Brett Pesce returned Wednesday night to the New Jersey Devils lineup, replacing Dennis Cholowski and rejoining linemate Luke Hughes. His impact was immediate.
After missing 24 games with an upper-body injury, Pesce reunited with Hughes.
The defenseman logged 23:58, with three shots and three blocks.
He hit the ice on the penalty kill, seamlessly stepping back into his natural role. Following the game, Pesce spoke with the media about how he felt to be back on the ice with his teammates.
"It’s been killing me not to be able to be out (there) with the guys, super excited about this one, and it was the perfect way, first game for me back, battle to the very end," Pesce told NJD.tv. "Four-on-threes, penalty kills, blocked shots, it was a nice game to get back.”
The Devils edged the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 in a shootout. The penalty kill went 1-for-3 with Pesce back. Connor Brown discussed Pesce’s impact postgame.
“His value to the team is as big as anybody in our group," Brown said to NJD.tv. "What he provides, the steadiness in his play, what he provides to the penalty kill alone, what he provides to the young players on our team that he plays with. He’s a really, really important part of this group.”
Pesce's return prompted pairing adjustments.
The defensive pairings for the game are listed below.
Sigenthaler - Hamilton
Hughes - Pesce
Dillon - White
Head coach Sheldon Keefe praised Pesce’s performance in his return.
“He was excellent. He was himself," Sheldon Keefe told NJD.tv. "Probably fitting that his first shift is on the penalty kill, and he made a couple plays there that the whole bench grew an inch when they see him out there making those types of plays.”
The Devils next play the Mammoth in Utah on Friday night.
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