Devils have ‘got to really be desperate’ with Green as coach

Goalie Vitek Vanecek (11 games missed, lower body/illness) and forward Nathan Bastian (five games; lower body) are out. Defensemen Brendan Smith missed 10 games with a sprained knee, and Jonas Siegenthaler missed 16 (foot) before each returned.

Hughes (11 games missed, upper body), Timo Meier (six, mid body), Hischier (11, upper body) and Tomas Nosek (31, broken foot) each missed significant time before returning.

But Devils forward Jesper Bratt said they need to exhibit more energy and desperation.

“The passion for the game hasn’t really been there for our team lately; the energy hasn’t really been there,” Bratt said. “We haven’t really had push back against other teams that we have needed too. I think that’s kind of where the key has been for our team so far … we haven’t really shown that passion to be desperate enough to give ourselves a chance to win.”

Meier said he is just hoping the Devils can find the winning formula to have a shot at a playoff berth.

“[Travis Green] is very detail-oriented,” Meier said. “He wants to play fast, and I think for having him here as associate coach, we got to know him. He’s obviously going to try to bring the best out of everybody and that’s on us, individually, to really step up. It takes everybody to take another step and really put it on the ice.

“There’s been a lot of talking, but we’ve got to act and act quick.”

Green was hired by New Jersey on June 22, 2023, to help coach the forwards and run the power play after Andrew Brunette was hired as coach of the Nashville Predators on May 31. Green said assistant coach Chris Taylor, who has been working with him all season on the power play, will earn more power-play responsibility in the final 21 games of the regular season.

But the new coach’s main objective is to clean things up in the Devils’ end of the ice.

“We have changed some things with our zone coverage and continue to work on it,” Green said. “Obviously at this time of year, defending is a big part of winning and little details in the defensive zone coverage can cost you major goals. Young players have to understand that part of the ice is important.”