WINNIPEG — It matches their longest breather of the season but there’s been precious little time for the New Jersey Devils — or any other NHL rival for that matter — to work out the bugs in this shortened season.

The Devils have had four days between their 4-2 home loss to the Winnipeg Jets and tonight’s game against the Jets at the MTS Centre (7 p.m. TSNJets, TSN1290), which starts a three-game road trip.

Former Manitoba Moose star Johan Hedberg gets the start in net tonight for New Jersey, in the wake of Martin Brodeur’s back troubles. It will be Hedberg’s seventh of the season.

"I think we’ve played more games than had real practices," Hedberg said. "You have to take advantage of the real chances (to practice) that you get, pre-game skates and that.

"We knew it was going to be the same for every team."

Hedberg said it’s been an interesting process with the lack of real practice time this season.

"There’s not a lot of time to work on stuff," he said. "You pretty much have to fix it during the games."

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca