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Defenseman Peter Harrold of the New Jersey Devils finally got the opportunity to play in his second game during the lockout shortened NHL season, and it was at his natural position.
The 29-year old Ohio native’s last start was on February 2 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and he played right wing. While the versatile blueliner can play forward, it is a “second position” for him.
Unfortunately for Harrold, he has been a healthy scratch for the majority of the season, thus putting him far from the ice at either position. With eight defenseman on the roster, two are usually in the stands, and one of them has usually been the former Boston College standout.
In an effort to change the chemistry, Devils coach Pete DeBoer mixed things up last night against the Buffalo Sabres and gave Harrold the opportunity he has been patiently waiting for.
It was an experiment that worked. The Devils stopped the losing skid at six. and Harrold was one of the best players on the ice for the team in their comeback shootout victory.
“I thought he was great,” DeBoer said after the game. “It reminded me of last year when we stuck him in late in the season and he made it awful hard for us to take him out the way he skated and moved the puck and did those things.”
Harrold was originally signed by the Los Angeles Kings in 2006. After signing as a free agent with the Devils in August of 2011, Harrold spent most of last year with the team’s AHL affiliate in Albany. He appeared in only eleven regular season games.
However, he was an integral part of the surprising run to the Stanley Cup Finals, suiting up for seventeen games.
Perhaps he will be in the lineup for more than one game this time.
Dawn Miller is a New Jersey Devils writer for Rant Sports . Follow her @dawnsmiller, “Like” her on Facebook or add her to your network on Google.
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