Not Time to Panic...

The evolution of the New Jersey Devils’ very young season has been… interesting… to say the very least.

·      Game 1: Held without a goal against clichéd Metropolitan Division favorite, Pittsburgh.

·      Game 2: Home opener. Damien Brunner scores his first two goals of the season. Devils surrender two leads and have to score their own equalizer to force overtime. Lose in the shootout to the Islanders

·      Game 3: Sprint out to a 3-0 lead on the Oilers heading into the 3rd period. Give up 4 straight, come back, force overtime, fall in the shootout again.

·      Game 4: Score first two goals of the game, hand lead back to Vancouver by the end of the 2nd period, fall in overtime in Corey Schneider’s return north of the border.

Needless to say, Devils’ Army is already growing restless.

A year after missing the playoffs and a summer after losing both Ilya Kovalchuk and David Clarkson, the Devils’ and their fans still held high expectations.

Sure, the names of Clowe, Ryder and Brunner don’t strike fear in the mind of defenders quite as well as Kovalchuk, but they play the game differently than the retired-from-the-NHL-so-he-can-run-back-to-Russia winger.

Early on, it has been Brunner leading the way with three goals, and Ryder, Elias and Jagr with a pair each. That’s it. Nothing from Travis Zajac, nothing from the 2012 playoff hero Adam Henrique, nothing from even the CBGB line.

The Devils need to not only find a win over the course of their remaining three road games, but they need to find scoring outside of the aforementioned four players.

Sure, the “big money” players are the ones traditionally called upon to contribute the most fire power, but both Zajac and to a more recent extent, Henrique,  are coming off new deals which rewarded their previous performances, and need to start contributing on a consistent basis, otherwise the Devils are in trouble already.

While the offense is struggling early on, the defensive pairings are leaving much to be desired. 13 goals against over the course of 4 games will not erase the sickening feeling of missing the post season 2 of the past 3 years. So far, with very few exceptions, the Devils’ defenders are looking old, slow and confused, a far cry from the way their new defensive coach, Scott Stevens, played the game, even before his retirement.

After a shaky Devils’ regular season debut against the Penguins, Schneider gave his team nearly every chance he could to help them beat Vancouver, but they could only muster the two goals and not effectively clear his sight lines for the overtime winner.

His counterpart, none other than future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur, has looked extremely rough during his two outings thus far, giving up 7 goals and losing both in the shootout. Yes, he cannot score for his teammates, who apparently have forgotten what the back of the net is during the shootouts, going 0-for-8, but he also allowed goals on 2 of 3 attempts against Edmonton.

The Devils had a very good preseason for a team who had yet another summer of unexpected drama, but they haven’t been able to capture that success and translate that into the regular season so far.

If they don’t solve their issues now, it could be a very long winter in Newark

Lou’s Last Stand or Just Another Rebirth?

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Unrestricted free agency is an inevitable aspect of hockey.

While the age and terms required to reach that point in a player’s career may change, it is still as certain as death and taxes. General Managers are then labored with the duty to evaluate and negotiate new deals for their teams, which without having psychic abilities or infallible predictability, is one undoubtedly one of the most challenging aspects of their jobs.

New Jersey Devils’ GM Lou Lamoriello is no stranger to the UFA game. Being the GM of the Devils also brings with it the media circus that immediately pin any player who has one year left on their deal going anywhere but New Jersey. Recently, it has been a string of bad luck which has haunted Lamoriello in the offseason, but could that trend be ending this year?

Three years ago, Lamoriello traded for Ilya Kovalchuk a week before the trading deadline. This was extremely out of character for the now 70 year-old former Athletic Director of Providence University,  because he rarely traded for a superstar of Kovalchuk’s ability. Add to it the fact Kovalchuk was a UFA and you could clearly tell there were ulterior motives/ers behind the move.

That summer, the circus of signing Kovalchuk to a new contract was one of the largest blemishes on Lamoriello’s otherwise stellar career. The only other gaffe that could come as close to tarnishing his reputation was the summer coming out of the 04-05 lockout in which the Devils saw future Hall of Fame defender Scott Neidermayer change allegiances to the Anehiem Ducks and he was replaced with Dan McGillis and Vladimir Malakahov. Malakahov was later traded to make cap space thanks in large part to his oversized contract and the Devils lost a first round draft pick in order for the Sharks to take the player.

The Kovalchuk disaster also cost the Devils a first round pick, to be surrendered at next June’s draft. The Devils were fined $3 million on top of being humiliated by the selective enforcement of the NHL higher ups regarding their alleged salary cap circumvention which had been done by a handful of other teams as recently as the pervious summer.

During the very next summer, the Devils were again faced with a massive free agency dilemma: Zach Parise.

Sticking to his past practices and own principles, Lamoriello did not negotiate with Parise on a new deal during the season. The winger was coming off major knee surgery which kept him out nearly the entire 2010-2011 campaign so it is understandable why Lamoriello had some reservations about how large of a deal he wanted to offer the Minnesota native.

Feeding the New Jersey fans and media false hope of “I love it in here” and “I want to be here,” Parise dragged his charade out until July 4th where it came to light he not only had an never-before-heard close friendship with former Nashville Predator Ryan Suter, but was having conversations with him regarding free agency during the season and playoffs. The same playoffs where Parise was supposed to be captaining his team to the Stanley Cup Finals, not vanishing midway during the Eastern Conference Finals and barely showing up during the Finals.

With Parise gone, the Devils struggled to fill his void in an already meager free agency pool. While they found a keeper in Andrei Loktionov, acquiring Bobby Butler and Steve Sullivan while re-acquiring Alexi Ponikarovsky did not pan out as well as they had hoped. In the end of yet another strike shortened season, the Devils missed the playoffs for the second time in three years.

This summer was going to be different: Same core returning with only a few question marks hovering over a few players’ heads contracts wise, but the Devils were in prime position to exploit the free agent pool.

At the NHL Entry Draft, Lamoriello even traded away his coveted 9^th overall first round draft pick in order to acquire a reliable goaltender who, if re-signed following 2014-15, is the heir to the Brodeur throne. Tall order, yes, but Schneider has proven in Vancouver he is more than capable of handling not only the full-time goaltending duties, but stealing games here and there for his team.

On July 5^th, they landed their first two prizes: Ryan Clowe and Michael Ryder. Clowe gives the Devils what they lost in David Clarkson: grit, toughness and an ability to contribute offensively. Sure, Clowe hasn’t amassed the goals which Clarkson has over the past two years, and his performance in New York this past post-deadline was abysmal at best, but he’s on a less-media frenzied team and will have a handful more opportunities to contribute. Ryder, meanwhile, brings the Devils another power play specialist. At the time it was believed he could alleviate some of the focus off of Kovalchuk and thus create more success. Key phrase: at the time.

Just over a week after Lamoriello made his free agent frenzy moves, the hockey world was hammered with a shocking announcement: Ilya Kovalchuk was walking away form his $100 million dollar contract, “hanging up his skates” and returning to Russia.

Lamoriello was his typical diplomatic self when handling the post-retirement conferences. Choosing his words extremely carefully, you could hardly tell Lamoriello was disappointed in the decision but you knew it. The player he had worked so hard to appease the higher-ups in not only acquiring but retaining, had just up and abandoned his team.

The move stung worse than the Parise decision, where he at least left to stay in the NHL for larger dollar signs. Kovalchuk generated a massive crater in the Devils’ already problematic offense.

In traditional Lamoriello fashion, however, he began to scour the market for low-budget but high potential players.

Immediately, the Devils were linked to first year player but UFA because of his age Damien Brunner, formerly of the Red Wings. While the news and public conversation between the two sides were few and far between, it made the rumors more and more believable due to Lamoriello’s strict no public negotiations policy. The Brunner situation stalled publicly, Lou was quietly securing another asset.

Ever since he hit his free agency following his tenure with the Penguins, every Devils’ fan had dreamt of the prospect of Jaromir Jagr coming to New Jersey to play alongside his friend and countryman Patrik Elias. While time and age have cooled those emotions, it was hard not to crack a smile when Lamoriello landed the Czech winger.

While Jagr’s post season in Boston left much to be desired, the future Hall of Famer still has plenty to offer a team who was just slapped in the face by Kovalchuk.

Entering camp, the Devils finally went public by extending their formal invitation to Brunner two games into the preseason. He made an immediate impact on the team, gelling well with anyone he was on a line with. Before the team’s final game against the Flyers, the two sides reached a 2-year, $5 million contract.

Entering the team’s opening night contest against the Penguins, the Devils will have at least 4 new forwards in the lineup [Brunner, Clowe, Jagr and Ryder], and potentially a 5th in Ratislav Olez.

Not bad potential for a team who is projected to finish towards, if not at, the bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Could this season potentially be the last one for Lou Lamoriello as it potentially is for his career defining find in Martin Brodeur? Only time will tell.

If it is, however, the moves made this offseason have assembled a strong team which will surprise many across the hockey community. While there are no guarantees in professional sports, there are also no written laws which state teams must play down to the level which they are predicted to by so-called experts.

Lamoriello has built a team to win-now and while offensive prospects have not panned out as well as they had in the past, the Devils are also in a position organizationally to have a steady diet of defenders reach the NHL over the next few years as well as having solid goaltending security for the foreseeable future.

Devils Cap Off Perfect Week with OT Win

The long layoff for the NHL ended last Saturday night as 24 teams kicked off their respective seasons.

New Jersey, fresh off their run to the Stanley Cup Finals, began their quest to repeat their Eastern Conference Championship run by squaring off against Atlantic Divisional rival, New York Islanders.

Travis Zajac got the scoring going after burying a beautiful crossing feed from Ilya Kovalchuk and David Clarkson sucked the life out of the crowd at Nassau Coliseum with his goal moments after Travis Hamonic leveled the two teams at 1 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the 3^rd period. Martin Brodeur stopped 18 of 19 shots for his first win of the season.

Three days later, the Devils Squared off against the Philadelphia Flyers who were playing their third game in four days. Having lost to Pittsburgh at home and then falling to Buffalo on the road, the Flyers were desperate for a victory. Unfortunately for them, they got off on the absolute wrong foot as Travis Zajac again ignited the scoring, netting his second of the season just 67 seconds into the game. Clarkson, too, would get his second of the year on the power play with 25 seconds remaining in the opening stanza.

Kovalchuk would add a short handed, penalty shot goal in the third as the Devils continued their domination of Flyers’ goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov dating back to last season’s Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup where the Devils made the Russian keeper look amateurish.

Brodeur stopped all 24 Flyers shots he faced for his second win and 120^th shutout of his career, 10 of which coming against the Flyers.

The shutout streak would continue into Friday night where the Devils would play host to the Washington Capitals. Stephen Gionta would finish a Jacob Josefson attempt to net his first of the season and only his second career regular season goal. Patrik Elias would register his 897^th point of his career when he pushed home a rebound off a Marek Zidlicky shot and a Clarkson deflection on the power play late in the 2^nd period.

The Devils’ discipline came apart nearly entirely during the third period as they took 5 consecutive penalties including three within seconds of each other. Washington seized the opportunity by scoring once on the power play [Mike Ribeiro] and then again as their final advantage expired [Mike Green].

Their gifts from the Devils would cease there as New Jersey came out a different team in the overtime period, bombarding Michal Neuvirth with 7 shots before Kovalchuk wristed a tight angle attempt top shelf to win the game for the Devils with just 20 seconds remaining in the extra frame.

Their 3-0 start is the best the Devils have had since the 2002-2003 season in which they went on to win the Stanley Cup in 6 games against the Dallas Stars.

Sykora & Henrique Making the Most of Second Chances

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Gene Hackman playing the role of fictional football coach Jimmy McGinty told his players in The Replacements, "you men are being given what a lot of people would die to have: a second chance." His speech was meant to instill confidence in his team as they came off a tough loss. It seems as though some of the Devils players have taken a similar message to heart during the early goings of this young NHL season.

Just over a month ago, two Devils were the spotlight of a Deviling the Details season preview article: Pete Sykora and Adam Henrique.

By now, everyone is well aware of Sykora’s improbable comeback. What goes unnoticed by those not watching the Devils is the overall emergence of his game on both sides of the puck.

Sykora’s impressive offensive performance during the preseason was what earned him a spot on the Devils’ roster. His defensive abilities have undoubtedly granted him a permanent spot on the active roster, even after the Devils fully heal as a team.

With Travis Zajac and Jacob Josefson still recovering from serious injuries, the Devils have desperately needed other players step up and role-players to expand their game further. Sykora is just one of the many players who have answered the call and have been such a vital part in the Devils’ early season success, a stark contrast to the team that took to the ice a year ago.

Sykora, a former two-time 30-plus goal scorer, hasn’t lit up the score sheet to the tune of even a 20-goal pace, but has three goals on the year. His goals, coincidentally, have all come off a set-play from an offensive zone faceoff where center Patrik Elias wins the draw back and Sykora one-times the feed to the right side of the net. Sykora has also added 6 assists to his points total over the first 18 games of the season.

A player who has been even more impressive for the Devils than Petr Sykora is Adam Henrique.

Earlier this season, Henrique was thrust into not just the starting roster, but the Devils’ top line when Josefson went down with a broken collarbone suffered in the 5th game of the season versus the San Jose Sharks.

While Henrique was sent down to Albany for what General Manager Lou Lamoriello called a better opportunity before the Devils’ weekend set with the Sharks and Penguins, he returned to the Devils following the training stint a different player.

Before his brief re-focusing stint, Henrique averaged a mere 12 minutes of ice time, and amassed no points during his first 3 games this season. Since then, he has averaged at least 5 minutes more of time, including significant time on both special teams units.

With that added ice time, Henrique has also given the Devils yet another offensive threat which comes as great relief while Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk find their scoring touches. Henrique registered his first NHL goal against the Philadelphia Flyers and then two nights later, registered his first multi-goal game including another first: his first game winning goal in a thrilling game against the Winnipeg Jets.

In his 12 games since being recalled from Albany, Henrique has put up 4 goals, 7 assists and is a plus-1. He also had an assist on Parise’s shorthanded goal against Buffalo last Wednesday, and has a pair of assists on the power play, including David Clarkson’s tally Saturday night which proved to be the game winner.

Henrique, as is the case with any player, is not subject to mistakes including some errant passes and defensive lapses. His other contributions, both on the attack as well as matching up defensively against some of the league’s best and holding his own, more than make up for the errors which the rookie has made.

As the Devils approach the end of the first quarter of the season, they’ll take the continued successes and contributions of Henrique and Sykora as they await Parise to hit his scoring stride coming off missing nearly an entire season.

Even after Travis Zajac returns to game-form, expect Henrique to be a major factor on the top two lines as long as he can keep up his solid performances. Sykora will also be a strong candidate to remain on the top two especially considering how he has returned to his old form with line mate and good friend, Patrik Elias.


Crosby Comes Back

Finally, on an unrelated hockey note, congrats to Sidney Crosby on his return Monday night. I mention this for two reasons, 1) concussions suck and as much as I can’t stand to hear about him day and night on various hockey programs, I love rooting against him and the Penguins and 2) shamelessly hoping that by accident people will search his name and come upon my blog. But folks, can we stop comparing this comeback to the one that happened over a decade ago?

Mario Lemieux’s return to hockey and the Pittsburg Penguins was truly monumental. For those not familiar, Lemieux retired from hockey in 1997 after undergoing numerous back surgeries, and four years after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in ’97, but three years later, Lemieux returned to the Penguins where he would play until the 2005-06 season. Lemieux used that last season to quite literally pass the torch of the Penguins to Crosby.

So before we bronze Crosby’s skates from Monday’s game, let’s remember people have suffered worse than a concussion and returned.

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.

Devils Take Two from Tampa

(Photo by Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
Going into tonight’s match-up with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Devils knew anything less then getting the full two points would be a major blow to their playoff hopes.

With Carolina winning their game over Pittsburgh last night, the Devils fell back behind by 11 points from playoff contention. Even with two games in hand, failing on chances to gain ground on idle opponents would be devastating.

During the first period, you could tell the Devils were playing a little tighter than they usually would be on home ice. Their defense was very solid and prevented any significantly threatening scoring chances from the opposition, but their offense was just as hesitant to try and take the zone as they were during their Friday night loss in Tampa.

The second period saw a bad bounce which earlier in the season would have crippled this team. Pavel Kubina took a shot from a top the left circle which deflected off of the skate of Dominic Moore and into the back of the Devils’ net. The power play goal gave the Lightning a much needed go-ahead goal, but the game was far from over at this point.

Just before the end of the period, Ilya Kovalchuk danced with the puck deep in the Tampa zone and let go of a shot which created a scramble in front. As players battled for the loose puck, it kicked out to the right point to Henrik Tallinder, who faked two shots and fired a wrister through the chaos in front. The shot deflected off of the stick of Martin St. Louis and found it’s way behind Dwayne Roloson for the equalizer.

The teams played a much faster paced 3rd period, exchanging chance for chance for most of the first 10 minutes. Just past the midway mark, Travis Zajac’s shot on goal kicked into the corner off Roloson’s pad and was controlled by Matt Smaby. Smaby then tried to force a pass between Zajac and the boards, but was picked off by Zajac who quickly fed a streaking Kovalchuk with a crisp tape-to-tape pass. The pass handcuffed Kovalchuk a little, but he still was able to blast a one-timer past Rolson while falling for the Devils’ first lead of the night, and his 22nd of the season.

The Devils would not sit back and defend the lead as they produced numerous chances, including a beautiful wide open, one-timer look from Patrik Elias late in the period that Roloson was able to get just enough of to prevent a back-breaking goal.

Tampa’s best chance to equalize came during the final 5 seconds as St. Louis broke out with Steven Stamkos through the neutral zone, but Stamkos had gone offsides before St. Louis could make it to the blue line and fire a last-ditch effort on net.

With the win, the Devils again pulled to within 9 points of the Hurricanes. Carolina travels to Buffalo tomorrow night for a critical match-up with the Sabres, who if they win in overtime, will take over the 8th position in the Eastern Conference based upon wins.

Devils fans, at least for one night, should be pulling very hard for the Sabres to win in regulation. If the Sabres can grant the Devils’ fans wish, the gap will remain at 9 points.

NOTES: David Steckel, who played his first game with the Devils since being acquired from the Washington Capitals for Jason Arnott, had a solid game defensively. He lost his first five face offs, and ended the night just 4 for 12, far below his seasonal average of roughly 60%...Zach Parise, who has been recovering from a partially torn meniscus since October, was given the okay from doctors today to resume skating on his own. General Manager Lou Lamoriello said he’s at least 2-3 weeks away from skating hard and the team would then take it from there…Dainius Zubrus shook off a hit from behind from Simon Gagne just before the Kovalchuk goal. Gagne was not penalized on the play…Martin Brodeur made a great left arm save on Nate Thompson on a breakaway during the first period.

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.

Devils Seek to Rebound

Two days after failing to keep pace with the teams above them, the New Jersey Devils seek to get back to their winning ways when they visit the Florida Panthers.

On Friday night, the Devils were beat at their own game, seeing their 8 game winning streak snapped by the Tampa Bay Lightning. With the loss, the Devils failed to earn two critical points which would allow them to keep their bleak playoff hopes alive.

Before the end of the game, further up the East Coast, the Carolina Hurricanes polished off a 4-1 victory over the Pittsburg Penguins and the New York Rangers embarrassed the Washington Capitals 6-0 in DC.

That left those scoreboard watching with a complete feeling of hopelessness as they knew how pivotal the 2 possible points were in this game. By the start of the 3rd period, the Devils were in a 2-0 hole, and the fans knew the results of the other games, but feared a possible devastating point-less effort.

When Mark Fayne’s 4th goal of the season had somehow found the back of the net, fans began to hope that if they couldn’t get the two, maybe they would be able to steal A point from the Lightning on home ice.

Unfortunately, recent history was not on their side. Prior to this matchup, the Devils had won 12 of their past 13 games against the Lightning, with the only loss came on the memorable 3-1 defeat last season which had to be played over the course of two nights as the Prudential Center had lost power during the second period of that matchup.

Tonight, as Devils fans head to bed, they can rest and breath a little easier as fate dealt them a favorable hand in their quest for the playoffs.

The Hurricanes could not ride the wave of success they had against Pittsburg the night before into Montreal. While their offense had the right paperwork to get across the border, apparently the defense did not as they surrendered two first period goals en route to a 4-3 loss to the Canadiens.

In Buffalo, the Sabres hosted the Red Wings and while the Sabres did secure a loser point, they failed to gain the extra point of ground on the 8th seeded Hurricanes, losing 3-2 in the shootout to Detroit.

Toronto also failed to gain the extra point on Carolina as they too fell in the shootout to Pittsburgh, 6-5. The Penguin offense rebounded in staggering fashion, but their defense also failed to make it into Canada.

Should the Devils pull out a victory tomorrow versus the Panthers, they’ll be 1 point back of Florida, 4 back of the Maple Leafs, 5 behind the struggling Thrashers, 7 behind the Sabres and returning to 9 points back of the Hurricanes. All of those scenarios, of course, are dependant upon all games falling in the Devils’ favor, including the Thrashers knocking off the Maple Leafs in regulation.

Sunday will also mark the first game back from Martin Brodeur after sitting the past 8 games with a knee injury suffered in the Devils’ Super Bowl Sunday victory in Montreal.

Ilya Kovalchuk also seeks to extend his career high 12 game point streak. Over the course of the 12 games, Kovalchuk has 7 goals and 7 assists.

Lastly, Sunday could, and quite possibly, will be the end of Jason Arnott’s second stint with the Devils. With the Trade Deadline looming Monday afternoon at 3, and his desire to be part of a team in the playoffs for a chance at a Stanley Cup, it is safe to assume Arnott will not only waive his No Trade Clause, but also request to be traded. Lou Lamoriello has not commented on the situation but it is safe to assume, he would try to accommodate the aging center.

Game time for Sunday’s tilt is at 5 pm.

Walking the Line

Less than two weeks from the trade deadline, and just over 20 games to go in the regular season, the Devils are doing just that, "walking the line."

They're walking the fine line between being buyers or sellers over the next 12 days. This week could, and probably be, the defining factor for the Devils as a team for the remainder of the season.

With two games against the 8th place Hurricanes, and a match-up with the rival, and current 7th place, Rangers in between, 6 critical points are there for the taking.

If the Devils want to maintain any glimmers of hope of sneaking into the post-season, they realistically need all 4 points versus Carolina while allowing none in return. In short, they need to win their showdowns with the Hurricanes tonight and Saturday in regulation to stay alive. Should they be able to do that, they'll find themselves within 8 points of a coveted playoff spot and almost certainly be buyers at the trade deadline.

Winning has not come easily for the Devils as of late as their last two games have been decided by just one goal, and the offense has not been able to crack the three goal mark in either game. What has been consistent, however, has been the play of Johan Hedberg in net.

When Martin Brodeur went down with an MCL sprain agains the Canadiens 10 days ago, some Devils fans feared the worst. Hedberg, on the other hand, quieted the skeptics with his play over the past four games, earning wins in three and allowing an average of just over one goal per game including his relief appearance for the injured Brodeur.

Helping Hedberg has been the exceptional play of winger Ilya Kovalchuk who has netted back to back game winning goals and is riding a multiple game point streak.

The biggest downside to tonight's encounter will be the absence of defenseman Anton Volchenkov who is sitting the third and final game of his suspension.

The Devils will look to get back to their form from a few games ago and get the lead early. Obviously, playing with an early lead is much easier than playing catch-up, but when the Devils score within the first 10 minutes of a game, they usually score no fewer than 3 goals.

I see this game being a 4-2 decision, Devils on top. Kovalchuk will add two points, his goal will not be the winner, however, that will be Patrick Elias' honor as he gets back into a scoring groove.

Kovalclutch

For their first win, the Devils knocked off Buffalo in overtime. The game winning goal came off a one timer from the stick of Ilya Kovalchuk.

A month later, the Devils again emerged victorious from another overtime victory, and again, the winner came off the stick of Kovalchuk.

Two nights ago, Dainius Zubrus netted the equalizing goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs early in the 3rd period. The Devils seemed to break free from the funk which had surrounded them for most of the game but couldn’t net the go ahead goal to give them a regulation win.

To overtime they would go, and cue Mr. Kovalchuk. Starting from behind his own net, he carried the puck across center ice, eluding two Maple Leaf defenders, finding himself open on the right wing. Kovalchuk did not hesitate to fire a shot on net that beat goaltender James Reimer stick side for yet another winner.

Finally, last night, after a Travis Zajac faceoff win in the San Jose zone, Kovalchuk picked up the loose puck and ripped a shot to the stick side of Anti Niemi for his 19th goal of the season and second winner in as many nights. Granted this winner was not in overtime, it was yet another winner for the Devils and another game winning goal for the $100 million man.

The team is completely on fire right now, having won 12 out of their previous 15 games. In the games which they have not won, they have earned points in two of three. 26 points out of a possible 30 have brought the Devils from lottery pick favorites, to dark horses with an outside chance of making the playoffs.

It is no secret the team’s mentality has changed to focus on one game at a time. They have to, it’s to save their sanity, and remove doubt. They’re openly saying they’re leaving the scoreboard watching to the reporters and the fans. It’s a perfect mentality for a team that at one point this year looked dead to rights.

Entering the action tonight, the Devils sit a mere 12 points back of the 8th place Atlanta Thrashers, 14 back of the 7th place [and rival] New York Rangers. 6 critical points sit for the taking next week as the Devils will face 9th place Carolina twice and the Rangers once.

It will undoubtedly be a tall order for the team, especially without Martin Brodeur and defencemen Anton Volchenkov for at least the Wednesday game at home versus Carolina.

However, on the shoulders of Johan Hedberg and of course, the scoring machine Ilya Kovalchuk, victories against even the best teams in the NHL can be earned.

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.

Step 1

42 days ago, the Devils hit rock bottom. They had the worst record in the NHL, they had the second fewest points in team history and were dead last by a considerable margin.

Today, they wake up knowing that, finally, another team is behind them.

With their dramatic (and nearly heartbreaking) win over the rival Rangers last night, the Devils earned points 38 and 39. The latter helped them vault over the Edmonton Oilers who now sit alone at the bottom of the league. With the win, the Devils also pulled into a virtual tie with the Islanders for last in the East, but with more wins in regulation and overtime (fewest shootout wins is the tiebreaker, remember) the Devils are "ahead."

Recently, the Devils have been, for lack of a better term, rolling. Going into last night, they had won 7 of their last 9, earning points in 8 of 9, and with teams throughout the conference stagnating, their opportunity is now to play catch up. Two nights ago they picked up where the left off with a win at home versus Ottawa, while last night the journey took them to MSG versus the Rangers.

Just under two minutes into the game, on their first shot of the game, Ilya Kovalchuk fired a drive from the right wing boards, beating Henrik Lundqvist high short side for his 15th of the year.