The New Jersey Devils hit the ice to prepare for their game versus the Washington Capitals.
The New Jersey Devils held an 11:00 A.M. practice at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House before departing to Washington, D.C. Versatile veteran Curtis Lazar returned to the ice after missing the team's last three games. After practice, I caught up with him, and he is itching to get back into the lineup. Head coach Lindy Ruff said, "Lazar should be good to go" against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.
Missing from practice was Timo Meier, who left the team's Dec. 30th game with an injury. You can read the latest update from Ruff here.
The energy was high at practice as the guys focused on different drills, including two-on-two battles. Colin Miller was seen smiling and laughing throughout practice, along with Dawson Mercer and Brendan Smith. The mood was light, which is what you want to see as they prepare for their 36th game of the season.
Practice Lines & Pairings
Tyler Toffoli - Jack Hughes - Jesper Bratt
Ondrej Palat - Nico Hischier - Erik Haula
Curtis Lazar - Michael McLeod - Dawson Mercer
Alexander Holtz - Chris Tierney - Nathan Bastian
Jonas Siegenthaler - Simon Nemec
Luke Hughes - John Marino
Kevin Bahl - Brendan Smith
Vitek Vanecek/Nico Daws
Extras: Colin Miller
- Ruff stated that Nolan Foote is still not skating. The 23-year-old has been sidelined with an upper-body injury. Foote appeared in two preseason games for New Jersey and recorded three shots on goal.
- During my chat with Mercer, I discovered that his roommate during his first year with the Devils was Mason Geertsen. Lazar, who sits next to Mercer in the locker room, jumped into our chat to reveal that he roomed with Geertsen while playing juniors. The hockey world truly is tiny.
- New Jersey will hold an 11:30 A.M. morning skate tomorrow at Capital One Arena.