To little surprise, the New Jersey Devils are uttering much more positive quotes after avoiding a sweep against the Los Angeles Kings last night. Captain Zach Parise ranked among the optimistic observers on Thursday, as Andy Vasquez reports.
“Our backs are against the wall and we responded each time,” Parise said. “We’ve been playing well but we’re still down so it doesn’t change much. Getting that first win was big for us, for confidence, we know we can accomplish a comeback.”
Peter DeBoer echoed those thoughts, making an admittedly obvious statement that the series could really “turn” if New Jersey wins on Saturday. DeBoer also had some very positive things to say about Game 4 additions Petr Sykora and Henrik Tallinder.
“They gave us a real shot of energy,” DeBoer said. “I thought, whenever you’re out for an extended period, you worry about how they’re going to get in, their timing and things. But you can tell they’re veteran guys. They had no hesitation when you talked to them about going back in, and that’s how they played.”
Those veteran guys will get an extra night off between games, too, which could be especially valuable if they don’t quite have that vaunted first-game-back adrenaline in Game 5. Either way, the Devils seem confident that they can “make a series” of the 2012 Stanley Cup finals.