-4d9e284a56be6578.jpg

Anton Volchenkov will be a game time decision for the Devils' game against the Coyotes.

(Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger)

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Devils rookie Reid Boucher had a little something extra with his breakfast Saturday morning.

A promotion to the first line with Travis Zajac and Jaromir Jagr.

“I’m very excited. Definitely a big boost of confidence when you see yourself up on the first line,” Boucher said after the team’s morning skate at Jobing.com Arena. “I just found out this morning at breakfast. I just have to work as hard as I can with those guys.”

Coach Pete DeBoer is hoping the 20-year-old Boucher bring the top line some good luck. The Devils’ lone goal in their 2-1 shootout loss to the Avalanche Thursday night in Denver was a deflection off Boucher’s shoulder.

“We didn’t do it because of the goal,” DeBoer said. “I thought he played a good game and generated some scoring chances for us. He had three shots on net in pretty limited ice time. He has the ability to play with those guys.

“He thinks the game on the same level offensively as those guys. And he also has a history of being a finisher. He has a good shot. You never know if that’s going to translate, but he seems like the closest fit to play with those guys.”

Dainius Zubrus will be moved to the line with Patrik Elias and Steve Bernier. Zubrus and Elias have a history.

“Those two guys have always had chemistry together, whether it was two years ago with (Petr) Sykora or whenever we put them together,” DeBoer explained. “I want to try and get some balanced scoring, get some other lines going. At the same time, the Zajac-Zubrus-Jagr line scored in Montreal but we haven’t scored a ton of goals lately with that combination. So we’ll move some things around, cross our fingers and hope it works.”

Boucher is thrilled. He said his confidence rose even though his goal in Colorado came on a lucky deflection.

“Of course. Everything like that helps,” Boucher said. “If you make a good play or a good pass, your confidence goes up. Especially scoring like that. Hopefully it will open up some opportunities for me to start scoring a little bit more.”

Also in the back of his mind is the fact that injured winger Damien Brunner (right knee) will begin practicing with the Devils next week and a move will have to be made to open a roster spot.

“Everything is getting crowded up here. Some guys are going to have to go,” Boucher said. “You want to do whatever you can to stay up here. Obviously I want to stay up here the whole year. It’s not ideal that I want to go down to the minors again, but I have to prove that I can play here.”

* * *

Defenseman Anton Volchenkov, who was a late scratch in Denver because of illness, said it was food poisoning.

"Maybe at dinner or maybe at lunch. It looks like it was food poisoning. I feel fine now," Volchenkov said.

DeBoer said whether Volchenkov plays and whether the Devils dress seven defensemen again will be a game time decision.

Jacob Josefson and Cam Janssen will be scratches.

* * *

Martin Brodeur will be in goal.

"He's been great. He's been great all year. When we look at his record on two or three days rest, he's been very good this year," DeBoer said. "Like everyone, they'd all like to play more but I think having him fresh has helped."

Brodeur is 12-6-2 this season when he gets two or more days of rest between starts.

"I think he's handled it well," DeBoer said of Brodeur and his diminished playing time. "Obviously he would like to play every night. He's got that mindset. But I think he has made some adjustments in that mindset based on the fact that Cory (Schneider) is here and how well Cory has played.

"But also think he realizes that fresh he's at a little different level."

DeBoer, of course, is in the middle of it.

"They're difficult decisions. i wouldn't want it any other way, though," he said. "I wouldn't trade places with a team with two average goaltenders to not have to deal with it. That's how I look at it. It's a nice problem to have to deal with."

DeBoer said the Devils are very aware of the puck-handling abilities of Coyotes goalie Mike Smith. In fact, Brodeur spoke to me about this in a recent story I wrote about his stick-handling impact on scoring and the fact that Cory Schneider has been asked to handle the puck more.

"We're very aware it it, especially being a forecheck team," DeBoer noted. "We're a forecheck team. We rely on getting the puck behind the other team's D and turning it over and spending time in their end.

"When you're playing a goaltender like that, it's critical you put the puck in the right place. Otherwise you never establish your forecheck. It's going to be a key tonight."

The Devils will leave for home after the game, which is the end of their four-game road trip.

“Key game," DeBoer noted. "We worked hard on this road trip to scrape and claw away some points. I thought we left some on the table that we wish we would’ve had. At the same time I like how we’ve played and handled the adversity so far on the trip. We have to keep our foot on the gas.

"This is a dangerous team, much better than their recent record indicates. They’re getting healthy again. The first month or two of the season when this team was healthy they were one of the best teams in the league.”