How important is rest for the New Jersey Devils? They'll tell you it's very important

The New Jersey Devils are back to practicing after two days off. The team recently picked up four out of six points, both wins coming against the Florida Panthers, during their recent three-game trip to the Sunshine State. However, they got stymied by Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. The Devils were only shut out four times in 82 games last year.

Unfortunately, this season is a different story. They've already been blanked three times in 21 games played. Despite being one of the top teams in the Metro, it's been an exhausting season so far for New Jersey.

For starters, they had to cut their training camp and preseason short due to participating in the 2024 Global Series Czechia. Up to this point, the Devils have played the most games in the NHL. Even the Buffalo Sabres (their competitors in Prague) have played in three fewer games. Sheldon Keefe said a few weeks ago that the lack of practice and off days hasn't been ideal. After the Lightning game, it seemed evident that the team looked slightly gassed since that was their third road game in six days. Pucks & Pitchforks asked a few personnel how imperative these rest and practice days are.

Jesper Bratt: "It's good for us. We get two days of a break and then two days of good practice for us to kind of recharge a little bit. We're playing a lot of games and then some really good teams coming up. So, it's going to be crucial for us to recover, recharge, and come back with some new fresh energy with two days of great practice before we get tested right away."

Sheldon Keefe: "It's really important, not just for the next game, but just in general. It's been a tough road for our guys. We got the luxury of a little bit of time to both get some rest and practice. A lot of what we have been through at this point in the season has been kind of choosing one or the other. Now we have a little opportunity for both. So, this is an important period of time for us to sort of get ready for the next push right through to Christmas."

Jacob Markstrom: "A long break is obviously good to recover and all that stuff. But also teams are coming points-wise and we want to keep as many teams as possible behind us. As long as we play, win hockey games, and collect points then you're keeping other teams behind you. We gotta get back into the win column [come] next game."

Honestly, this four-day gap between games isn't a bad thing. The Devils have already had two off days and are back to practicing. They're going to need all the rest and practice that they can potentially get. Because the team is scheduled to play the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, which is always a tough and physical matchup. They've already dropped the first meeting 4-2 a little over a month ago.