
How would you assess your second NHL season?
"For sure it's different than last year. It's a process that I didn't really know until now, and it's a learning process. When you see that you're not winning even though you're trying your best, it's tough; there's still going to be bad bounces. I mean, we know where we are right now, and we want to try and have a real strong second half. I'm trying to do my best to make that happen. Personally, I feel good out there. From the beginning of the year, I felt stronger in the defensive zone. I know this is a hard league, but I do feel good with where I'm at."
What do you feel you can you do to help the team become better?
"I feel it's just being more consistent. There are some games where I play good, and then there's games I don't feel good out there and I don't feel like I'm helping the team. So that's probably the one thing I got to try and figure out. I have to figure out that I can contribute something to the team in every game to give us a chance to win, and not just a few games."

Are you feeling more pressure to produce this season with the injury to Taylor Hall?
"Not really. But it's not easy losing the best player from your team, either. You can see how we miss him out there, but you just have to work with whoever is in the lineup. My mindset is always the same. It doesn't really matter to me who I'm playing with and against. I just go out there and play my game and be strong defensively in our zone and create some offense. That's how I need to play and how I can contribute for this team."
What makes Kyle Palmieri such an effective linemate?
"He's a guy who is easy to play with and understands the game well. He's in the right spot and is dangerous with the shot he has when you get the puck into the offensive zone. He's special for me because I see myself more as a playmaker so it's good to have a guy like this on the line who you can dish the puck to because there's a good chance it's going into the net. I understand where his favorite areas are on the ice and where he'll pop out, so that gives us an advantage. It took time to get that chemistry but now we kind of have that going and that's a good thing."
What is the biggest obstacle you've had to overcome this season with the way things have gone?
"It's the losing. At this point in the season last year, I guess you were kind of more relaxed because everything seemed to be going a little bit smoother. I know that's not how it works every year and that's why I feel it's a good learning process for me to see that the League is really hard. You can't take anything for granted. You have to work for it. Right now, we're winning a few but then struggling again. We just have to grind it out."