4:38 PM: Gerard Gallant met with the media following practice and said (NYR):

• New lines at practice, “Yea, there were new lines. We’ll see what’s going to happen. Obviously there are a couple of guys not playing and switched the lines a little bit. We’ll check it out and decide tomorrow. That is what we had today.”

• Why shake up the lines, “I don’t think we’re playing good enough as a team game. There is more than just creating chances, there are chances against that I’ve talked about in the last few days and stuff like that. I’d like us to pay a little bit more attention defensively because we do a lot of good things offensively. Not last night in the last two periods, but prior to that we were. A little shakeup and hopefully things work out.”
• Is it more about defending and forechecking, “It’s more about playing the game that we played opening night against Tampa, more players involved and that is the game we gotta get to and we’re not there. It’s not all horrible, but we’re not there and that is what we want to get to and that is what I want to get to.”
• Was that game against Tampa the best game you’ve played, “it was like the last game in the playoffs, we played great playoff hockey and we gotta get back to closer to that because we’re playing too loose and the first game of the regular season was identical to what we played last year in the playoffs against Tampa. We gotta get back to playing faster, harder and more competitive.”
• On wanting to make changes, but also show confidence in the players, “That’s a coaching job. You’re responsible to get your team to play better and that’s what I want. Like I said, we always point out Chris Kreider went to the fourth line last night. Well, he did, but we switched a lot of the lines around and today at practice, you mix and match your lines a little bit because I want everybody to be better, not just Chris Kreider. He’s got to be one of our leaders and he’s got pull his weight instead of going the other way and that’s what we need from our players our leaders, our top players. They got to lead our team when we’re not playing as well. That isn’t giving the young guys an excuse or giving the third and fourth an excuse. It’s got to start at the top. When you’re real good, our best players got to be our best players and they gotta pull the other guys with them. And I’m just not happy with the way we’re playing and I think it’s going the other way and we’ve got to change it.”
• What needs to be better with Kreider, “we’re not talking about Chris, we’re talking about the group…I just said that, Chris went to the fourth line and other guys went to different spots. It wasn’t about Chris, it was about the team. Did I not say that? (smile)”
• You said you would find out about Jones in the third period, “I did yea, I don’t think Murph was happy with his game. There was no injury and I was fine with that. He still played 13 minutes almost, so that isn’t bad, I just think we felt more confident playing the other five guys at that time….and that is not to fault the kid, the kid moved up in the lineup and had to play against better competition. It’s not like we’re disappointed in the kid, we thought he made some mistakes and a 2-2 hockey game, so. We’re fine with the kid today and everything is gonna move forward.”
• Lindgren is still doubtful for tomorrow, “he’s day to day. Questionable tomorrow, I guess. It’s possible, but I don’t think so.”
• On Vitali Kravtsov, “He looked good. Definitely a possibility. I’ll find out when the trainers come down after, but he did a full practice, looked good. I’ll find out from them later today.”

12:14 PM: Adam Fox did not practice with what the team called a maintenance day. (Staple, Stephenson)

11:56 AM: Ryan Lindgren and Julien Gauthier are both not practicing today with what the team says are upper-body injuries. (Staple)

Both are considered day-to-day. (Staple)

The lines being used today at practice are (Staple):

• Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Kaapo Kakko
• Alexis Lafreniere, Vincent Trocheck, Jimmy Vesey,
• Chris Kreider, Filip Chytil, Vitali Kravtsov
• Sammy Blais, Ryan Carpenter, Barlcay Goodrow/Ryan Reaves