The Devils miss Brett Pesce. They’ve been a mess defensively since he suffered a hand injury on Oct. 26.
They’re staying afloat, no doubt, posting a 9-7-1 record since Pesce went down, despite suffering a laundry list of other injuries during that span (the Devils are third in man games lost to injury this season).
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But coach Sheldon Keefe knows things could be way better.
New Jersey’s defensive struggles were on full display in their 5-3 loss to the Flyers on Saturday, during which the second pair of Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec posted arguably the worst statistical nights of their young careers.
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This raises the question: When the heck is Pesce coming back?! NJ Advance Media asked Keefe about this after Saturday’s game.
“Getting closer, yeah,” Keefe said. “I’d still put him in the weeks department, though. He’s been skating lots, so I think once his hand gets going and the strength gets there, I think it’ll be pretty quick. He’s not there yet. It’s not in the near future.”
Pesce, 31, suffered the injury in a game against the Colorado Avalanche after he blocked a shot from defenseman Brent Burns. On Nov. 6th, Pesce was spotted on the MSG broadcast wearing a cast on his left hand.
Let’s see how long it takes him to return.