Devils News
Devils Playoff Game 2 Lineup to Shuffle Amid Star & Veteran Defenseman Injuries
The New Jersey Devils suffer brutal losses in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup Playoffs series with the Hurricanes that carry over into Game 2.
The New Jersey Devils go into Game 2 of their Stanley Cup Playoff series without star defenseman Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon. Hughes and Dillon each sustained injuries in Game 1’s 4-1 loss on Sunday.
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“It’s obviously big losses for us, clearly, but not unlike anything we faced in the regular season,” head coach Sheldon Keefe explained.
Replacing Hughes and Dillon are 2025 NHL Trade Deadline retrieval, Dennis Cholowski, and former second overall pick, Simon Nemec.
Cholowski, a former first round pick by the Detroit Red Wings, is a fringe NHLer. However, Nemec—despite his high draft status—is still figuring out his game at hockey’s highest level.
“He’s going to have to simplify things, get the puck moving and rise up with his intensity level,” Keefe said of the 21-year-0ld defenseman.
Luke Hughes and Dillon weren’t the only injuries the Devils suffered over the weekend. Cody Glass was also injured when he had an unfortunate run-in with Devils goaltender, Jacob Markstrom. Although Glass missed the remainder of Sunday’s game, fortunately, Keefe explained he is good to go for Tuesday’s matchup.
In the sequence that injured Glass, Devils goaltender, seemingly frustrated, went to slash Canes forward Andrei Svechnikov near the top of his crease. However, Glass unintentionally interfered and suffered the brunt of the blow.
Despite Dougie Hamilton’s unexpected, early return, the undermanned Devils have an even steeper hill to climb down 1-0 in the series. It was tough enough without the likes of Jack Hughes (season-ending shoulder surgery), and Jonas Siegenthaler (lower-body injury). The current injuries will give Keefe an even thinner lineup to work with as they try to return to New Jersey having evened the series.
“The group has to rise above it,” Keefe said.
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