NEWARK -- Devils defenseman Ben Lovejoy can't imagine the pressure rookie forward Pavel Zacha feels in the NHL as a 19-year-old.
"My joke is that when I was 19, I was drinking beers in a frat basement," Lovejoy laughed.
Lovejoy played four years of college hockey at Boston College and Dartmouth before three full seasons in the American Hockey League prior to becoming a full-time NHL player. Now at 32 years old, Lovejoy can see what Zacha must overcome at 19.
"He has come in and had a ton of responsibility put on him at a young age," Lovejoy said. "I think it was difficult at first. Learning how to play in the NHL at any time is difficult.
"He hasn't had any minor league experience, which is so helpful to starting at this level. And of late, he's been awesome. A dominant player and a real reason that we're turning things around."
How Devils got to ideal position entering bye
Zacha has transformed his rookie season since being a healthy scratch on Dec. 29 and 31, plus Jan. 12. In nine games since Jan. 17, Zacha has four goals and three assists -- seven points that match his total from his first 37 games of the season.
Part of the shift in success came when Zacha started playing more left wing instead of center, while also playing each game with the same linemates. Jacob Josefson has handled the center spot while Beau Bennett and Stefan Noesen have both played on the right wing.
"When you play more and more games, you're more confident," Zacha said. "I think as a line, we started playing much better, and as a team, we're winning. It's tough when you're on a losing streak, and tough for me as the youngest player, too, just to be there."
Coach John Hynes pointed out that Zacha had a hesitancy on offense that stopped him from shooting early in the season, but his energy and drive to the puck have gone up. With that, so has his confidence and offense.
"When you watch the games, his skating is a factor, he has a lot more puck touches so you notice him more," Hynes said. "He's a lot harder on the puck to be able to get it back in the offensive zone. And now you see him, he's using his shot. When he gets the opportunity to shoot the puck, he does it."
Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook.
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