Devils Coach Peter DeBoer keeps his eyes on the prize

NEWARK, N.J.—The Stanley Cup Final is serious stuff, but New Jersey Devils Coach Peter DeBoer on Friday found reason to laugh after his team practiced in preparation for Saturday’s Game 5 against the Kings.

DeBoer was participating in a post-practice news conference Friday when a reporter asked a rambling question about how difficult it was to maintain focus in the face of the team’s predicament of trailing the Kings, 3-1, in the series. DeBoer, smiling, interrupted.

“I thought you were going to ask about the lady behind the bench,” he said of the porn star who became something of a distraction from her seat behind the visiting team’s bench at Staples Center.

“You saw my 100% focus on the game. That’s discipline.”

His wife, he said, “saw the focus.”

Smart coach, smart husband.

The Devils skated on their practice rink, and we’ll have a report on that shortly. The Kings are scheduled to skate at 2:15 p.m. Eastern time.

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