The often-present smile vanished from Ilya Kovalchuk’s face.

He may or may not be hurting, but he is unquestionably determined.

With the season on the line in a must-win Game 6 against the Florida Panthers tonight at the Prudential Center, the left winger suggested it is a mistake to count the Devils out.

"We're not done yet. We can win two in a row," Kovalchuk said yesterday. "We did it a lot of times this year."

Of course they did. But did they do it with so much at stake?

“We haven’t had a must-win yet,” coach Pete DeBoer conceded, “but we’ve been in some pressure situations where we had to win to keep our spot in the standings, to try to hunt down teams above us or separate ourselves from teams below us.

“I think our group is mentally tough. I expect we’ll be very good. When our backs have been up against the wall this year at different points or the pressure has been on, we’ve responded in a positive fashion every time. Pressure comes with the playoffs. I don’t think you have to say anything about it. I think the guys understand the situation they’re in. They can count. We’ve got to win.”

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Kovalchuk has drawn a lot of attention on the ice from the Panthers, who can clinch their first playoff series since 1996. He has drawn more attention over the past few days about whether he is playing with a significant injury, perhaps a groin issue.

“I’m fine. 110 percent,” he insisted. “Everybody is a little tired this time of year. You just have to find that extra gear.”

He said his only problem, if he has one, is not shooting enough.

“Maybe sometimes I should shoot the puck a little more. I think I’m over-passing a little bit,” he wondered. “I feel (the high expectations from everyone), but it’s not an individual sport. The worst thing I can do is try to do everything by myself. It doesn’t work. I’ve tried it a lot of times already in the past. That’s when you get yourself and your team in trouble.”

This is the stage of a playoff series where coaches upend trash cans or veterans stand up and give a dramatic speech.

“That’s more made for movies,” said Zach Parise, in his first postseason as captain. “There is a time and a place for everything. Myself and a lot of guys in here will do everything within our power to extend this series.”

Kovalchuk pondered the thought of giving a speech.

“We’ll see. I’m not a guy who writes a schedule down before I go to bed about what I should do or what I should say,” he said. “It’s all emotions. Before the game everybody will be pumped up, and there will be a couple of speeches for sure.”

The Devils skated yesterday with some intensity not often seen in a practice. DeBoer hopes it carries into the game.

“I think we needed to ramp up our intensity,” he said. “That was one area we felt wasn’t high enough last game so that was part of the focus (in practice). It was short, and it was hard. That’s how we have to play.

“I have no doubt our compete and emotional levels are going to be right. We have a good veteran group in there. We’ve got guys that have been in this situation before. I think we’ll be in the right frame of mind.”

Rich Chere: rchere@starledger.com; twitter.com/Ledger_NJDevils