Yahoo Sports Devils' Sheldon Keefe Explains Scratching Tomas Tatar Against Kings
New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe and his staff decided to scratch one of their veteran players on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Kings.
Tomas Tatar, 34, did not come out for warmups with his team at Prudential Center.
After the club's morning skate, the winger remained on the ice for extra work with Colton White, the club's extra defenseman.
After the team's 3-1 victory over the Kings, Keefe discussed Tatar's absence and explained that he wanted to get Kurtis MacDermid in the lineup.
MacDermid took Tatar's spot on the fourth line, playing with Justin Dowling and Nathan Bastian. He played 5:31 and was credited with two hits. His last game before Thursday was on Nov. 30 against the Washington Capitals.
Through 28 games, Tatar has 9 points (three goals, six assists). His ice time has slowly decreased since returning to the lineup on Dec. 6: Seattle Kraken (11:32), Colorado Avalanche (10:36), and Toronto Maple Leafs (7:11).
The Devils' next game will be on Saturday against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks.
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