After 13 games and a record of 7-5-1, New Jersey's coaching staff switches up all three defensive pairs.
After 13 games and a record of 7-5-1, New Jersey's coaching staff switches up all three defensive pairs.
NEWARK, N.J. -- The Devils hit the ice at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House at 11:00 A.M. Defenseman Colin Miller was the first skater to join his goaltenders on the rink. He enthusiastically shouted, "I'm back!" as he took his first strides on the ice.
What followed was a 50-minute practice that revealed three new defensive pairs for New Jersey. The following players were utilized together:
Luke Hughes - Dougie Hamilton
Jonas Siegenthaler - John Marino
Kevin Bahl - Brendan Smith
Colin Miller
After practice, head coach Lindy Ruff gave some insight into the changes.
"You can take a look at Siegenthaler and Marino being more of a shutdown pair, and with Hughes and Hamilton together, you're looking at an offensive pair that can help create," he said. "I think anytime we've got down, we've gone to them, and we've had pretty good success creating and (generating) play in the offensive zone."
Ruff confirmed that Miller will accompany the team on their two-game road trip. While standing at his locker stall, you could see how eager the defenseman was to return.
"Excited to be back with the guys," Miller said. "Always kind of feels longer than it is when you're away from the team, so it was fun to finally get back out there."
The blueliner continued to say he is unsure when he will play a game, saying that he will see what the coaches think.
New Jersey will face the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 8:00 P.M.