All Star Weekend Recap

Following the NHL All State Skills Competition Saturday, I felt the need to either drink heavily or call Montreal and ask Gary Bettman for the previous 3 hours of my life back. Here are some notes and comments I had following the debacle that the night was:

• You knew we were destined for a long night when the clocks for the fastest skater didn’t even work. Over a year to plan the event, 2 days to make sure everything was working properly, and they couldn’t even get that part right. Skills Challenge Organizers FAIL #1. Kudos to Andrew Cogliano for winning.
• I don’t know when they changed this but why did they move away from keeping the event an East vs. West competition? The scoring system they had made for a much more interesting night all together. Because there were points at steak for the winning side in each challenge.
• Next came the FanFav Breakaway Challenge – the lowlight of the night. If you don’t believe me, nor agree with me that this event was pointless and horrendously boring, look no further than the expression on Ryan Getzlaf’s face as he had his minute to deke some kid plucked from the streets [almost literally].
• To further discredit the event, the voting was done by text message only which speaks even further to the validity of the event. At least last season they had guys on the ice grading them to make it somewhat entertaining, and it was the best of 1 or 2 shots, not as many as you could do in a minute. Ovechkin wins the event with 42% of the fan texting vote, and a very entertaining goal. Skills Challenge Organizers FAIL #2.
• Luckily for the viewers, the Youngstars Game came next, unlucky for them both CBC and Versus somehow managed to screw it up by cutting to replays or interviews for too long and missing multiple goals. [get used to this, because this became a frequent occurrence for the remainder of the night.] At this point, I began to severely wonder who the hell was running this. Skills Challenge Organizers FAIL #3.
• After an actually exciting 9-5 victory by the rookies over the sophomores, the accuracy contest was held. I understand the premise behind the number and placement of the targets represents the hardest spots to score on a goalie, but I almost feel like they should add a target or two to make it a little more interesting. Malkin gets the win in a shoot-off against Shane Doan. While watching, this was the first event I had no complaints about, at all. Shocking, I know.
• The best event of the night was the Hardest Shot. Shea Webber set the tone early with a very impressive 103.4. and the mark held up until 6’9” Zedeno Chara stepped up, fired a 103 and change before blowing away both Webber and Al Iafrate’s record by hitting 105.4. my jaw hit the floor quicker than the puck hit the back of the net, straight up impressed. Because the event actually flowed flawlessly, I’ll knock off one of the Fails I gave the organizers, now they’re back to 2.
• The Elimination Shootout was a good idea on paper but then you realized two things: 1.) There are 32 players who would need to shoot at least once 2) each goalie who would be involved in the event had been doing absolutely nothing for the past 3 hours [okay, a little exaggeration] since the event started. FAIL #3. Add in a 4th fail because during just the first round of skaters, we missed multiple attempts, including Jarome Iginla’s.
• Hats off to Shane Doan, however, for winning the event. This guy had not been used by Coach Wayne Gretzky at all during the season in shootouts and here he is beating out some of the most prolific scorers in the NHL at their own craft. Another plus to him for keeping his daughter on the bench so she could experience the thrill of the night too. You see it a lot in baseball during the home run derby, but no so much in hockey. Well done Shane, I’ll pull for you and the ‘Yotes out of the West now.

The All-Star game it self on Sunday redeemed the heck out of the weekend and managed to salvage it from the path of disaster which the Skills Challenge seemed to put it destined towards. Even with god awful renditions of the national anthems, the players began to light up the scoreboard early and often. 6-2 after 1, 8-8 after two thanks to horrendous goaltending by Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvst, and then 12-12 after regulation and overtime set up a shootout and thankfully not a repeat of the previous night. Kovalev scored, Ovechkin sealed it, and Doan got a shootout attempt in a game. Kovalev deservedly got MVP, with a little help from the hometown faithful, but, as stated before, the game managed to deliver the luster.

One thing of note: the NHL needs to stop trying to shove Sidney Crosby down the fans throats. That’s great that he didn’t pull a Datsyuk nor a Lidstrom and showed, but enough is enough. He isn’t even the best player in the game right now, and, frankly, I think he’s a soft wuss. That’s right, I’ll go right out there and say it, he is a wimp. If he’s not getting calls handed to him left and right by some referees, he’s diving trying to draw them. The past 2 seasons the fans have voted him to be a starter and how does he show his appreciation and thanks? By sitting out, claiming to have an injury. Carey Price has a tissue paper groin and he played. Tim Thomas played like a madman during the breakaway challenge, then again Sunday night during the 3rd period, overtime and shootout without crying, and he was in a hostile, rival city.

When I began to write this article, his return for the Penguins first game after the break against the Rangers was listed as questionable. There was zero doubt in my mind he’d be in the line up, and sure enough, he says he expects to play as of 1 am. At some point in time, he should man up and start earning some of this praise he is getting, in my opinion, very undeservedly. This isn’t jealousy nor discrediting how good of a player he is, but when you’re being toted as the best, how about you step up and act like it rather than a primadona. If you want to lose the Cindy nick name, it really is time for you to just grow up, Sidney.

Devils Red Hot Into Break

5 road wins in 6 games and a big win against Montreal at home has the Devils sitting atop the Atlantic Division after 5 straight wins, going into the All Star Break.

After dropping a Thursday night matchup at home against the Atlanta Thrashers, the devils seemed to be in an awful slump that was about to get worse. They had dropped 2 in a row; the first loss was a very flat performance against a middle-of-the-pack Carolina Hurricanes team which was followed by their third home shutout loss of the season against Atlanta, before embarking on a season long 6 game road trip.

In 10 days, the Devils would find themselves traveling across the country, into Canada, come back across the country, stop in Ohio, then Long Island, then close out the trip in Tennessee before returning to Newark to face the Canadians. Normally, one would expect mixed results with such an extensive trip over such a short period of times. But the Devils seemed to take the back to back losses as fuel for their opener in Los Angeles.

Kevin Weekes got the nod to open the road trip for the first time in 13 games. Play was about even throughout the first period, until the Devils broke through with a power play goal off the stick of Travis Zajac. Zajac would add a pair of assists before the night was out, Zach Parise added his 100th career goal and Derek Armstrong ruined Weekes’ shutout bit early in the 3rd period, as the Devils got their road trip off on the right foot with 5-1 victory.

Following the decisive victory over the Kings, The Devils suffered their only blemish of the road trip during their stopover in Anaheim. Facing a Ducks team who seemed to be weaker than ones in years past, the Devils jumped out to an early lead with a rare goal by Bobby Holik. Complacency cost them as the Ducks netted 2 goals before David Clarkson could muster up an answer. Chris Kunitz would give Anaheim all the offense they would need to ensure victory as the Devils were only able to get within one before the final horn. The 4-3 result felt eerily similar to the 3-2 loss to the Hurricanes nearly a week before.

One article of important news happened even before the opening faceoff as the Devils announced they had agreed to sign Brendan Shanahan for the remainder of the season. Shanahan indicated at this point in time that he was skating with the prospects at their practice facility in Newark’s Prudential Center and he had aspirations of joining the team while on the road trip.

Three losses in four games, and being 1 and 1 on a 6 game road trip could have indicated a start of a fall from grace, and an air of reality to a team who, by many opinions, had been over achieving following the loss of Martin Brodeur. Facing a potent offensive team in the Canucks did not make things any easier, however, they were without Roberto Luongo. The Devils did not hesitate to exploit that fact and took advantage of a flat start by the Canucks. Three first period goals helped the Devils hold off a late Vancouver flurry of goals as they won their only Canadian appearance on the trip, and their first win in Vancouver in over 10 years, 5-3.

A 2 of 3 start on a road trip suddenly had begun to erase the memory of losing 3 of 4 and further proved the old cliché of “what a difference a win can make.” The Devils’ next stop came in a bitterly cold Columbus on Friday night. The game took on a change of pace that the Devils as of late were not used to: a defensive struggle. In the previous three games, they had managed to net 13 goals, including 3 in the first period of the previous game against Vancouver alone. The Blue Jackets put on a display of trapping once they attained the lead in the 2nd period that would have made the Canadiens of the 1970’s proud. Steve Mason was working on his 6th shutout of the season until Travis Zajac intercepted a Columbus clearing pass before wiring it top shelf breaking the shutout and tying the game. Just over a minute later, John Madden added the game winner in controversial fashion. The net had been forced off its moorings as the puck crossed the goal line leading many, myself included, to believe that after review, the goal would not stand. It was upheld and the Devils escaped Ohio with another victory.

Last season, a trip to Long Island usually spelt a loss for the Devils. This season had been very different up to this point as the Devils were a perfect 2-0 against the Islanders. They arrived in Nassau winning 2 games in a row but facing a young goalie, the type of player this team typically struggles against. Yann Danis, however, showed his inexperience as Zajac and Parise teamed up to literally steal an early 1-0 lead while on the penalty kill. Zajac nearly added a second shorthanded goal moments later but was denied by Danis’ quick glove hand. Parise and Clarkson netted second period goals 3 minutes apart as they helped the Devils continue their hot streak winning 3-1, and their 4th game of the trip.

The final stop was Nashville against the 13th placed team from the Western Conference, the Predators. Shanahan donned a Devils jersey for the first time in over 17 years, starting on the 4th line along side Bobby Holik and Mike Rupp. It wasn’t until the 2nd period where Shanahan made his presence felt as he beat goalie Pekka Rinne low and to the glove side during a 5 on 3 power play. He nearly netted another power play goal moments later as he crashed the right side of the net, but Rinne was able to get part of his glove on it and turn the shot aside. Clarkson would score a goal moments later, and Parise would add an empty netter to clinch a 5 and 1 road trip for the Devils and a 3-1 victory in the Music City.

After a very successful 5 and 1 road trip, the Devils returned home for their final game before the All Star break. Their opponent, Canada’s pride and joy, the Montreal Canadiens. Midway through the first, after the Devils had just successfully killed their 20th out of 21 penalties, Partik Elias hit Paul Martin, who just left out of the penalty box, on a breakout pass as he deked Carey Price and scored on him 5 hole for the opening goal. Zajac, Oduya and Parise added goals while Elias got the empty netter as the Devils sealed off their hot streak going into the break. Carey Price, in his All Star game tune up, looked like a goalie who had been out of the game for a while.

The 5 wins in a row was the longest streak the Devils have had this season… Shanahan set an NHL record for the longest gap between regular-season games with one team. His last regular-season game with the Devils before tonight was 6,504 days ago [thank you Elias Sports Bureau and espn.com for that little tidbit]… Scott Clemmensen continues to build his resume for next summer’s free agency as he is finally been given the opportunity to showcase himself… Travis Zajac [35 points] continues to play completely out of his mind and just keeps making everyone scratch their head and wonder “where the hell was this last season but… oh wait, I don’t care because he’s completely dominating now.” Okay so maybe a slight exaggeration but it is phenomenal that he is producing at nearly as rapid of rate as team leaders Parise [53] and Elias [52]…At 29-15-3 the Devils enter the ASB in first place in the Atlantic Division and 3rd in the Eastern Conference… 145 goals for is tied for 7th in the NHL while their 118 goals against is 5th.

Shanahan in, but who's out?

Monday night’s game against the Nashville Predators marks the debut of Brendan Shanahan. It also marks a critical point in the season where head coach Brent Sutter must decide who to push off the carousal that will become the back two lines of the line up.

There is no question, Shanahan needs to be in the line up. The Devils need the help on the second power play unit, even with Rolston and Clarkson beginning to show productivity while on this road trip. Shanahan brings experience and skill to hopefully make both units equally dangerous.

Sure questions linger with brining in Shanahan. At 40, it can be wondered how effective Shanahan will be. Health and durability at that age can always become suspect. Which is why the Devils need to hold off on making any trades until they can effectively gauge Shanahan’s contribution.

The question, when that time comes, is who to move.

Jay Pandolfo and John Madden have been the most frequent names kicked around. Brian Gionta’s name was also tossed around earlier in the season. Mike Rupp has also been suggested as being the one who should be sitting to make room for Shanahan.

Jay Pandolfo just signed a contract extension over the offseason for 3 years/$2.5 million a season. With the new contract, it was assumed Pando would be able to keep his effectiveness from last season. But his productivity, as well as role, have both diminished significantly this year. Sutter’s new offensive-based system seems to be paying off dividends in the win column but has also diminished the need for a line dedicated to shadowing the opposing teams’ top lines.

The new system has also taken a toll on Madden, who is arguably one of the best defensive forwards currently playing in the NHL. His has a high value for teams who need to secure up a defensive line but his offensive abilities have been lacking, amassing a mere 14 points in 39 games, split up due to missing time because of an ankle injury and a bout with the flu. Madden has also suffered one of the longest goal droughts in his career with a 20 game skid, his longest being 29. It is very clear at this point, being a shadow to an opposing team’s top scorer even a role on the devils anymore as they currently sit 10th overall in scoring, and 5th in goals against, entering the Nashville game.

There has been speculation in news papers in New Jersey that Mike Rupp will not only lose playing time, but also could be moved from the team. Don’t believe it. There is no reason to move Rupp, and they need a player like him on the team, someone who is not afraid to drop the gloves, or send a physical message to an opposing player. Bryce Salvador and Johnny Oduya have done their part at times, as has David Clarkson, but Rupp has been the most physical of the Devils. He is filling the role vacated when Colin White began donning a visor. Rupp will stay on the Devils, he may lose a game or two here and there to gauge who should stay out of Madden and Pandolfo, but I firmly believe he’ll be around for the season.

The wild-card who I think has the most potential to be traded is Brian Gionta. I think his trading value will skyrocket if he can keep his offensive streak going and Shanahan can be a solid offensive threat. If both of those hypothetical come to fruition, Gionta could be moved for a solid defenseman to sure up the defensive corps. Currently at 38 points, Gionta is on pace to reach his highest points total since he scored a Devils record 48 goals and racked up 89 points in 2005-2006. Shanahan has averaged nearly a point a game throughout his entire career and matching that offensive productivity could be reason enough to gamble on moving Gionta, who is in the final season of a four year, $4 million contract he signed following the 48 goal campaign.

Further changes will be coming to the Devils, the only variable at this point, is time. Shanahan’s role will be identified within the next few weeks [I say weeks only because they have a game Monday and then Wednesday vs. Montreal before reaching the all-star break] but I believe moves will come well before the trading deadline on March 4th.

Road Trip Game 4 - Devils vs. Canucks

Alright so you know the drill at this point. I watch the game, sometimes alone with beer, sometimes with friends, with beers, and then comment, tonight, it’s again with Andy but no beer as we’re resting our livers for Friday’s Beerfest competition for my birthday.

Lines for tonight are as follows:
Elias – Zubrus - Gionta
Parise – Zajac – Langenbrunner
Rolston – Madden - Clarkson
Rupp – Holik – Pandolfo

White – Mottau
Martin – Oduya
Salvador – Greene

1:06 – The “David Clarkson” wrap-around has returned!!!! While he didn’t find the back of the net with it, ROLSTON was able to do so on a one timer, netting the opening goal, 8th of his season. Madden gets a secondary assist on the goal.

3:26 – A goal that just wowed me. Parise’s pass was just behind Zajac who kicked it to his stick with the heel of his skate, just manages to push a shot on goal which PARISE tips in right into the net.
--A further look later on in the game shows a big hit from Daniel Sedin on Langenbrunner, who takes the elbow to his face in the process and then outlet passes to Parise to get the goal.

Canucks elect to change their goalie at this point. Bye Bye LaBarbera, hello Curtis Sanford.

3:45 – Even with a goalie change and being smacked in the face with two fast goals, the Canucks look completely gassed. The Devils are dominating the flow of play. Speculation begins between me and Andy about what it could be, but we are both quick to note that if they were playing a much more potent offense, they’d be in for a really long night.

7:45 – Gionta just baseball hit a puck clear out of midair. I then begin to wonder if he can do that, why can’t he tip in pucks as frequent as he used to…

-- During the first media timeout, we wonder if the recent surge in performance is a result of fear that someone is about to lose their spot with Shanahan being almost game-ready.
-- Interesting stat #1 – Vancouver is 17-5-2 @ home vs. the Devils, and hasn’t lost at home in almost 10 years… rut-roh.

--Whitey gift-wraps a breakaway to Sundin [practically hands the puck right over to him with a clear path to Clemmer]. Much to my surprise, however, White hustles and takes it right back.

11:07 – Zubrus says thank you to Sanford as he pretty much skates behind the net, and beats the goalie to the puck. He chips to GIONTA who then buries it into the vacant net. 3-0 Devils.

-- On the VERY next Devils shot on goal, the Vancouver crowd gives Sanford a very sarcastic cheer.

-- Chico theorizes that the poor performance by the goaltenders could be a direct result of the recent speculation that with Luongo returning in the next week, one goalie will be on the outside looking in, possibly traded... Funny, but when you look across the ice, you see two goalies playing out of their minds with only a matter of time before future hall of famer Marty Brodeur returns.

-- The next commercial break gave Andy and I, two natives of the NY metro area, a damn good laugh. It’s the MSG commercial talking about Super Bowl XXV, where the Giants won on Scott Norwood’s missed field goal as time expired. What makes it funny is its being shown on the same network as the Buffalo Sabres.

-- With about 5 minutes to go, the TV feed cuts out for us. Who reading this cares, right? Here’s why it needs to be noted: as the feed cut, I threw my arms up yelling and smashed my left forearm against a chair that was behind me and I never saw it. Thought I broke the damn thing. Andy laughed so damn hard he almost fell off the couch, hence the need to report it.

-- Clarkson just made one hell of a move that trickled between Sanford’s legs and just slid wide of the net, drawing a loud boo from the crowd.

19:00 – With the “one minute remaining” announcement, the fans give the loudest ovation we’ve heard since the team took the ice at the start of the game.

-- END OF PERIOD, shots 12-4, and it only took 40 minutes.

-- INTERMISSION – Will Phil Kessel ever catch a break? First he beats cancer, then breaks out of a sophomore slump, now, while on absolute fire, catches mono…

-- Also, you know you’re having a bad day when you give up 2 goals in 3 minutes 29 seconds, then storm off the ice and it takes you 2 tries to slam the door to the bench closed, LaBarbera gave up after the second slam. Next time, rather than letting yourself look like a teenage girl, slam your stick or throw a water bottle, Jason. So sad, so sad.

-- Sanford makes save number 1 of the period, and the crowd rejoices.

4:18 – Rupp gets called for a penalty for something other than punching someone in the face. Granted it was for holding, hopefully he gets back to his scrapping ways later in the game.

~5:00 – Vancouver is finally deciding to show some life and are really tilting the ice to their end on this power play. They’re skating fast and moving the puck very well.

6:44 – Parise takes a stick to the face, only 2 minutes. Of course, the feed continues to be crappy. No arm flailing this time. We don’t know if it’s the feed from Vancouver or if Time Warner sucks that much. Expletives are flowing from my mouth right now.

-- Andy is on the phone with Time Warner, and I think the devils get hit with a penalty with x amount of time left on the power play…. 22 seconds… maybe?

-- Midway though the period, the box goes out, cable and feed are now gone… son of a….

18:15 - Vancouver nets a goal while the cable is still out. The problem is obviously the bad luck.

-- Well, after missing the 2nd half of the 2nd period we solved the mystery of the crappy cable signal. College grads we are. No help at all from Time Warner Cable.

-- Chili’s hot dog slinger commercial is hysterical which leads a conversation over the intracasies of the training that the street vendor would need to have in order to earn a certification or license. “Maybe he has to shoot hot dogs through windows at certain distances like a sniper,” is just one of the ideas we throw out.

--THIRD PERIOD –

-- Doc notes that Kyle Wellwood hasn’t had a minor penalty called against him in almost 2 years. I then note that he has not played a full season of hockey in over 2 years so the stat is slightly warped. After doing some research, Wellwood has played over 148 games without being tagged for a minor, I’m a little impressed actually.

-- Just as I note that the 2 goal lead is one of the most dangerous leads in hockey and I’m nervous about the Devils 3-1 lead in the 3rd, Doc speaks of the magnitude which the next goal will have on the outcome of this game. GET OUT OF MY HEAD, GET OUT!!!

4:19 - Devils convert on a nice 3 on 2 right after Willie Mitchell, former Devil, rings a blistering slap shot off the post. Zajac to Langenbrunner back to ZAJAC who fires a drive home, as Parise is the decoy the middle. Another multi-point for Zajac helps put his dismal performance form last season behind him.

5:20 - After a flury of activity in the Devils end which was spearheaded by Ryan Kesler, Devils break out on another 3 on 2 which ends with Rolston firing a shot that’s stopped by Sanford, but as Clarkson aggressively drives to the net to get the rebound, he hits Sanford and gets called for interference.

-- Clemmer looks really good on the power play as he is all over the crease protecting his team’s 3 goal lead. Its like he found Dorothy and she gave the tin man his much needed oil can.

-- Devils kill off an entertaining power play, Doc and Chico talk about all-star selections as Andy and I talk about the Vote for Rory campaign from a few years ago. Then we try to figure out where he is today. Last time we checked, it was Philly.

-- Andy and I watch how Martin is keeping the puck on the penalty kill and then again on even strength and begin comparing his skills to those of Brian Rafalski. We then talk about how if Raffy should have been traded before the deadline, consensus: no. Then, of course, we talk about Scott “Benedict Arnold” Gomez and should HE have been traded: consensus: a resounding yes.

-- A shot of Kevin Weekes sitting on the bench begs the question, what other profession would you think Kevin Weekes would be if he wasn’t a hockey player, because to me, he’d be more fitting as an actor or politician. I don’t know where that came from but I swear to you I’m not drinking.

12:19 -- Pavol Demitra scores off a rebound, a big fat rebound, off Clemmer. Salvador faield to get back to clear the puck, but I don’t know who should have the blame for that goal. Andy thinks it was a botched line change. Of course, no replay angles show us where the heck Salvador was before he got back on defense.

With just about 7 minutes to go, the scary lead is starting to strike fear back into me. Vancouver is looking much more organized and a far cry from their first period performance.

Doc brings up how “truly valuable to the team Paul Martin is.” This is really starting to get a little weird that these coincidences keep happening.

14:36 – Elias gets called for hooking Daniel Sedin. Replay shows it was one heck of a joke call as Sedin clearly embellishes the hook and dives with it. Only consolation is that D. Sedin is also going to the box for holding the stick.

17:19 -- Zubrus hands the puck to Steve Bernier and he beats Clemmer. Effin’ A. Now the crowd is back into it, the ‘Nucks are playing harder and the Devils keep refusing to drop the hammer on them.

19:21 - Pretty interesting play: ZUBRUS gets a lucky bounce off Edler’s knee and makes it 5-3 by scoring on an empty net. This coming after Edler made one heck of a catch at the blue line that Derek Jeter would be impressed with. The play kept the pressure on the Devils and the puck in the offensive zone while they were trailing by only 1.

5-3 final, Center Ice cuts out before we see that Zajac, Parise and Demitra were named the 3 stars of the game.