Devils Maintain Hot Streak

To say this run is impressive is a tremendous understatement to what the New Jersey Devils on the verge of accomplishing.

Should they win their matchup tomorrow night against the Ottawa Senators it will mark the first time since the start of the season that the Devils were a .500 team.

On January 8th, the Devils had lost the 31st game to the Philadelphia Flyers to put themselves 21 games below .500.

After yesterday's thrilling victory against the Islanders, the Devils have made up an astounding 20 games and turned one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, into one of the most improbable, and straight up amazing runs in NHL history.

Brian Rolston opened up the scoring with a power play goal in the second period. His 12th of the year was set up from Ilya Kovalchuk and Travis Zajac.

Josh Bailey equalized the two teams with a power play marker of his own. The goal came after the puck pin-balled around the crease and Brodeur was out of position as he prepared for the follow-up from PA Parenteau. Parenteau flubbed the shot but it found Bailey's stick for the goal.

Kovalchuk would continue his second half resurgence with a goal on a 2 on 1 set up by a drop pass from Jacob Josefson. Kovalchuk ripped the shot glove side past Al Montoya for his 24th of the year. With his assist, Josefson registered his first career point. Anton Volchenkov was also given an assist on the goal for his 7th.

He resurgent Islanders refused to quit, however and with over 3 minutes to play Blake Comeau scored his 18th the year.

With the Islanders forcing overtime, both teams earned a point, but the Devils again needed the winner's point to help close the gap, albeit temporarily, between them and Carolina.

It would take a shootout to determine a winner after an uneventful overtime session. Frans Nielsen opened the shootout with a goal, beating Brodeur glove side. Three shooters later, Kovalchuk would save the Devils again with the equalizer.

Eight tries later, Jacques Lemaire made a curious decision by electing to send Rolston out to try and win it. Rolston came in deked Montoya to a sprawling save attempt, Rolston countered by lifting the puck over Montoya’s pads for the winner.

After play on Sunday, the Devils pulled to within 8 points of the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. The team they’re chasing now, however, has changed to the Buffalo Sabres who reached the top 8 for the first time since October 9th [the 2nd game of the season].

The Hurricanes and Rangers are both off until Wednesday, but both Buffalo and the Devils.

The Devils will host Ottawa on Tuesday for not only a chance at reaching .500 but also to pull within 5 of the idle Hurricanes and 8 of the Rangers. Pending the outcome of Buffalo’s game in Pittsburgh, the Devils could be as close as 6 points of 8th by the end of play Tuesday night or simply keep pace with the Sabres should both teams win.

Kovalchuk Keeps Devils Believing

It was one of those nights, you could just feel it. Even if you were watching on TV, you knew something big was going go happen.

Sustained pressure and continuous chances were the MO for the Devils during the third period of last night's matchup versus the Penguins. Chance after chance, the Devils tried to break through goaltender Brent Johnson, and often they would maintain possession after the initial shots or rebounds. Even when entering the attacking zone, the Devils did so much more aggressively and confidently than their previous matchups versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Penguin counter attacks brought tension to fans, but not to the players. Chances which would have surely resulted in goals for the Penguins in games prior to the turn of the New Year were blocked, controlled or deflected harmlessly away from Martin Brodeur and the Devils’ net.

Whether it was Brian Rolston’s shot blistering off the cross-bar, or Patrik Elias’ one-timer that was unleashed just a fraction of an inch off target while Johnson was completely out of position, the Devils chances continued to mount. Although they did not capitalize during regulation, the team nor fans seemed to panic heading to overtime against a team much higher than them in the standings.

The Devils would be given their first power play of the game just under halfway through the extra frame, when Travis Zajac carried the puck into the Pittsburgh zone, batting off two defenders and drawing a hook from Zbynek Michalek.

The power play was patient, much to the chagrin of the fans in attendance who craved a win and the two critical points to pull back within 9 of the playoff positions. Using the extra space to create gaps, Kovalchuk possessed the puck frequently to quarterback the play from his typical spot on the right wing face-off circle.

A feed to Rolston lead to a shot on goal on the right side of the net. The rebound kicked to Elias who tried to put his follow up shot between Johnson’s pads as he slid across, and out, of the crease. Johnson got it with his left pad, but was well out of position and could not control the rebound as it again found Elias’ stick. He ducked the puck behind the net, wrapped around and fed Kovalchuk who ripped the shot into the almost completely vacant net for the winner.

The crowd and team erupted in jubilation as they met Kovalchuk at the blue line of the Devils’ zone to celebrate the big win.

The overtime winner was Kovalchuk’s 22nd goal of the year, his 9th game winning goal of the season, and the 13th overtime winner of his career. To further sweeten the pot, Kovalchuk now has 6 game winning goals in the last 12 games.

It is no secret from that every game is huge from here on out, but the Devils have a chance to put further distance between them and the teams below them with a win Sunday afternoon on Long Island versus the Islanders.

Keeping Hope Alive

Photos are property of Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images

After two nights ago, panic could have set in.

Two nights ago, the Devils could have said, “that’s it, we’re mortal again,” and packed in their season knowing they had let an opportunity to keep pace slip away, falling further behind the pack.

Two nights ago has now turned into nothing more than a minor speed bump, at least for tonight.

The Devils opened up tonight’s game as tense as they left Friday night’s contest against the Lightning. The Panthers controlled the flow of play for the first half of the first period as they mounted chance after chance on the Devils. Martin Brodeur, however, was equal to the task, showing little to no signs of a 9 game layoff while he recovered from a knee injury.

The tables turned as the Devils controlled the flow of play during the latter stages of the period and were able to nearly equalize the shot chances, trailing by 1 in that category heading into intermission.

The second period would prove to be the decisive one as the Devils came out red hot. Their determination was fueled by the efforts of their grinders who broke the scoreless draw. Rod Pelley’s shot from the left point was kicked out to the same-side faceoff circle, where David Clarkson made a diving rebound attempt that beat goaltender Tomas Vokun short side for his first goal in 18 games.

Just 3 minutes later, after the Devils were given a power play by the Panthers, Brian Rolston fired a faceoff win from Dainius Zubrus into the back of the net for 2-0 lead. The goal came just 3 seconds into the power play.

While the Devils again shut down their opponents during the 2nd period, the third period was not without drama. Both teams split chances equally until about 5 minutes remaining when Florida began to control the pace as the Devils went into a prevent mode.

Their defense and Brodeur’s shutout were finally broken when Marty Reasoner ripped home a behind the net feed from Michal Repik short side on Brodeur to pull them within 1. After a few icing calls and 3-plus tense minutes later, the Devils escaped South Florida, and their 4 game road-trip with a 2-1 victory, going 3-1 overall.

With the win, Brodeur moved to 9-1-1 over his last 11 starts, Ilya Kovalchuk had his 12-game point streak snapped, and Jason Arnott could have played the final game of his 2nd stint with the Devils.

Following the game, Arnott told Tom Gulitti of the Fire & Ice Blog that he’d prefer to be moved to a team already in the playoff hunt, and that if he had the choice between another team fighting for their post season lives or staying with the Devils, he’d prefer to stay.

If the Devils are to move Arnott, and recent trades around the league are any indication, they should receive a 2nd round pick and then some in return. One of the drawbacks for Arnott, however, is his age, but his leadership and experience alone should outweigh that minor fact. He does become an Unrestricted Free Agent at the end of the year so a team gearing up for a long playoff run could almost certainly benefit from a player like Arnott.

As for the rest of the team, a few weeks ago, I could have seen them making a move to improve the defensive corps. Following their recent hot streak, however, I do not foresee general manager Lou Lamoriello making any moves as he could see any changes drastically affecting the chemistry and current team spirit.

With only 9 points separating the Devils from the 8th and final playoff spot, the Devils need any and all help they can get, but one area which they do not need any real help is their own roster. What was once looked upon as a flimsy, suspect AHL defense has now become one of the premiere shut-down units in the league, allowing 2 goals or fewer over the course of the past 10 games, and only once since early January.

Hope comes in all forms lately. A win in regulation, a win in overtime, heck even a loss in overtime provides a glimmer of hope if all other games fall the Devils’ way.

But with 20 games to go, there is little to no room for any more moral victories and the Devils need to find ways to earn or steal points here on out.

Wednesday brings the Lightning back into the Prudential Center where another two critical points are on the line.

Who will be still on the roster and who, if anyone, will find a new home tomorrow by the 3 pm trading deadline? Only a few short hours separate us from finding out.

20 Games A.B. [After Brodeur]

The Good

Scott Clemmensen – Hands down playing lights-out hockey right now. He could be considered the MVP of the Devils, or at least sharing that title with their leading scorer Zach Parise. Once Marty went down hurt, and Kevin Weekes could not achieve a level of consistency, Clemmensen rose to the occasion. Amidst the rumors of Khabibulin and Roloson, Clemmer took it upon himself to establish an air of consistency in net for the Devils. Making save after save, Clemmensen allowed the devils to focus their efforts on attacking the other team’s next, which then allowed them to get hot. 6 wins in seven games and nine of 10 helped thrust the Devils right in the middle of the playoff hunt. This type of streak is uncommon for goalies not named Brodeur on the Devils. Also, with today’s victory, his 11th, Clemmensen has the most wins of a Devils goalie not named Brodeur since Chris Terreri in 1993-1994. [Special thanks to Steve Cangailosi for that statistic.]

The Devils Offense – Yes, you did read that correctly, the Devils offense is Hotter than Jessica Biel in her bikini scene in Summer Catch [see here]. They have accounted for 33 goals in 9 games in the month of December alone, which translates to just below 4 goals a game at 3.67. Since the loss of Brodeur 20 games ago, the Devils have tallied 5 or more goals in a game 6 times, that’s right, 6 times, including back to back 5 goal performances against Buffalo and Ottawa. The top two lines are gelling well, and are firing on all cylinders. If a team plans on going far into the playoffs, they need at least two solid lines who can provide a scoring threat. The Stanley Cup finalists from last year, Pittsburg and Detroit, proved that last season, and it continues on back down the line.

Zach Praise continues to wow the crowds with his ability to single handedly carry this team as well as put points on the board. Travis Zajac has rediscovered his scoring touch which he seemed to lose last season in a sophomore slump. Patrik Elias is also on fire right now, with a 10 game, 17 point streak going and has tallied points in 15 of his last 16 games where he has added 28 points to his season total. Prior to that, he had only 8 points in 15 games. His current point pace would put him on the cusp of 100 at 95, which would be his highest since he added 96 in 2000-2001. Both he and Parise are in the top 10 in the NHL, and the last time 2 Devils players finished in the top 10 in scoring, assistant coach John MacLean was donning an A on his jersey.

Brian Rolston – Back after missing 14 games with an ankle injury, Rolston has began to find his scoring touch as well. While he only has 4 points on the season, he has goals in two of his last three games, all the while playing on the third line with a rotating cast of characters, today he was with David Clarkson and Jay Pandolfo. As Rolston works his way back to 100% health, look for him to continue to add firepower to the offense.

Mike Mottau and Jay Leach – Many people, myself included, were confused and maybe even a little upset that Mike Mottau was retained in the offseason. I, for one, thought he was too much of a liability and his inconsistent play would doom the team considering he would have to play a good amount of minutes this season. This season, however, Mottau has played 28 out of 31 games, logging an average of 18 minutes of ice time. His plus minus sits at a comfortable plus 9 while he has contributed 6 assists to the team. He has become very smart with the puck as the season has progressed, and his awareness on both sides of the puck is something desperately needed on this defense.

Leach has also been a pleasant surprise. While Andy Greene had been injured and Sheldon Brookbank continues to be as useful as wet toilet paper, Leach has stepped up to earn playing time with the Devils. He received two games in early November, then was sent back to Lowell, only to be recalled again on the 23rd. Since that recall, Leach has not missed a game, playing in all 10 of the Devils’ contests. Typically Leach is paired with Mottau, and has contributed just as effectively. He adds both size and a take-no-crap attitude on the defense, and is not afraid to throw down the gloves. In today’s game, for example and as Ken Daneyko pointed out in the post-game, Leach and Rupp were quick to stand up for their teammates who were being harassed by the Flyers players. While both Leach and Mottau are not major offensive threats from the blue line, by bringing consistency and solid defense to whichever line they pair up allows that forward set to take more chances and be a much larger threat down ice.

The Bad

Surrendering Leads – Yes, the offense is potent, and yes, they have managed to hang on or come back for the eventual victory, but far too many times already the Devils have gotten leads, and given them up. Today, they had a two goal lead on the Flyers before surrendering a goal in the 2nd and another in the 3rd to allow Philly to still gain a point by forcing overtime. Since the beginning of the current hot streak, the Devils have surrendered leads on six different occasions, including a four goal lead against the Rangers, a game the Devils eventually would win by three goals. Only one of these instances, however, have the Devils failed to emerge with a point in the game and that was at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres, a game where the final was 4-2. The other instance where the Devils lost was a 3-2 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs.

Kevin Weekes – Enough has been said about the poor performance of Weekes in the previous article about the goaltending. My biggest gripe: rebound control. Rebounds mean second chances which unfortunately have turned into goals in most cases for the struggling and the now back up to the 2nd backup.

John Madden – While he hasn’t been performing poorly, Madden hasn’t played in back to back games with a supposed flu bug, but with the team firing on all cylinders and the defense rising to the occasion, many have been speculating that Madden might be on the chopping block, especially after his absence from the active roster Friday night against the Senators, which was the last game before the holiday roster freeze. Madden and his sub-$3 million price tag have recently been subject to movement as he as a valuable asset for a team needed a solid defensive forward. It will also free up some cap space going into free agency next summer as Travis Zajac will need his contract renewed along with a handful of other Devils, Madden included. Don’t get me wrong, I love Madden, he’s a gritty player and always plays hard, game in and game out, I am just speculating what I have read on nj.com.

The Ugly

Colin White – Please, for a moment, forget the points and the plus minus total, they are VERY deceiving. Yes, he has 10 points, one of which is a goal, but how many of those assists are of the secondary nature? His shot against the Leafs was saved and the rebound was buried by Mike Rupp in one heck of an offensive effort by the 4th line and Whitey, but early in the 2nd, he looked lost as the Leafs netted the equalizer. Today, on the Flyers’ first goal, he didn’t even lay a finger on Jeff Carter as he scored on the power play as they pulled the score within one. He has been way too large of a liability on defense, I would rather see Sheldon Brookbank starting in his spot, and that says a lot because I despise Brookbank.

Whitey was a force to be reckoned with in the past, but ever since nearly losing an eye in an accident in practice during the summer of 2007, he has not been even remotely the shell of the player he used to be. I don’t know if it is because of his injury or what, but he just does not seem to know what is going on. His awareness has plummeted and his physicality is almost non-existent during play. Sure, he will act tough after the whistle once in a while and go face to face with an opposing player, but he never fights anymore, and takes stupid, lazy penalties. Sadly, he is under contract at $3 million a season until 2013, that’s right, four more full seasons of this contract blunder. If he would do more with his size, I would be more opt to let him get away with his defensive blunders, but he wont even be tough with his size. He’s like a telephone booth, big but freakin’ useless nowadays. Maybe a team will come calling that will have a need for White and the Devils could luck out with unloading the remainder of his $12 million contract. Only time will tell.

Devils Off-Season Analysis [July Edition]

After a week in the Bahamas, and taking a much needed break from writing all together, I have taken the time to put together the first of my two Off-Season analysis, starting first with the Devils.

When free-agency opened on July 1st, many Devils fans wondered if this would truly be the year they have hoped for throughout their team’s existence, the year they make a big splash in the free agent market.

The result, however, was a combination of both anticipation and shock.

Rather than adding a shooter from the blue line, something desperately needed for this offensively anemic franchise, they opted to address size at the center position and added some semblance of a power play threat.

To fulfill these two desires, the Devils looked towards former players rather than introduce new blood into the locker room.

First, the Devils re-acquired Brian Rolston. Rolston, who won a Stanley Cup with the Devils in 1995, just a year after being drafted, signed a four year deal worth over $20 million. The 6’2” winger has spent time with Boston, Colorado and most recently Minnesota since being traded by the Devils to the Avalanche in 1999. Rolston brings with him not only much needed size, leadership and experience, but also solid power play awareness as he will be looked upon to be the quarterback on the first power play unit.

Later in the evening on July 1st, the Devils made a surprising move in re-acquiring center Bobby Holik. Holik left the Devils in 2002, signing with the rival New York Rangers to chase a larger contract. The move failed miserably and Holik was traded by the Rangers before his third season with the squad to the Thrashers, where he as spent the last few seasons.

This move came to a shock for many fans, if not simply for the animosity felt by most for his jumping ship for the Rangers, but for the plummeting in Holik’s skills as his age increases. Now 37, Holik is signed for one season, presumably to take one more shot at winning the Cup before retiring.

The major question mark which the Devils still need to address is brining in not only size, but experience to a very small and very young defensive unit.

Passing on Jason Smith was a great move by Lou Lamoriello. Smith has phenomenal leadership capabilities, but his speed is a massive question mark and his age also would present a frailty possibility as well.

Keeping Bryce Salvador is a questionable move, but does have the potential to pay immediate dividends, if he can stay healthy. Salvador was acquired at the trading deadline for Cam Janssen, aka the equivalent of a bag of pucks. He was only able to play 8 regular season games, however, and was limited in the playoffs as well. Salvador is not an offensive threat, but he is a physical player who knows how to throw the body around. He will play a key role, as will Holik, in ensuring that players like Sean Avery do not harass Martin Brodeur on a regular basis.

The Devils have solidified their front four lines, but they need to make a move to address the lack of an offensive threat on the blue line. This will not be an easy task to achieve as they have been in search of a one since the loss of Scott Neidermyer in 2004. Former Devil and current Red Wing Brian Rafalski was looked upon to shoulder the burden of Neidermyer’s departure but that plan never fully worked out as planned.

Now with both players with other squads, Paul Martin looks to be the most viable offensive threat in the defense. Andy Greene has shown glimmers of offensive capabilities during the playoffs in 2007 and briefly in 2007-2008, but never caught fire. The same holds true for Johnny Oduya and Mike Mottau.

Oduya, however, has shown the most offensive promise behind Martin. During the home stretch of the 07-08 season, Oduya showed an awareness for joining rushes and even tallied a pair of goals in one game, including a diving goal that rivaled the brilliance of Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin.

With a little over a month before training camp opens up for the Devils, expect a move or two, but not a big splash. The Devils do have a few NHL ready prospects who could be chips in a major deal, but with Lou Lamoriello at the helm, it is unlikely they will be dealt.

Potential Offensive Targets

Marian Hossa - RW - Pittsburg Penguins/Atlanta Thrashers
'07-'08 salary: $7,000,000
Now, before you go and say "oh of course he made the list, he's on every one's wish list," hear me out. Thefourthperiod.com is reporting by way of the Bergan Record, that Marian Hossa is a potential target for the Devils when noon rolls around tomorrow, July 1st. By now, everyone knows Hossa's credentials, so i wont waste time nor space typing them all out.

I do like the fact that a respected New Jersey paper is saying that Hossa is a target for the Devils. I am, however, keeping a level head about the possibility as minimal due to a few factors. First, as has been stated in the article and in other places, New Jersey is a synonymous as a defensive minded squad. Brent Sutter is trying to transition the team into a new hybrid offensive minded style, but they're a dire work in progress. With that being said though, who better to help speed up the transition than an offensive gem such as Hossa? Secondly, the Devils, and more specifically General Manager Lou Lamoriello, NEVER EVER make the obvious moves that the fans hope for. He'll pull out some random signing who turns into a diamond in the rough. But, in recent years, those jewel quests have come up empty. Could this finally be the year when the Devils make a big splash?
Probability of Happening: 15%

Kyle Wellwood - C/W - Toronto Maple Leafs
'07-'08 salary: $950,000
Earlier this morning, I began writing about Wellwood as a potential free agent signing for the Devils. Wellwood is a solid forward, when healthy. In 06-07, he showed the signs of greatness by tallying 42 points in 45 games. His season, however, was cut short thanks to a sports hernia. Injuries plagued a below average 07-08 campaign, in which he played over half the season at 59 games, but tallied only 21 points. Around 230 PM today [June 24], Wellwood was placed on waivers by the Leafs along with Andrew Raycroft.

I think Wellwood, when healthy, is a spectacular player with great vision and above average speed. His tendency to be injury prone is a concern, but if you played for Toronto over the past few years, wouldn't you want to find a reason to not be on the ice too? The Devils should take a chance at him, 1 year at $1 million per could be a starting point to allow him to prove to the team he could remain healthy for an entire season.
Probability of happening: 0%
UPDATE 6/25: Wellwood was claimed today by Vancouver. They now hold his rights until July 1st, where he will become a Restricted Free Agent if he is not made an offer by the Canucks. If the Canucks do not make an offer [highly unlikely], Wellwood would become an Unrestricted Free Agent.
UPDATE 7/1: Wellwood is officially a member of the Canucks. Signing a 1 year deal worth just under $1 million.

Miroslav Satan - RW - New York Islanders
'07-'08 salary: $3,000,000
Satan was third on the Isles last season in points with 41. Considering how horrendous the Islanders offense was last season, Mike Comrie lead the team with 49, Satan's performance was not awful. In the 3 years he spent on Long Island, he amassed 66, 59 and 41 points, in order. He became expendable in Buffalo when he refused to get along with teammates in the club house but did not experience the same level of being disgruntled with the Islanders.

He should be accepting a contract lower than the $3 million he made last season. His point totals falling and his age, 33, is a good reason for his contract offers to come in under what he was accustomed to on the free spending Islanders under new owner Charles Wang. He hasn't regained the power play prowess that he had towards the end of his tenure with the Sabres, adding to the reasons for lower pay. I could see the Devils making an offer for some veteran experience, if not simply for the marketing rights and fun that could be had with having a guy who's jersey will say SATAN on the back of a New Jersey Devils jersey. Its too perfect.
Probability of happening: 20%

Brian Rolston - RW - Minnesota Wild
'07-'08 salary: $2,432,000
No question that Rolston is one of the most important individuals on the Wild roster. He is the only player who was captain multiple times during the season, Rolston has turned down his most recent offer from the Wild, indicating he will opt to become a free agent on July 1st. Since joining the Wild, Rolston has seen his stats go from career highs [79] to matching his numbers when he played with the Boston Bruins [64, 59], all in consecutive years. Even with 59 points, Rolston would have ranked second on the Devils last season, falling behind only Zach Parise

Rolston is due for a moderate raise for his performances over the past 3 years. His ability to amass points in a defensive system that the Wild have makes him even more appealing on the open market. The downside on Rolston is his age. At 35, the question of how many years does he have left in his legs, and how much are teams willing to pay out for that daunting question. While many sites are suggesting that Rolston can fetch upwards of $4 million per season, I think the Devils should offer no more than $3.5 million because of Rolston's age and possible declining ability, if they make a run at him at all.
Probability of happening: 25%
UPDATE 6/30: Rolston's rights have been traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning, who earlier today signed Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts, look to be in the get fixed quick mode under new coach Barry Melrose. Obviously, Tampa has until midnight to get a deal with Rolston done but if the Malone/Roberts deal is any precursor, this deal will be done, fast.
UPDATE 7/1: Rolston has told the Lightning that he will explore free agency. It has also been rumored that there are at least 10 offers on the table for him.
UPDATE 7/1: Rolston has signed with New Jersey, 4 years $20.25 million.

Darcy Tucker - LW - Toronto Maple Leafs
'07-'08 salary: $3,000,000
I have heard through both fan sites and a few of my sources that Lamoriello is interested in Tucker. While its nice to hear he actually has a game plan to start dipping into the free agent market, it bothers me that the only "big" name I have come across him being interested in is Tucker. The 33 year old scored 34 points, 18 of which were goals, for the Leafs last season.

Now, I'm not going to go on another Leaf bashing tirade that i had done with the Wellwood write-up, but I will point out this key fact: his 18 goals were 3rd on the Leafs, and would have been 5th on the Devils. With that being said, I like the thought of Tucker on the Devils. He's a pain in the rear like Janssen was, but he also has some semblance of offensive awareness.

Tucker is undoubtedly going to have to take a pay cut this season. The $3 million that he made last year was too much for the overhauling Leafs, and could be viewed as too much by other teams for a player of his age and a peaks-and-valleys career in terms of points totals. His stats have declined the past 3 seasons, but if the trend holds true, is due for an increase in '08-'09. I'd offer up 2 years, $2,500,000 per and if the money is to his liking but length isn't, I'd contemplate the extra year.
Probability of happening: 0%
UPDATE 7/1: Tucker signed with Colorado, 2 years, $4.5 million.