Devils Miss Big Chance

Two critical points were left on the table by the Devils tonight.

Sure, Ottawa had two fortunate bounces go their way in the form of both Condra goals, but the Devils did not do themselves any favors tonight.

During the firs period, they had numerous chances to fire home rebounds and loose pucks, Craig Anderson was equal to the task.

The second period returned to its old form as the bane of the Devils' game tonight.

The first of the Senators two fortunate bounces came early in the period and because of it, the Devils would have to play catchup. Erik Condra deposited his own rebound while jumping over Brodeur's left pad following an impressive pass from Jason Spezza.

The Devils would have chances of their own on two 5 on 3 power plays in which they failed to mount any significant scoring threat. The Devils focused so heavily on getting Ilya Kovalchuk the puck, they seemed to forget that if they spread the Senators defenders or, more space and lanes would open up.

Their best chance to score came on a disallowed goal off the stick of Patrik Elias who slapped home a rebound off an alleged high stick by Jacob Josefson who not only didn't hit the puck with his stick above the crossbar, he didn't hit the puck at all.

The Senators would exit the second period with the lead but the Devils and their fans still had that feeling they could make the comeback.

Patrik Elias would make everyone believe again when he avenged his earlier disallowed goal. Elias quietly broke in behind the Senators' defenders as Brian Rolston controlled the puck in the low right corner before he fed Elias for the back door goal.

With the two teams level again, the crowd did their best to fuel the Devils' push for the lead. The team responded by generating chances of their own but, again nothing came to fruition.

What seemed like the Devils' chance and game for be taking, quickly turned for the worst as Spezza struck again by setting up another goal just under 3 minutes to play in regulation. He possessed the puck in the high left point waiting for reinforcements and it was Condra who snuck behind Nick Palmieri and managed to tip the feed between Brodeur's right pad and the right post.

The Devils quickly threw their game into desperation mode but could not generate an organized attack to try and mount another comeback.

The only consolation for the Devils in their quest on this improbable playoff run is that the Buffalo Sabres failed to put further distance between them and the rest of the East with a 3-1 loss in Pittsburgh to the Penguins.

The Devils return to action Friday against the Atlanta Thrashers, and hopefully return to their winning ways. The game Friday could have positioning implications as the two teams are separated by only a point.

Huge Night in the East

Tonight's match-ups in the Eastern Conference have steep implications for three teams in terms of their playoff hopes and dreams.

The Devils face-off against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Prudential Center in Newark. In order to keep pace with the top 8 teams in the Eastern Conference, the Devils need to win this match up. For a change, it really does not matter if the Devils win in regulation or not, as long as they get those two critical points.

A half hour after the Devils and Penguins face-off, the Rangers begin their critical matchup with the Ottawa Senators in Ottawa. Just a night ago, the Rangers fell to the eighth seed in the East. Just two points are separating the them from the Buffalo Sabres and being on the outside looking in. This is almost a must win for the Blueshirts because not only are they in an absolute free-fall, but they have played a considerable number of more games when compared to every team in the Eastern Conference.

Then at 830 pm, the final game which fans of teams on the bubble are keeping an eye on is the Hurricanes vs the Chicago Blackhawks. This matchup has playoff implications for both conferences as both Carolina and Chicago are in the thick of the hunt, both are in for the time being.

Optimal results for Devils fans is obviously for both the Rangers and Hurricanes to lose their games in regulation. Should the Devils win and these results come to fruition, the deficit would be 8 and 9 points, respectively. This would be a huge turn of events as the Devils have games in hand on both teams to their advantage.

It should be an entertaining Friday night for hockey fans across the league.

It could also be a great start for New Jersey Devils fans with growing dreams.

Better Hold on Tight

Two months ago, a game like last nights would have been over midway through the second period.

If those Devils would have somehow found a way to net the equalizer, as Matias Tedenby did, then surely the final dagger would have been Jeff Skinner's second power play goal with under 10 minutes to go in the third period.

These Devils, however, didn't roll over they way they would have during the first half of the season.

These Devils battled. And it paid off.

With under three minutes remaining. Ilya Kovalchuk started up ice from his own end. I had even said aloud to my friend sitting next to me in section 230, "It's time for Kovy to do something." A pair of moves through Hurricane defenders put the crowd on the edge of their seats, some even being frustrated that this rush could end in the same fashion they had seen before with a turnover, only it didn't.

Kovalchuk got to the right wing boards, drawing two defenders, and fired a shot seemingly harmless on net. The catch was that Cam Ward bad been giving up rebounds like they were the packets of cards every fan got at the game Friday night. Nick Palmieri jumped on the loose rebound and used the vacated space to lift a shot over Ward's right shoulder and in for the equalizer.

I firmly believe the Prudential Center had not erupted into such an ovation all season long.

In a game that they had to win, the Devils had overcome two power play goals by Jeff Skinner, and killed off a third penalty by Anton Volchenkov, without earring a power play of their own.

It a tense game to watch as a fan, but when the Palmieri goal hit the back of the net, fans knew they still not only had hope, but could steal this one back before regulation expired.

Just a few minutes later, Patrik Elias nearly made that hope come true as he found himself wide open in front of Cam Ward after a feed from Brian Rolston. Elias tried to drive the shot home before Ward recovered, but he toed the shot and the puck slid harmlessly into Ward's butterfly. Following the whistle, all Elias could do was look to the rafters in disbelief.

If the Palmieri goal had the crowd on fire, the Elias near miss had them believing this was the Devils' night. The buzz between regulation and overtime was amazing, people talking about playoffs (insert Jim Mora sound byte here). Others making friendly bets who will get the winner, none even wagering on any Canes. The confidence the team has shown on the ice has undoubtedly reached their loyal fans.

Even with the overtime being pretty evenly matched, there were no talks of doubt, no talks of this is the end. People are believing and the players know and feel it.

Travis Zajac broke into the Carolina zone, drew two defenders as he left a drop pass for Mattias Tedenby, late in overtime. Tedenby coolly took the pass and follow Zajac, who now assumed the role of lead blocker, into the slot and ripped a wrist shot off Ward's right arm and in, sending the 13,000+ in attendance into a frenzy of jubilation.

The win put the Devils 15 points back of the Hurricanes for 8th in the Eastern Conference. More importantly, they climbed above both the Islanders and the Senators, thus beginning their climb back to the chase.

Game 54 - Pregame Write Up

If you’re a Devils fan, you’re trying to look for the positives in anything regarding the team, especially in a point-counterpoint system.

Point: The Devils are on pace for X number of points for the season.
Counterpoint: They’re only 16 back of the 8th and final playoff spot.

Point: Brodeur went down hurt, again, on Sunday
Counterpoint: Hedberg is coming off 2 periods of relief where his only blemish deflected off Kovalchuk.

Etc.

When the Devils take to the ice Tuesday night, it will be in a critical game for their playoff lives.

Yes, it is true that from here on out, every game is considered critical, however, this game and two more within the next 12 days, come against the team holding on [more like clinging] to the coveted 8th spot.

If the Devils win all 3 in regulation, they can trim the gap by 6 points without taking into account any of the games in between. Overtime wins earns them a 3 point advantage on their proverbial rabbits. Anything less will severly hurt their chances. The thought alone of the magnitude of these games could drive any person understandably to near panic.

Luckily for us, the players’ current mindset is one at a time, and they leave the insanity and madness to the fans.

Since the All Star Break, the Devils have amassed a 3-0-1 record, earning 7 out of a possible 8 points with the only loss coming to Florida in overtime last Friday night.

If you’re a fan who enjoys trying to find trends or patterns in a season and believes they’ll be repeated, you’ll be happy to note that the last time the Panthers stopped a potential Devils’ winning streak, they did so in overtime and gave the Devils enough motivation to then turn around and rattle off 4 straight wins.

On Sunday, New Jersey took another step towards repeating the past by jumping out to an early lead against the Montreal Canadiens, and then playing terrific shut-down defense following Brodeur’s injury en route to a 4-1 victory. The Devils were rewarded for their effort by climbing in the standings to 13th place, tied with Ottawa and 7 points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs follow play Monday night.

Carolina enters Tuesday’s contest winning 5 games out of their last 10, including their overtime win against the struggling Atlanta Thrashers which halted a 2 game skid. Eric Cole netted the game winner after Carolina had a horrendous defensive third period in which they squandered two leads.

Recent head to head history gives the edge to Carolina as they have had the better of the two clubs including a memorable come from behind victory in Game 7, in Newark, during the 2009 Eastern Conference Quarter Finals where the Devils blew a late 3rd period lead of their own, and the surrendered the game winner with under 2 minutes to go in regulation.

This Devils team, however, is much different than the one the Hurricanes embarrassed in 2009. First, they have Ilya Kovalchuk who is finally settling in and finding his groove with the team he has been with for just over a year, and will be with for the next 14. Kovalchuk had two goals on Sunday, added an assist on Friday and has been on fire offensively as of late. He also has been contributing regularly on defense, including some aggressive back checking against Florida.

Dainius Zubrus has also been a bright spot for the Devils’ offense as he netted his 10th Sunday afternoon.

The climb is steep, the task feels almost impossible, but the Devils need to remain focused on just one game at a time.

A team that once seemed destined for the first overall pick in the draft has now given itself a new lease on life, and its fans a reason to have some grounded hope that the season can be saved, and the playoffs, just maybe, with some luck and some favorable breaks, could be made.

One way or another, if the Devils team which has emerged recently continues to come out for the remaining 29 games, fans can be guaranteed it will be one hell of a ride to the finish line.

The Climb Continues

To call it a climb puts what the Devils have in front of them kindly. Their feat would be like trying to climb Mount Everest in a bathing suit, with no oxygen and no stopping for sleep or rest. What's at the summit for them? A chance to sniff a playoff berth and salvage what remains of their tattered season.

Two nights ago, the Devils began their final push versus the Ottawa Senators. While the Devils controlled most of the play save for some tense moments during the first parts of the third period, the score made the game seem a lot closer. Dainus Zubrus scored off a deflection which crawled over the Senators goaltender and in for the go ahead late in the third. It was their eighth win in their last ten games, earning them their 17th point out of a possible 20.

While the fans see the nearly impossible feat for what it is, the team seems to have the right mentality to prevent psychosis and hopelessness.

In an interview with Tom Giulitti of NJ.com, head coach Jacques Lemaire said, "I'm not thinking about tomorrow's game yet. Right now my focus is on the Rangers." His players have echoed similar mentalities with their various interviews since their recent hot streak began.

If the Devils can pull out another victory tonight, they will pull the Islanders into a tie in last overall by virtue of points.

Taking it one team at a time will, again, be critical if the Devils hope to keep their spirits up during their trek. The good news is the the teams ahead of them have stagnated and hit rough patches of their own, so the Devils need to make the most of the opportunities game in and game out. Being 20 points back of the Atlanta Thrashers seems like an overwhelming deficit, but they do have games in hand over the Thrashers as well as the aforementioned streaks and skids.

The journey continues tonight at MSG, two big points are on the table in this very challenging match-up.

Happy Trails!

Borrowing a bit from ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption:

“Happy Trails!”

Happy trails Ray Emery and Dan Cloutier. Today, both players’ tenure with their respective teams are over.

Emery, the key element in the Ottawa Senators Stanley cup finals run in 2007, was waived today by Brian Murray. The short fused goaltender had become a clubhouse cancer and gotten on everyone’s nerves, including Chris Neil… CHRIS FREAKIN NEIL. His age and experience are attractive points for the 26 year old, but his edgy personality is a major drawback and labels him a high risk player to try and acquire.

Cloutier, a journeyman goaltender who broke into the league with the New York Rangers, was let go by the Los Angeles Kings today also. Although he had 3 straight 30-plus win seasons with Vancouver, he was never able to regain that form with the Kings. At 32, Cloutier’s career might be on the downswing.

While both have a good deal of goaltending skill, I think I speak for many when I say that their legacy in the NHL can be summed up in these clips:

Cloutier:

Emery: