Ed Mulholland-US Presswire
Defenseman Henrik Tallinder will be back in the lineup for the New Jersey Devils against the New York Islanders.
The thirty-four year old Swede has been a healthy scratch for the last seven games which Tallinder has not been thrilled about. He was taken out of the lineup after the drubbing the Pittsburgh Penguins handed the team a couple of weeks ago.
The loss was a turning point for the team.
While he isn’t overjoyed to be watching from the stands, Tallinder understands that coach Pete DeBoer needed to make a change after the loss and the Devils also have eight defensemen who are all ready to play. Unfortunately, someone has to sit.
“It’s always fun to play,” Tallinder said in an interview after the team’s optional skate this morning. “That’s what you want to do. You don’t want to be on the sidelines.”
Tallinder, a draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, signed a four year deal worth $13.5 million with the Devils in the summer of 2010.
Mark Fayne will sit in his place. The past couple of games have been difficult for Fayne who lost his eighty-seven year old grandmother this week.
The defenseman returned to Massachusetts on Tuesday to attend the funeral.
However, he did not want to use the personal loss as a reason for his struggling play this week.
“I talked to the coaches before that game, I felt I was ready to play,” Fayne explained in a post game interview. “I felt my head would be straight for the game.”
While Tallinder is excited to be back in the lineup, Fayne is disappointed he has to sit. Tallinder admitted to reporters that the wait to get back in was tough.
