Adam Gaudette (Ottawa) tries to separate the puck from Tomáš Tatar (New Jersey) Source: SITA/AP/Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
NEWARK – Thanks to the higher number of games played, the hockey players of the New Jersey Devils sit on the first place in the Eastern Conference with 11 points from eight games.
Since the summer, they have had a new coach, Sheldon Keefe, and several players have been added to the lineup, including Slovakian Tomáš Tatar. The 33-year-old Ilavčan, who did not hide his enthusiasm for his return after the Prague double-header as part of the NHL Global Series 2024, while everything was enhanced by two wins over Buffalo in Prague’s O2 Arena, will have to get used to a new and slightly thankless position. At least that’s what it seems from yesterday’s Devils practice. We’ll see how long.
At the beginning of the season, the seasoned rookie has so far only scored once in eight games, added two assists, which, with the current point form, is making an approach to the season’s balance of 10+21. Tatar already had several scoring opportunities in the second match in Prague, but he came out on top and had to settle for only two points for his team.
Skipper Sheldon Keefe decided before yesterday’s practice that Tatar would be included in the fourth formation, in which he practiced with center Curtis Lazar and Nathan Bastian appeared on the other wing. The Devils begin a 16-game home schedule tonight against Tampa Bay, and Tatar will try out the third formation of the offense. He first started with captain Nic Hischier and Dawson Mercer, later Keefe moved him down the offense to Stefan Noesen and Erik Haul.
Šimon Nemec, as we informed you in the article yesterday, lost his defensive colleague Seamus Casey because the Devils sent him to the farm in Utica. The 20-year-old Lipták trained on the third pair with Russian-Belarusian back Daniil Misyul, who was called up by the Devils a day after his 24th birthday.
Keefe said injured defensemen Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce have yet to start Tuesday against Tampa Bay, but their returns are a matter of the next few days.
Couple of forward changes for #NJDevils today while Luke and Pesce are skating as an extra, fourth pairing during rushes.
We saw some variation of these lines in the game against the Capitals. pic.twitter.com/iw9isbInAj
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) October 21, 2024
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