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PITTSBURGH, PA –<\/strong> The Devils do not need to search far for motivation.<\/p>\n Three points separate them from Pittsburgh for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins enter the night riding a five-game winning streak. And New Jersey is coming off a loss that left no room for ambiguity.<\/p>\n Tonight at PPG Paints Arena offers the Devils a clear opportunity to respond.<\/p>\n Head coach Sheldon Keefe did not sugarcoat the challenge ahead, or the work required after the Islanders game.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to get our game in order here,\u201d Keefe said. \u201cWe need to play far better and harder and more connected than we did last time out. That\u2019s what we\u2019re focusing on.\u201d<\/p>\n The message inside the room has been direct. The focus is not on standings math or streaks, but on reestablishing habits that had shown progress before the break.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to make it obvious that you\u2019re ready to go,\u201d Keefe said. \u201cNot just our work, but where our work takes us. Our structure and being in the right spots.\u201d<\/p>\n Keefe emphasized that response does not always show up on the scoreboard immediately, especially against a team like Pittsburgh that is comfortable in tight games.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t get too focused on the result,\u201d he said. \u201cWhether it\u2019s the scoreboard or the end result, we just have to play a good hockey game. If we play a terrible game and find a way to win, I don\u2019t know if that helps us going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead, Keefe pointed to the identity the Devils are still trying to anchor.<\/p>\n \u201cIt starts with how we skate and work,\u201d he said. \u201cSeeing our legs moving. Sprinting to our spots. That leads to structure and support, and then our skill can come alive. The games we\u2019ve played best are when we reduce the chances against and make it hard to get to our net.\u201d<\/p>\n That defensive focus will be tested by a Penguins team that may welcome back Evgeni Malkin from injury and continues to lean on veteran experience through the middle of the ice with Sidney Crosby having an outstanding season, on pace for just shy of 50 goals at age 38.<\/p>\n Cody Glass knows the challenge well.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re great,\u201d Glass said. \u201cA lot of veterans, some sneaky skill, some big players. It\u2019s going to be a battle tonight. It\u2019s a good test.\u201d<\/p>\n Glass was candid about the Devils\u2019 last outing.<\/p>\n \u201cBrutal game,\u201d he said. \u201cEverybody\u2019s seen it. It wasn\u2019t a lot of guys\u2019 best games, including myself. We\u2019re looking to go prove otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n For Glass, response is not just about the opening push, but how the team handles adversity over sixty minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first five minutes are huge,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it\u2019s also how you respond if they don\u2019t go well, or how you respond if they do. Just being consistent throughout the whole game.\u201d<\/p>\n He also spoke honestly about balancing his defensive responsibilities with the team\u2019s need for offense.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a defensive center,\u201d Glass said. \u201cThat\u2019s been my role here. I just have to get back to playing the way I was earlier in the year. Don\u2019t force things. Keep it simple.\u201d<\/p>\n That theme of simplicity carries into the lineup. The Devils will ice an aggressive top six, with Nico Hischier centering Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, while Timo Meier skates with Dawson Mercer and Arseny Gritsyuk. Jake Allen gets the start in goal.<\/p>\n On the back end, the biggest change is the return of Simon Nemec, who slots in alongside Brenden Dillon.<\/p>\n Keefe made it clear Nemec is not being eased back in.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s full go,\u201d Keefe said. \u201cHe\u2019ll play. We\u2019re more healthy now than when he was playing previously.\u201d<\/p>\n After missing extended time, Nemec\u2019s goal is straightforward.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to bring energy,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to play my game, the same game I played before my injury.\u201d<\/p>\n Nemec acknowledged that timing will reveal itself early.<\/p>\n \u201cI will see first period,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I feel good. I skated a lot. I feel ready.\u201d<\/p>\n He also admitted the frustration of being sidelined during a challenging stretch for the team.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s always frustrating when you can\u2019t play,\u201d Nemec said. \u201cNow I\u2019m back, and I\u2019m excited to play.\u201d<\/p>\n For the Devils, excitement alone will not be enough. The Penguins are rolling, the playoff race is tight, and the margin remains thin.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is where you see what you\u2019re built of,\u201d Glass said. \u201cIt can go one of two ways. You grind it out and give yourself a chance, or you shut down. I think we have a really good group here and great leaders. I think it\u2019s going to be a good response tonight.\u201d\n <\/p><\/div>\n MORNING SKATE RECAP PITTSBURGH, PA – The Devils do not need to search far for motivation. Three points separate them from Pittsburgh for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins enter the night riding a five-game winning streak. And New Jersey is coming off a loss that left no room for ambiguity. … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Nemec-Malkin-Returning-and-Allen-Starts-as-Devils-Visit-Penguins.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16263"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16265,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16263\/revisions\/16265"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jubi24.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Searching For Identity<\/h3>\n
Nemec Returns<\/h3>\n
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