"Whoever is playing well is going to play": Devils head coach Travis Green comments on Luke Hughes' reduced ice time

New Jersey Devils interim head coach Travis Green addressed Luke Hughes' reduced ice time on Thursday's 4-1 win game against the St. Louis Blues. Hughes, a rookie defenseman, played only 15:27 minutes in the contest, his lowest total this season.

When asked about it by reporter Amanda Stein, Green said he wasn't worried about players getting set amounts of ice time each game.

“I'm not worried about guys playing 15, 20, 22 minutes," Green said. .... "From game to game, we're not going to play guys the exact amount every game. That's coaching. That's trying to figure out who is playing well, who's not.”

He clarified that he wasn't saying Hughes played poorly, but rather, it was a matchup issue that led to less ice time for the young blueliner.

“I'm not saying Luke didn't play well, it's just the matchup the other night and having tow young D who probably their matchup was a little different that it would have been if they were with someone else, with a veteran guy. That can change from game to game,” Green added.

The interim coach emphasized matching up players and doling out ice time based on in-game performance rather than planning it out in advance.

“I'm not a coach that is going to script ice time from game to game. I'm going to coach each game, whoever is playing well is going to play," Green said.

Luke Hughes has scored eight goals and tallied 24 assists in 63 games this season.

Luke Hughes' Devils 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues

Travis Green secured his first victory on Thursday after taking over for coach Lindy Ruff earlier this week.

“It was definitely a good 60-minute game,” Green said (h/t CBS News).

“It was one of the things we talked about before the game was a defensive commitment, playing a 200-foot game. Everyone’s making a run, games are tightening up and you got to be committed to playing that way.”

The Devils are trailing by six points for a wild card playoff position with 19 games remaining in the season.

The Devils face the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday at Prudential Center.