SB Nation - Yann Danis

If Halak Could Be On The Move, It May Be Due To Cedrick Desjardins Continuing To Defy The Odds In Hamilton

Robert L — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:53:43 -0000

When Canadiens fans consider the top prospects in the organization the first thoughts usually center around pivot Louis Leblanc, who was cut today from the Team Canada junior camp. Other names crop up, such as defensemen P.K. Subban and Yannick weber as well as center Ben Maxwell, but a name often overlooked and seldom caught on the radar is goaltender Cedrick Desjardins, currently burning up the AHL statistically.

Desjardins is the subject of a column today by Mathias Brunet of La Presse, who reports that the Bulldogs stopper is on fire of late, having surrendered but one goal in his last four games.

Call it food for thought, but could this be why Jaroslav Halak trade rumours are heating up at the moment?

Consider the following: Desjardins' record is 8-4-1-4 with a 1.45 GAA. His save percentage is .944, second best in the AHL behind Dallas Stars prospect Brent Krahn. He recently came within minutes of topping a 1957 Johnny Bower AHL record for consecutive shutout minutes.

Those are the kind of numbers that turn heads in a league!

For Canadiens' fans unacquainted with Desjardins, it may be due to the fact that he was a somewhat unheralded free agent signing in 2006. After getting his start with the Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL during the Sydney Crosby era, Desjardins moved on the Patrick Roy's Quebec Remparts, winning the Memorial Cup in 2006.

He has come a long way from being drafted 200th overall by the Halifax Mooseheads of the Q in 2002. His first season in junior has hardly a success, winning only one of 23 games he appeared in.

By the 2004-05 season, he had moved on to Rimouski, earning the starters job. It was a season of growth playing alongside Crosby, and the Oceanic made it all the way to the Memorial Cup final, which they lost to the powerhouse London Knights 4-0.

At 20 years of age, and undrafted at the NHL level, Desjardins did not despair in his search for a professional contract. He signed on with Roy's Remparts as an overaged junior, and Quebec rode his hot hand all the way to the league championship, which was lost in six games to the Moncton Wildcats. As Moncton for the host team for the Memorial Cup that season, Desjardins and the Remparts, as finalists, were given a bye into the Canadian junior final round robin.

It was there that Desjardins truly made a lasting impression, as he guided the underdog Remparts to the Memorial Cup title. He was stellar under the gun in the final game as the Wildcats fired 48 shots in his direction, beating him only twice as Quebec cruised to a 6-2 upset.

Later that summer, Desjardins was invited to the Chicago Blackhawks training camp, but eventually signed a contract to play with the Hamilton Bulldogs.

With goalies Carey Price, Jaroslav Halak, Cristobal Huet and Yann Danis all ahead him on the Canadiens depth chart in goal, Desjardins was assigned to the ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones in October of 2006. He was twice called to Hamilton first replacing Halak when he was called up to Montreal and a second time upon the trade of Huet to Washington.

In 2008, following the Bulldogs missing the playoffs, he was returned to the Cyclones just in time to lead them all the way to the Kelly Cup title in 2008.

Like he done in the Quebec league prior, Desjardins was once again named playoff MVP.

Last season, desjardins split time in Hamilton with veteran Marc Denis and has shared the load this season with Curtis Sanford.

A high point in his career in the Canadiens organization came at the Habs' camp in 2008, when he was put in goal for the third period of an exhibition game against the Detroit Red Wings. Desjardins allowed no goals in his 25 minutes of play including overtime, and promptly shut the door on the Wings snipers in the shootout in backstopping the Habs to the win.

The 24 year old from Edmunston, New Brunswick has made a career of defying the odds against him. From Brunet's La Presse article, current Bulldogs coach Guy Boucher had this this to say:

Everywhere Cedrick has played, he was tagged as the goalie who most assumed would not lead. He was the guy in nets by default or circumstance. With the Oceanic, he came into the team plans as a third string goalie but performed well enough to play regularly. In time, he became the starter, but we weren't sure of winning with him, so the team aquired a 20 year old to take the helm. Cedrick soon outperformed him as well. We won the President's Cup and made it to the Memorial Cup final that season. Crosby and Desjardins were incredible in those playoffs.

Boucher goes on to answer in theory why Desjardins had continuously flown under the radar.

As a goalie, he does not have an imposing presence about him, nor is he looked upon as having abundant natural abilities. But, he's a ferocious competitor. He's extraordinarily strong on second and third rebounds. He pulls rabbits out of his hat it seems. At any given time, when he looks beaten, he'll surprise and make the stop. It's not luck. He's extremely quick and very athletic.

Brunet goes on to say that Boucher and his assistants helped in refining Desjardins' technique.

In Rimouski, as an assistant coach, I was in charge of handling Desjardins' psychological approach in games. I've known him well for some time now and we have put in a lot of time together. We've worked on patience together. The biggest difference between junior and pro or the East Coast League is that the initial shot on goal becomes much more important. In junior, that first shot is easier to stop because it is not as hard. At the pro level, shots are fired without warning. Pro levels goalies who are having difficulties adjusting are the ones who have the most trouble with that first shot. What Cedrick had to learn was to concentrate singularly on that first shot instead of worrying abou the consequences of a rebound. He had a tendency to try and predict what he would be doing next rather than focusing on the first task. Now he more concentrated on the first chance and as aggressive on rebounds.

In talking of Desjardins and his season, Boucher would not yet term either he or Sanford as the team's number one goalie. Sanford has been equally strong, but his wife has recently given birth and Desjardins' performances have come during the veteran's lightened workload. The goalies had been alternating until recently, but as Desjardins gained the hot hand, Boucher felt it best to ride it out.

The coach was non-committal as per Desjardins short or longer term prospects with the Canadiens. That talk was not up for discussions as Boucher would not want such scenarios hampering his goalie's focus at the present time.

He must continue to focus uniquely on the next game and not about what comes along in two weeks time. Not on whether in six months he'll be the number one. In Hamilton, our goals are to help the players reach the NHL level and Cedrick has always taking things a step at a time. For now, his challenge is to demonstate the consistency required from being a number one AHL goalie.

Reviewing My 2009-10 Expectations for New Jersey Devils Defensemen and Goaltenders

John Fischer — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:14:52 -0000

More photos » by Rich Schultz - AP

Johnny Oduya about to hug the most impressive defenseman on the Devils this season, Andy Greene. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

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Back in August, I wrote a series of posts basically coming up with expectations for each Devil on the roster. Not all of them were statisically based, a lot of them came arbitrarily. Still, I felt it was better to state what I wanted to see out of each player prior to the season. Now that the New Jersey Devils have played a third of the NHL season, it's a good time as any to see how my expectations are bearing out. Today, I will focus on the defensemen and goaltenders. If you're looking for the forwards; that went up earlier this week, you can find it here.

Now, for a lot of defensemen, I will likely state that the player has exceeded my expectations largely because of the injuries to Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya. In their absence, Andy Greene and Mike Mottau have played significantly more minutes than they otherwise would; and Colin White and Bryce Salvador took on additional responsibility as well. In retrospect, I was fortunate in my selection of the six defensemen for those posts as they are regulars. Cory Murphy isn't on the active roster; Matthew Corrente has been scratched upon Oduya's return; Tyler Eckford was only up for a few games; and Mark Fraser remains the only call up to stick around - and he'll likely be a scratch whenever Martin returns. I didn't expect those four to be up in New Jersey.

Lastly, I will say this prior to the jump. Please leave your thoughts on how the Devils defensemen and goaltenders have been playing so far in the comments, as well as any criticism for stupid-in-hindsight expectations or what I say below.

Martin Brodeur, What I Said Then:

I see no reason to believe Martin Brodeur won't be one of the best goaltenders in the league in 2009-10. If Brodeur and the coaching staff feel he can/wants to play 70 games based on workload and such, then by all means, Brodeur should play 70 games. Again, I see no reason to believe that Brodeur will somehow get that much worse at age 37 than he was at 35 or 36. I won't give a stat line prediction, but I do expect Brodeur to set the NHL record for career season shutouts in 2009-10. I also expect him to continue playing at a high level, finishing among NHL leaders in goals against average, save percentage, and - of course - wins. Do I think he can accomplish all that? Of course!

What has he done so far:

	GP	MIN	W	L	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Martin Brodeur	28	1681	19	8	61	2.18	751	690	.919	2

Yeah, he's been pretty good. Brodeur's on pace for at least 70 games (76.5 to be precise, but that won't happen); Brodeur is indeed currently among league leaders in wins (#1), GAA (tied for 7th), SV% (11th), and shutouts (tied for 7th and one away from breaking Terry Sawchuk's all time record of 103). Yeah, Brodeur is meeting my expectations. Will critics and foolish people realize that age or games played is not a factor with Brodeur at this point? Sadly, no. Reality is a struggle for them.

Yann Danis, What I Said Then:

Given he could see very little ice time next season, it's almost pointless to come up with any statistical expectations outside of general ones like staying below a 3.00 GAA and above 90% for save percentage (and Danis hit those marks with the Islanders last season). Danis just has to stay prepared throughout the season, don't get discouraged when he realizes it's been a month or two since starts, and perform competantly when he does see ice time in a game. And I think that's all we can really expect from him.

What he has done so far:

	GP	MIN	W	L	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Yann Danis	3	140	2	0	5	2.14	65	60	.923	0

Well, he got a few starts, but the last time he was seen, he conceded 3 goals in one period to Dallas and Brodeur came in for him. Granted, those goals weren't his fault. I don't think he's been sitting because of that, despite the number of games, Brodeur hasn't seen a lot of rubber and so he's not as fatigued as a goaltender who faces 30ish shots per game. Therefore, Danis hasn't been given much of a chance even though in the two full starts he did get, he looked good in both games. Which falls perfectly in line with what I said in August, actually. So Danis is currently meeting my expectations so far.

Before I get to the defensemen, I'd like you to check out this chart I made for each of the six defensemen. I compiled the even strength on-ice/off-ice numbers from Behind the Net. Rather than clumsily state each stat for each defender, you can see it all in one place. So if the following reviews of my expectations seem a little flimsy, this chart should provide more meat on this meal of content.

Notice how everyone of the six defensemen have a positive quality of competition and a high quality of team. Since Lemaire has only recently been using his fourth line for 10 minutes or so, that means more defensemen are out there with top forward talent. Also, since Martin and Oduya were injured, that meant Greene, Mottau, White, and Salvador not only took on more minutes but better opposition. Another interesting common thread is that all of the defensemen don't have much of an effect on the Devils scoring goals; but they matter in the other three stats. Back to the players:

Paul Martin, What I Said Then:

Paul Martin is very important to the Devils' blueline and as such I think we can comfortably expect him to remain important and remain a defensive force. I am expecting him to put up more assists, though, at least 30 should be the goal. A cynical person may say that's entirely possible since it's a contract year for him. However, Martin's in the prime of his career and I think he will have the opportunities to achieve at least 35 points. He'll still remain as the Devils #1 defenseman and next June, we'll be hoping he sticks around.

What he has done so far:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Paul Martin	9	0	2	2	1	0	0	0	0	23:57	9	0.0

Now, this is a bit unfair as Martin has played a whopping 9 games before getting hurt. The low number of games means you should probably take his on-ice/off-ice numbers with a grain of salt. I'd take it anyway because Martin has been excellent in preventing shots from occurring. Yes, the goals against go up but I'd like to attribute that more to his regular partner in those 9 games as well as the possibility that the opposition had to take higher quality shots as the quantity hasn't been there. Defensively, great. Important, you bet - despite how the other defenders stepped up in his place, I think it's fair to say the Devils would want him back. Offensively, eh, not so much. He wasn't shooting much himself prior to injury and now because of it, I doubt he'll hit 30 points unless he gets hot upon return. Overall, I was pleased with Martin prior to the injury and with that small set, I'd say he was meeting my defensive expectations but not my offensive ones.

Johnny Oduya, What I Said Then:

I really do think the best is yet to come from Oduya. Given that he was the only UFA to be retained before July 1 (and to be the second-highest paid defenseman on the team), I would like to think that the Devils would agree. Therefore, I expect Oduya to do quite a bit in 2009-10. I want him to be the a definitive #2 defenseman: score 6-8 goals, put up about 35 points, regularly play 20 minutes or more per night, and get better on-ice/off-ice numbers on even strength. How Lemaire will use him on special teams, I think, will be a big factor as to hitting these offensive goals. If Oduya is a regular on a power play unit as well as being out there for Parise's and Elias' lines, I think he should hit those marks. Overall, I want Oduya to improve - and I really do think he has not hit his ceiling after 3 years of NHL hockey. Even cutting down his mistakes would represent such an improvement.

What he has done so far:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Johnny Oduya	15	1	0	1	-4	16	0	0	0	21:34	13	7.7

Prior to Oduya's injury, he really struggled to start the season. While he started off in that familiar #2 role along side Paul Martin, he was the weaker link in that pairing. He was burnt or made lethal mistakes in his own end for goals and it was pretty obvious. It's why his goals against when he's on the ice is so high and why the shots against when he's on the ice rises. I even wrote this post about Oduya trying to figure out how bad he has been. Not at all the best way to start a season, especially after signing a sweet deal. Then he suffered an injury that kept him out for November. After the injury, Oduya has looked a lot steadier and even potted in his first goal (and point) of the season. While he starts off with Mark Fraser, he's done well enough for Lemaire to give him about 20 minutes or more a night. So I'd like to think he's improving from that poor October he had. However, given his rough start, I have to say that Oduya is not currently meeting my expectations. I hope he continues to improve and turns it around; the talent is truly there.

Colin White, What I Said Then:

Essentially, I expect White to build on this 2008-09 season defensively (as in maintain these numbers or do better) improve his performance on the penalty kill, and continue working on keeping the penalties in minutes total as low as possible. Even if he can continue to cause fewer shots on net when he's out there like he did last season, then I would be very pleased. As far as physical play goes, I wouldn't mind more hits and blocked shots; but not at the cost of getting out of position or allowing more shots. White's not going to score a ton of points or be the team's hit-machine; but he definitely can be one of the better #3 defenseman in the NHL. And so that's what I'm expecting out of the 31 year old defenseman.

What he has done so far:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Colin White	30	1	5	6	3	6	0	0	0	20:10	13	7.7

As one of the top 4 remaining after Martin and Oduya went down to injury, White has showed why he's been a fixture on the Devils' top 4 for years. The shots against fall when the defensive defensemen is out there and he's facing the highest quality of competition behind Martin. It is a bit concerning that the goals against goes up while playing with a relatively high level of teammate quality. However, he's doing what I wanted to see. He leads the team in hits (50), tied for the team lead in blocked shots (44), and currently leads the defense on the penalty kill. On top of that, he's been very good with discipline. The only regular to have fewer penalty minutes is Andy Greene. I know, who would have thought Colin White as a disciplined defenseman when you consider how much of a PIM machine he was earlier in his career? I know some Devils fans don't fancy White, but you have to respect what he's done so far. White is at least meeting my expectations, if not exceeding them by a little bit.

Mike Mottau, What I Said Then:

Other than that, given his salary and his career, I don't know how much more one can really expect or Mike Mottau. It's great that the Devils gave him the opportunity and Mottau broke through to the NHL after all these years. But he is replaceable/can be improved upon. Yet, I don't think Devils will do that unless someone really impresses in training camp or until Mottau is free to leave next July. Until then, I expect Mottau to still remain as a regular defenseman. I think he'll start with White once again, but I fear that he may end up on the third pairing more often than not. I doubt that Mottau can score 20 points or more or improve his defense enough to get on a penalty killing unit or really clamp down on shots from the oposition. If he can provide small reductions in the shot against rate while on the ice in such a position, great.

What he has done so far:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Mike Mottau	28	1	1	2	2	17	0	0	0	22:50	29	3.4

Last season, he had significant changes on goals scored in a game when he stepped on the ice. This season, not so much. Like White, the shots against drop when Mottau's out there; but unlike White, the shots for also drop (and significantly so) - the goals don't change much. Despite having the second most shots on net among defensemen, it hasn't translated into points. But that's fine as I didn't expect much offense from him to begin with. Regardless, Mottau's minutes got jacked up after injuries to Martin and Oduya and he's handled the additional workload very well. That's something I didn't expect - just when I thought he was providing fair value for what he's worth as he did last season, he's now providing additional value by being steady overall with increased minutes. For that alone, I'd say Mottau is meeting my expectations. (Though, 17 PIM, Mottau? Watch your stick, please. And for the love of God, stop passing the puck into or across the slot in your own zone. Do those two things and I will have 0 complaints.)

Bryce Salvador, What I Said Then:

As far as what to expect? Well, I want Salvador to cut down on his minor penalties while maintaining his hits and blocked shots. One of his strengths is being physical and I don't want him to taken away from that - just that he should be more composed and intelligent about it. Also, I want him getting in the shooting lanes more often if only to cut down on the number of shots opponents take when he's out there. Lastly, if he's even kept on the penalty killing unit, then he needs to work on all facets of that play. The Devils PK unit wasn't strong last season and he was one of the reasons why. Again, at age 32, can we really expect him to do much more other than refine his game and hope his experience will lead to better decisions on-ice?

I expect him to be more defensively sound, but I know he's not going to turn into a supreme shut-down defenseman every night. Even if Colin White wasn't on the team, is he even a top-4 caliber defenseman? I doubt it based on his first full season with the Devils. And so I expect he will remain as the Devils #5 defenseman. At $2.9 million/year for 2 more seasons after 2009-10.

What he has done so far:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Bryce Salvador	30	0	6	6	6	28	0	0	0	19:34	21	0.0

I was pretty down on Salvador after last season. And in some ways, he hasn't exactly thrilled me with what he has done this season. He currently leads the defensemen with 9 minors, he fought twice (without Martin and Oduya, why is a veteran defenseman taking himself out of the game for 5 minutes, I ask you?), and the shots against actually rises when he's on the ice. All with the lowest quality of competition among these six defensemen. What I do like is his confidence to shoot the puck more, his durability, and he's been good on the PK. Per Behind the Net's PK numbers, the shots against per 60 do drop significantly (40.5 to 31.7) when he's out there; and only Andy Greene can say he's been on the ice for fewer power play goals against (Salvador: 5, Greene: 2). In terms of physical play, Salvador does have 41 hits (second on the team), and 38 blocked shots (tied with Mottau for second most on the team). That all said, I want to see more from Salvador. I want the shots against rate to fall when he's out there, especially if he's not facing strong competition. I want fewer penalties from #24. I can say he's looked like a #4 defenseman, and not just because he is one by default now. Since I set my expectations low, he's met my low expectations and exceeded them a little; but I want more from Salvador.

Andy Greene, What I Said Then:

Therefore, I expect Greene to have a better 2009-10 season. Hopefully, he won't get significantly injured like he did last season, ruining any momentum gained as the season goes on. While I don't think he should be on the power play, I do expect him to contribute a little more on offense - hopefully 10 points or more - and to take more shots. Defensively, I don't want to see the shots against per 60 minutes rise by 5 when he's out there; his positioning and decision making to step up on a forward needs to get better. Greene's not a physical player, he's not big, and he's not going to develop into a stud defenseman. But that's OK, all he has to do on the third pairing is play well enough at both ends such that he and his partner can spell the top 4 and work over the opposition's bottom lines. I think Greene can do it, and he'll pretty much have to perform better to stay as the Devils' #6 defenseman.

What he has done so far:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Andy Greene	27	5	12	17	7	4	4	0	3	23:41	34	14.7

To think, he didn't start the season on the third pairing! After a few games of Cory Murphy not being impressive, Lemaire gave Greene a shot and he never looked back. When Martin and Oduya went down, Lemaire put his trust into Greene and it has paid off significantly. He's already exceeded what I wanted from him on offense in terms of points and shots; and I never would have guessed he could handle an average of 26 minutes for a month. He doesn't succumb to pressure as much as he did last season and that's a big improvement. Instead, he's very calm with the puck either for a clearance, on the breakout, at the point, or when he jumps up on offense. He's the best disciplined defenseman among the regulars, he has 44 blocked shots, and he now creates a lot of questions. Should he be on the USA Olympic team? What do the Devils do when Martin returns? Is he a true top pairing defender after playing like one for the last 18 games? Did Lemaire and/or Lou think he had this in him? The only part of Greene's season that doesn't sparkle is that the shots against rate rises by 4 when he's on the ice; but that's mitigated by the drop in the goals against rate. That suggests that Greene's allowing quantity but not really quality. Greene has exceeded my expectations by almost-ridiculous levels so far this season.

Overall

You really can't complain about the current blueline with how they have played so far this season. Greene has been a relevation; White and Mottau have been good; Martin was good prior to injury; and the only defenders I'd like to see more from is Oduya (who's doing that now) and Salvador (who is meeting my admittedly low expectations). There's no problem in net, as usual. Consider that most of the top forwards have been meeting or exceeding expectations, then is it a surprise that the Devils have started this season at 21-8-1?

Please leave your comments about the defensemen and the goaltenders in the appropriate place called the comments. Thanks for reading.

Game 30 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs. Florida Panthers - 12/11/2009

John Fischer — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:00:16 -0000

by Rich Schultz - AP

The Devils have plenty to smile about, having won their last 4 games. But can they put together a solid 60 minute effort to beat Florida tonight? (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

View full size photo »

The Time: 7 PM EST

The Broadcasting Info: TV: MSG+ (IN HD); Radio: 660 AM WFAN

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (21-7-1) vs. the Florida Panthers (11-14-6)

The Last Devils Game: The Devils started off well enough; but then for some inexplicable reason, the Devils let up on their defending, allowing the Canes to build momentum. Ultimately, they pulled within one from being down as most as 3-0, but the Devils held on to win 3-2. As I stated in my recap, it wasn't a great win, but it is a win.

The Last Panthers Game: Not much went right for the Panthers on Wednesday. The Columbus Blue Jackets hosted the Panthers and just torched them 3-0. As Whale4Ever noted today, the team is now 1-5-4, missed a chance to gain ground in the Southeast Division, and has a goal differential of -8 in their last 4 games.

The Last Devils-Panthers Game: So long ago, the Devils were a team that was 1-2 and had no regulation wins in the season. Then the Devils visited the Florida Panthers. It wasn't perfect. Mistakes were made by the Devils. But the power play converted twice, with David Clarkson scoring that all-important go-ahead goal with a tip late in the game. I recapped the Devils' first regulation win here; for the Florida side, DolPhanDave noted how frustrating the loss was for the Panthers faithful.

The Goal: 60 minutes will get you two points. This is actually a good goal for both teams. It's a bit odd to say that the goal for a team that has won four straight (the Devils) is the same for a team that has one win in their last ten games (the Panthers). However, the Devils haven't put in a good, solid, consistent performance in those four wins except for the win at Buffalo on Monday; and the Panthers just fell flat in losing to Columbus 3-0. Both teams should strive to put out a hard-working, smart effort and - this is especially crucial for the Devils - not let up until the game is truly out of doubt. And, no, being up by 2 goals after the first or second period doesn't count - especially considering the Devils have won games despite being down two goals. It may be a cliche, but that doesn't mean it is irrelevant.

For a Florida take, check out Litter Box Cats (a.k.a. The Litter Box) later on. Read on for my further thoughts.

I'm not going to delve further in what I want to see from the Devils tonight outside what I said for the goal. It's as plain as I'd like it to be - a full-game effort. That means not letting up on defense, not holding back on offense, and not allowing Florida to outwork the Devils.

With respect to the Devils' lineup, the only real question should be whether the starting goaltender will be Martin Brodeur or Yann Danis. None of the reports from either Chere or Gulitti call out who will be in net tonight. Jacques Lemaire was asked, and here's his response per Gulitti:

Martin Brodeur has started the last eight games and played in 15 consecutive games. Devils coach Jacques Lemaire was vague when asked about when he might start Danis next.

"One day he’ll play. He will play," Lemaire said. "I’m looking at when Marty could be tired. This is what I’m looking at. If Marty gets a lot of shots, a lot of work and we’ve been playing quite a bit, he’s got to rest."

I personally think Danis should get this game if only so Martin Brodeur can focus fully on Philadelphia. After all, if 4 games in 6 days isn't enough of a workload in a week, then I really question where else Danis would be likely to play. And I don't see Brodeur not starting against a rival. That said, it's been some time since Brodeur even saw 30 shots in a game, so I don't think playing him would be overworking him either. I'm interpreting Lemaire's quote that Brodeur isn't necessarily tired so don't be too surprised if you see #30 starting in net at the Rock tonight.

With respect to the rest of the lineup, well, I don't think it'll change. Per that same article from Gulitti, Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond is back from a conditioning stint, but I doubt he'll be in tonight since the team has played so well. How well? Per Chere, the Devils have had their best start in franchise history. Considering all the injured Devils that were out and continue to be out, that is a massive accomplishment. So the lineup for Florida should remain what we have seen against Carolina, complete with Vladimir Zharkov and Jamie Langenbrunner swapping right wing spots. Here's my guess:

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Nicklas Bergfors
Brian Rolston - Patrik Elias - Vladimir Zharkov
Jay Pandolfo - Rob Niedermayer - Jamie Langenbrunner
Rod Pelley - Dean McAmmond - Ilkka Pikkarainen

Andy Greene - Bryce Salvador
Colin White - Mike Mottau
Mark Fraser - Johnny Oduya

Yann Danis
Martin Brodeur

Thanks to Litter Box Cats, it's been revealed by the official site that Scott Clemmensen will be starting for Florida tonight. He should get a warm reception before the fans openly and vocally hope he is shelled by pucks over and over. I would hope the Devils offense really gives Clemmensen plenty of work; his current statline suggests the Devils would find plenty of success that way:

	GP	MIN	W	L	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Scott Clemmensen	9	434	4	3	29	4.01	242	213	.880	0

The Florida Panthers have been in dire straits with only 4 goals scored in their last 4 games and giving up 12 in the same time frame. Statistically, the team numbers are awful for Florida. They are tied with Nashville for the fifth lowest goals scored per game average of 2.48. They currently have the fourth highest goals against per game average of 3.28. The Panthers average 28.6 shots per game (25th in the NHL) while allowing the most shots against per game in the NHL with 35.1. Their special teams are particularly weak: the Panthers' power play has been weak at 15.2% (27th in the NHL) and the Panthers' penalty kill has the second lowest success rate in the NHL at 76.4%.

Of course, Carolina had similarly awful team stats as well and that didn't mean much on Wednesday night. Still, these numbers should clue you in to how bad the Panthers have been. With respect to scoring threats, the Panthers have three notable forwards the Devils' defense should be aware of:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	GWG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Nathan Horton	31	8	17	25	2	28	4	1	65	12.3
2009 - Stephen Weiss	31	13	11	24	-5	8	4	0	69	18.8
2009 - Steven Reinprecht	31	10	13	23	5	4	1	1	56	17.9

The production by Florida players drop off after these three (Bryan McCabe is fourth on the team with 3 goals and 12 assists) They will likely carry Florida's offense and so the Devils should be particularly aware when they're on the ice.

Of course, if the Devils play solid and smart hockey for the full 60 minutes, then they should be able to do just that. Should the Devils let up in one particular aspect, the opposition will take advantage - be it the Carolina Hurricanes, the Panthers, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Washington Capitals, whoever - and make the Devils pay for it. It nearly happened in the last two home games, I hope it doesn't happen again tonight.

Check out Litter Box Cats for their take on tonight's game. Check up on Chere and Gulitti for any gameday updates, such as who will be starting for the Devils in net. I'll throw up a GameThread prior to the game. Please leave all your thoughts, concerns, and any tales of news about tonight's game in the comments in the meantime. Go Devils!

Game 26 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs. Tampa Bay Lightning - 12/4/2009

John Fischer — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:00:16 -0000

by Mike Carlson - AP

Zach Parise was able to check Victor Hedman away in their last game on October 31, 2009. Parise will lead the Devils offense against Hedman's defense tonight. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

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The Time: 7 PM EST

The Broadcasting Info: MSG+ for the TV; 660 AM WFAN for the radio

Toys for Tots Night: Bring in a toy, make a kid's holiday special. Do some good at the Rock.

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (17-7-1) vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning (10-8-8)

The Last Devils Game: It was an ugly one at the Rock. The New Jersey Devils conceded 3 early, pulled within two, but the Vancouver Canucks put the game away in the third period. The Devils gave the Canucks the chances to score and they got it done. It was an ugly game and a bad loss, in my opinion.

The Last Lightning Game: Tampa Bay went up to Boston and just were decisively beaten by the Bruins 4-1. The loss is the Lightning's second straight loss and was generally considered to be a lackluster performance by the Bolts. Cassie McClellan certainly wasn't happy with the team's performance from her recap at Raw Charge. Sounds a bit like this team I saw on Wednesday...

The Last Devils-Lightning Game: Back on Halloween, the Devils went down to Tampa Bay and basically bossed them around the rink. The Devils were then undefeated on the road and were just dominating the game against the Lightning in all aspects except for the score. Antero Niittymaki stood on his head, Steve Stamkos got a bit of a fluke goal, and the game eventually went into the shootout. The Devils got the job done and kept their road winning streak alive. I recapped the game in a positive fashion here; on the other side, Raw Charge had an understandably different take but rightfully praised Niittymaki.

The Goal: The Devils must send a message with a win. Please read the comments to my recap of the Vancouver game. The first 5 of them take an understanding view of the loss. As bad as it was, it seems like it'll be OK if they beat Tampa Bay. I agree with them. Jacques Lemaire worked over the team in practice today and according to Gulitti's report on it, the players seem to understand how bad they really were last night. Tonight they need to show that they have learned from their errors and they have a chance to do so. If they don't, well, Saturday's game against Detroit could lead to more misery.

Read on for my preview of the game, including a guess at the lineup, some additional thoughts, and some further insight into the Tampa Bay Lightning thanks to John Fontana and Cassie McClellan of Raw Charge.

Here's a quick list of improvements I'd like to see against Tampa Bay after that Vancouver loss:

Defensemen clearing opposing forwards from standing in front of the goaltender. This is where it's somewhat OK to take a call. (coughMOTTAUcough)
Skaters making passes in range of their targets.
Skaters making passes to players who are open instead of being surrounded/covered by multiple opposing players.
Forwards not named Zach Parise and Travis Zajac attempting more shots on net, especially if down in the game.
Skaters dumping the puck into the zone during a line change if they have no options (coughROLSTONcough)
Defensemen playing the open man on a 2-on-1 instead of the puck carrier (coughWHITEcough)
A lozenge for all this coughing.

Now, the lineup for tonight's game will be of interest as Jay Pandolfo and Johnny Oduya are getting back into the swing of things. According to Tom Gulitti's report from practice, they might play against Tampa Bay. Lemaire, Oduya, and Pandolfo aren't sure, but all three seem to agree that they're getting closer to returning. In a word, they're game-time decisions. I would think that if they are close enough to play, they'll definitely play against Detroit on Saturday if they're not in tonight. The Devils will have to make a roster move to add both players, though, so I'd keep an eye on Gulitti and Chere tomorrow not only to see if either player will return but to see if anyone is sent back to Lowell. Gulitti has a good summary of who would be subject to waivers if sent down in the comments to this post:

Of the possible candidates to be sent down, Zharkov, Corrente and Halischuk do not have to clear waivers.

Pelley, Pikkarainen, Leblond (whose conditioning stint should expire tomorrow), Frase[r], and Peters would have to clear waivers.

If Oduya comes back, I expect Corrente to go down to make room. If Leblond has to come back up from his conditioning stint, then I'd expect Zharkov go back to Lowell in response. No sense putting players on waivers if it can be avoided. Both Corrente and Zharkov got a taste of the NHL and can go back to Lowell where they'll get more minutes for development. Though, I wonder if anyone would honestly snap up Andrew Peters on the waiver wire.

Anyway, on paper, one would think this game would be a start for Yann Danis with Detroit coming on Saturday. I'm going to guess that's not happening if Lemaire gave Brodeur most of the work in practice, per Gulitti's report. Of course, this too will be a gameday decision, so keep tabs on the news for the up to date information. With 4 games next week, Danis could factor in then.

That all said, here's my guess at the Devils' lineup. This assumes both Pandolfo and Oduya come back. Still, I assure you, this guess will likely be wrong.

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Niclas Bergfors
Brian Rolston - Patrik Elias - Jamie Langenbrunner
Jay Pandolfo - Rob Niedermayer - Matt Halischuk
Andrew Peters - Dean McAmmond - Ilkka Pikkarainen

Andy Greene - Bryce Salvador
Colin White - Mike Mottau
Mark Fraser - Johnny Oduya

Martin Brodeur
Yann Danis

On that note, let us turn to tonight's opponent. They are a team that the Devils have beaten twice, but only by the shootout. They are a team that keeps games close, but doesn't necessarily win a lot of them (4-1-8). They are a team led by these three up top:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Steven Stamkos	26	17	12	29	0	14	7	1	2	84	20.2
2009 - Martin St. Louis	26	5	23	28	-6	4	3	0	0	83	6.0
2009 - Vincent Lecavalier	26	5	16	21	-4	18	0	0	0	95	5.3

They are the successful hockey team in Florida, they are the Tampa Bay Lightning. To learn more about tonight's opponent, I asked John Fontana and Cassie McClellan of Raw Charge some questions and they were more than happy to answer them.

Question #1. In the first game between the Devils and the Lightning, the Devils scored a last-second equalizer to put the game into overtime and won via a shootout. In the second game, the Devils bossed the Lightning around, but Antero Niittymaki and a fluke Steve Stamkos shot forced yet another shootout. Now the season series comes to New Jersey, do you think the Lightning will be able to keep the game close for a third time?

JF: Lets go back and give a bit of recent history -- the Lightning played in a total of 39 one-goal games last season (10-11-18). This season, they've played in 13 one-goal games (as of Tuesday night, going 4-1-8). So it's been the Lightning's bane as well as the reason they are competitive this season: how well the team plays in these close matchups is what either propels the team forward or sets them back. The Bolts have 16 points through these close games. 13 games out of 25 were one goal games -- two against the Devils as you noted. Odds are, the game will be close. Though it's more likely with Antero Niittymaki in net (4-1-3) than with Mike Smith (0-0-5). So who starts in net will be a factor.

Question #2. Steve Stamkos is having a marvelous season in terms of production (and scored this amazing goal), and he's only in his second year of hockey. Doesn't he know that sophomore hockey players are supposed to slump? But seriously, what has he improved on from his rookie year that you have noticed? Moreover, is he getting plenty of help from Martin St. Louis, who has a ridiculous number of assists now?

JF: He seems to have more jump on the puck than last year, more aggression with offense. Of course, this time last year the kid-gloves were still on Stamkos and (then interim) head coach Rick Tocchet hadn't turned young Stamkos loose. He has not been held back at all and seems fearless on ice.

It's not just Marty feeding Stamkos, however. St. Louis has been a factor for both Stamkos and LW Ryan Malone's goal production. Vincent Lecavalier has chipped in with assists to Stamkos' PP goals. But honestly, back to the Marty-Stamkos connection, you can see the two have a clear rapport on the ice and on the bench. And watching
Stamkos' jump it almost feels like St. Louis is tutoring him as they go. There's a similarity in attack that reminds me of vintage Marty St. Louis.

Question #3. Prior to Wednesday's game, the Tampa Bay Lightning have one of the worst penalty killing units in the league. Their success rate was 77.6%, the third lowest in the league. What do you think the Lightning need to do to address this flaw in their game? Other than trying to avoid taking penalties? (Note: Tampa Bay has the second highest PIM/G at 17.4 prior to Wednesday's games; 9th in times shorthanded with 107)

JF: Well, you say "other than take less penalties" but it starts there. Getting back to basics and playing a sound game without committing penalties that put the team at a disadvantage would be the first way to really improve on things.

But there are other basics in the game that the Bolts have struggled with and continue struggling with during a penalty kills, which only leads to opponents scoring: the team fails at clearing it's own zone, they give up way too many shots and fail to control rebounds (leading to more chances for opponents and more shots on goal). It's a vicious circle that ends up putting more pressure on goaltending. If the Bolts want to improve, they need to limit shots and clear the zone. They need to give their goalies breathing room. Yeah, it's a difficult task on the penalty kill, but it's a necessity.

Question #4. Now that the Lightning are well into their season, as is the rest of the league, how do you like Mattias Ohlund's performance so far this season? As I understand it, he's leading the Lightning blueline, he leads the team in average time on ice with 24:15, but are you happy with him as the team's #1 defenseman?

JF: Ohlund missed the last seven of eight games with an ankle injury, but besides that -- he's been stable in net and has helped guide the D, and especially rookie (and fellow Swede) Victor Hedman. The downside to having an aggressive streak and spreading influence is being penalized; which goes back to the above issue.

Question #5. Rather than ask about tonight's game, how about a long term prediction? Do you think the Tampa Bay Lightning will make the playoffs?

JF: The Bolts need to improve the consistency of their game to truly secure a playoff berth. This goes back to the one-goal-game issue that I spoke of above. If the Bolts start playing more disciplined hockey and get better contributions from all members of the team, there should be no issue with the Bolts making the playoffs. On the other hand, with how the team is playing (very middle-of-the-pack), they are this close to backing into the playoffs as the eighth seed, and this close to securing prime tee-times in April. It can go either way right now if the status-quo remains the same.

Big thanks to John and Cassie of Raw Charge for responding. Reading that Antero Niittymaki may be the starter concerns me because he was absolutely massive in the last Tampa Bay-New Jersey game. I don't want to see him do that well again. I also am not looking forward to seeing "vintage Marty St. Louis" from Steve Stamkos for the next 10-20 years.

But in these responses lies opportunities for the Devils. I want to see the Devils draw calls and make their PK try and keep the game close. I know the Devils power play didn't look good against Vancouver; I know they didn't score with a minute long 5-on-3; but the game was already lost at that point. I'm confident the Devils can break through and assert themselves if Tampa Bay lives up to their stat of taking far more calls than they should.

All the same, even if the power play is pointless, the Devils need to go into this game and make a point. A win in regulation would be the right way to go about it. Like most NHL games, it won't be easy unless the opposition chooses to make it easy - and you can't plan on having that happen. Hopefully the Devils will give a far better performance and result tonight.

I'll be setting up the GameThread and commenting remotely from the Rock. (Pray for Steve as he has to endure the New Jersey Nets.) Please leave all your thoughts, updated news, questions, and complaints in the comments for tonight's game or the Lightning here. Go Devils!

2010 Olympics Preview: New Jersey Devils

John Fischer — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:00:13 -0000

by Bill Kostroun - AP

Where will you see Martin Brodeur, Jamie Langenbrunner, and Zach Parise in mid-February 2010? In Vancouver, representing their country. Though, they won't be celebrating together. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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As you may or may not be aware, the 2010 Winter Olympics are coming up in less than 3 and a half months. By the end of December, all of the nations will have announced their men's ice hockey rosters. The NHL is taking part in this year's games, so expect all the top nations to be loaded with talent. Therefore, each blog on SB Nation Hockey is listing who on their team is likely to represent their nation in Vancouver. You can find the other team previews in this updated story stream.

The New Jersey Devils have more than a few Olympic hopefuls and so I'm taking a stab at categorizing their chances of representing their nation. Some are definite locks, others are more of a long shot. I'll be using the same template the other SBN-Hockey blogs, which is the same template Yanks Abroad uses for their excellent 23 Tickets feature. Read on to see which Devils I think you'll see in Vancouver and which ones need to play really well to make their case. Feel free to comment on the players listed, yell at me if I missed anyone or put them in the wrong place, or discuss the Olympics in general.

PACK YOUR BAGS, VANCOUVER AWAITS!

Zach Parise, LW, USA

Let's see, top ten NHL scorer, former Gold medal winner for USA from the 2004 World Junior Championships, MVP of the 2004 WJCs, consistently played for USA in the WCs, and the Olympics are being played on a NHL surface. The question shouldn't be whether Parise will be on the team; but how far will he lead the American offense? He's going to be an absolute blast to watch, especially on the smaller ice surface.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Zach Parise	24	15	15	30	19	4	2	1	1	20:30	109	13.8

Martin Brodeur, G, Canada

Age really is just a number, isn't it? He went to Team Canada's evaluation camp and the story became, "Brodeur or Luongo?" Given that Brodeur has superior numbers so far, I think the answer is clear. While I'll be supporting America in this tourney, let me give a pro-tip to the Canadians about their starter. If you want to go with youth, go with Marc-Andre Fleury. If you want to be popular, go with Roberto Luongo. If you want to win the Gold, consider starting the one goaltender who has actually led Canada to win one in the last 50 years.

	GP	MIN	W	L	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Martin Brodeur	22	1318	15	6	45	2.05	603	558	.925	1

Patrik Elias, LW, Czech Republic

Elias won the Golden Stick last year for being the best Czech hockey player in the world. Surely, the Czechs wouldn't forget about him in Vancouver? Now that he's healthy, he's showing the NHL why exactly he won it. His playmaking, offensive awareness, backchecking, and a better-than-decent shot make him an important weapon up front.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Patrik Elias	10	3	7	10	3	4	1	0	1	18:47	23	13.0

NEARLY A LOCK, EXPECT TO SEE THEM IN VANCOUVER

Paul Martin, D, USA

Martin has been out with a significant injury for most of the past month, he'll likely not be back to playing until the middle of December. Prior to the injury, Martin has looked good - taking on big minutes (09-10 average: 23:57) and keeping himself (and his positioning) calm in the final minute as well as he does in the first minute. Brian Burke said the injury wouldn't hurt Paul Martin's chances for representing America, per Tom Gulitti. Considering he can handle 24-27 minutes against top opposition regularly, this leads me to believe he'll be in Vancouver.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Paul Martin	9	0	2	2	1	0	0	0	0	23:57	9	0.0

Jamie Langenbrunner, RW, USA

Believe it or not, but the Devils captain has never represented the U.S. in the Olympics after 1998. Really. Well, if there's any time for him to have one more go at it, it's now. Langenbrunner broke out with his best offensive season last year and he's enjoying another productive year so far. Seriously, would you have expected 22 points in 24 games? I didn't. The man can play the point, join up on the rush, handle cycling down low, and even play primarly as a checking player. Langenbrunner is versatile and experienced, which are invaluable on a potentially young American roster. I think he goes.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Jamie Langenbrunner	24	5	17	22	8	6	1	1	1	20:32	68	7.4

IN A BATTLE, THESE GUYS NEED TO HAVE A VERY GOOD DECEMBER

Johnny Oduya, D, Sweden

Oh, how much can change in such a short while. Prior to this season, I would have said he was nearly a lock; but then he spent the beginning of this season getting burned repeatedly. The two-way defenseman hasn't shown much in terms of offense or in defense. Instead of looking poised, he's looked nervous. I had to even raise the point about how bad he was this season. Then he gets injured. So Oduya has to get back into form and play much better than he had been at the beginning of this season. Combine that situation with Sweden potentially having 6 defensemen ready and Oduya has to prove himself all over again. Hopefully, he is able to do just that.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Johnny Oduya	11	0	0	0	-5	16	0	0	0	21:04	9	0.0

WORK TO DO, LONG SHOTS BUT NOT OUT OF CONSIDERATION

Travis Zajac, C, Canada

Nothing against Zajac. His performance in New Jersey so far has been perfectly acceptable. He's productive, he's winning faceoffs (51.9%), he can play big minutes (21:10), and he can play in all situations. However, the problem isn't with Zajac, it's with Canada. Namely, Canada is absolutely stacked at center. We're talking about a team that could have Joe Thornton, Sidney Crosby, Brad Richards, and Patrick Marleau down the middle. Guys like Mike Richards, Rich Peverley, Ryan Getzlaf, and Paul Statsny have all made good cases, but even they are on the outside looking in (or will play as wingers). It really is just a numbers game for Zajac unless he has one amazing December. Maybe in 2014?

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Travis Zajac	24	7	15	22	13	10	3	0	0	21:10	58	12.1

Nicklas Bergfors, RW, Sweden

A few days ago, Bergfors mentioned how much he would love to represent Sweden at the Olympics according to this post by Tom Gulitti. Now, I first thought this was just a hope because, hey, Bergfors is a rookie. Surely, Sweden would have many forwards ahead of him on the depth chart. Then, I check NHL.com and find he's currently 9th among Swedish skaters in scoring and 3rd among Swedish right wingers (behind Daniel Alfredsson and Mikael Samulesson). That surprised me and now that hope doesn't seem so far-fetched. Given that Gulitti's post also notes that Sweden's head coach is trying to get Bergfors on the eligibility list, perhaps he's got a more realistic shot than I thought. Even so, I think Bergfors needs to show much more consistency in his game to be considered. Sure, it's understandable that he's not consistent, he's a rookie, after all. He truly is a long shot.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Nicklas Bergfors	24	6	10	16	3	6	3	0	2	15:33	60	10.0

MOVING UP, COULD BE CONSIDERED WITH AN AWESOME DECEMBER

Brian Rolston, LW/RW, USA

He's played for the U.S. in 2002 and 2006, he's currently 20th among American skaters in scoring, he's still got a cannon of a shot, and he's could be catching fire real soon in New Jersey. Brian Rolston, in my opinion, is even more of a long shot to make the American roster than Bergfors making Team Sweden. But if he has an amazing December, then he has to at least be in the discussion - perhaps as an reserve player in case injury strikes. I don't think he'll make Team USA but I can't say never if he's finally going to get it together in New Jersey for the next month. Mind you, that's a pretty massive "if."

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Brian Rolston	23	8	5	13	-1	4	4	0	2	18:33	80	10.0

NOTABLE DEVILS WHO WON'T BE IN VANCOUVER IN FEBRUARY

David Clarkson, RW, Canada

Does Canada really need an agitating winger who can score? Well, on the smaller ice surface and to give the team some more grit, Clarkson could be in a useful role. But Canada doesn't necessarily need to go that route and they may have other players who are just as useful for that role (e.g. Ryan Clowe). The recent injury basically puts him out of the running, however bleak it originally was.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - David Clarkson	23	7	8	15	1	39	3	0	2	15:08	65	10.8

Andy Greene & Mike Mottau, D, USA

Yes, they have both been been playing out of their minds this season. But Greene had to fight to keep his #6 spot on the team multiple times last season and even to the start of this season; and Mottau is a literal "does everything OK, but nothing really well" defenseman. I appreciate what they are doing in New Jersey, but I doubt they crack the USA lineup ahead of Martin, Brian Rafalski, Ryan Suter, Erik Johnson, James Wisniewski, Matt Carle, Jack Johnson, Ryan Whitney, Alex Goligoski, and even Joe Corvo and Jordan Lepold. I'd be honestly surprised if either makes the roster.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Andy Greene	21	3	9	12	6	4	3	0	2	23:21	25	12.0

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Mike Mottau	23	1	1	2	5	13	0	0	0	22:31	23	4.3

Not Considered: Matt Halischuk (CAN), Mark Fraser (CAN), Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond (CAN), Andrew Peters (CAN), Bryce Salvador (CAN), Rod Pelley (CAN), Rob Niedermayer (CAN), Cory Murphy (CAN), Matthew Corrente (CAN), Yann Danis (CAN), Tyler Eckford (USA), Ilkka Pikkarainen (FIN), Jay Pandolfo (USA), Tim Sestito (USA), Dainius Zubrus (LTU), Dean McAmmond (CAN), Vladimir Zharkov (RUS).

Game 24 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs. New York Islanders - 11/28/2009

John Fischer — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:00:14 -0000

by Mary Schwalm - AP

Jamie Langenbrunner has the puck and he's going forward with it. This is exactly what the Devils must do more of against the Islanders than what they did against the Boston Bruins. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

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The Time: 1 PM EST

The Broadcasting Info: MSG on the TV; 660 AM WFAN on the radio

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (16-6-1) vs. the New York Islanders (10-9-7)

The Last Devils Game: The Devils held steady and Martin Brodeur was massive as the Boston Bruins eventually dominated possession. The Devils eventually held on and was successful in the shootout. I recapped the game here.

The Last Islanders Game: The Islanders played all 60 minutes against Pittsburgh and came away with the win. More impressively was that they did it by making a two goal comeback and, get this, not sitting back with the lead. Dominik at Lighthouse Hockey was impressed with the performance.

The Last Devils-Islanders Game: The Devils were hot and getting the job done with one-goal margins of victory. That night at the Rock, long shots by Cory Murphy and Brian Rolston eventually prevailed and Yann Danis was solid in a 2-1 victory. The game was also Patrik Elias' first game this season. I recapped the game earlier this month.

The Goal: Possession. The Devils just played a game where the opposition dominated in possession and it showed. Sure, the Devils outshot the Boston Bruins, but the B's had better scoring chances and owned the third period as a result. The Devils were fortunate to escape Boston with one point, much less two thanks to Martin Brodeur being a legendary goaltender. The Islanders will be feeling confident at the Rock this afternoon. They came from behind against Pittsburgh by playing a full game. Sure, they could be tired; but with the top two lines and the top four defensemen on New Jersey all playing heavy minutes against Boston, I'm more concerned with fatigue hurting New Jersey. Chasing the Islanders for the puck all game long would be asking for trouble. Maintaining possession would allow the Devils to control the tempo that best benefits them and force the Islanders to expend more energy. Therefore, I think possession is the key.

Against the Bruins, David Clarkson blocked a Zdeno Chara with his right ankle and had to leave the game. Jacques Lemaire has already said the injury doesn't look good and Gulitti's speculating that it could be a broken ankle. Even if it's just a bruise and is very minor, I highly doubt Clarkson will play today.

I would keep checking with Gulitti and Chere prior to today's game to see if there are any emergency call ups from Lowell. If so, I would suspect it would be current Lowell leading scorer Vladimir Zharkov. He has 6 goals and 14 assists in 22 games with Lowell and plays right wing like Clarkson. If not, then expect Tyler Eckford to play right wing again.

I'm honestly concerned with the Devils' fatigue, as mentioned prior to the jump. Here's a list of players who played over 20 minutes against Boston on Friday.

Andy Greene (27:59), Mike Mottau (26:52), Zach Parise (24:15), Colin White (24:00), Jamie Langenbrunner (23:47), Brian Rolston (22:45), Bryce Salvador (22:28), Patrik Elias (21:56), Travis Zajac (21:56)

I know the game was 65 minutes long, but that's still significant time played and by the third period tomorrow, I would be concerned about their fatigue. Should the Islanders utilize their speed, this will be a problem. Nonetheless, here is my guess as of Friday evening for Saturday's lineup. Of course, I suspect I'll be wrong on the goaltender - per Gulitti on Friday evening, no decision has been made yet - and on who will step in for Clarkson for at least the Islanders' game.

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Niclas Bergfors
Brian Rolston - Patrik Elias - Jamie Langenbrunner
Dean McAmmond - Tim Sestito - Matt Halischuk
Andrew Peters - Rod Pelley - Tyler Eckford

Andy Greene - Bryce Salvador
Colin White - Mike Mottau
Mark Fraser - Matthew Corrente

Yann Danis
Martin Brodeur

I think the Devils will wait to get further confirmation on the extent Clarkson's injury before calling anyone up from Lowell. Since the game is at 1 PM, they'll likely get the bad news tomorrow morning and perhaps with too little time for anyone from Lowell to make it back to New Jersey. As for goaltender, I'm guessing Danis will get the start given that Brodeur was very busy against Boston and Lemaire has given the backup a chance in a back-to-back set. Besides, Danis has beaten the Islanders at the Rock earlier this month, he'll know what to expect from the Islanders.

Still, based on my guess at the lineup, expect another second straight day of heavy workload for the top two forward lines and the top four defensemen.

Speaking of the Islanders, I was fortunate to ask Dominik of Lighthouse Hockey some questions about how the Islanders have been playing. The team may be at the bottom of the Atlantic, but they've been grinding out points and are now outright winning games. They are 5-3-2 in their last 10 games and are definitely not pushovers.

Question #1. John Tavares has certainly exceeded my expectations. I thought he'd struggle but he's leading rookies in scoring as well as the Islander offense. How impressed have you been with Tavares so far?

Dominik: Very impressed. He's logging first-line center minutes while putting up points and not being a defensive liability. Each game he's showing that he continues to learn what can and can't work at the NHL level. Plus, of course his level head and commitment to improving as a hockey player is already pretty widely known. He has been absolutely as billed.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - John Tavares	25	9	11	20	-1	4	4	0	0	0	69	13.0

Question #2. On the flipside of impressive, before Wednesday's and Friday's games, the Islanders have a 5-4-7 record in one goal games. Is this coincidence? If not, what do you think the Islanders have to do to avoid being on the wrong side of a close game?

Dominik: Honestly, four of those seven are shootouts, so I consider those one-goal games the same way I consider fantasy hockey to be watching NHL hockey. Ultimately, I read their high number of one-goal games and OT games as a reflection of them being competitive in almost every game this season. They have a problem protecting third-period leads, but with their shallow depth, I'm impressed simply by them having the lead in so many games to begin with. This will get better as they continue to accumulate better players.

Question #3. Despite allowing 33.3 shots against per game on average, the Islanders lead the league in recorded total blocked shots (458) and takeaways (283). Do the official scorers just love the Islanders, or are the defensemen and backcheckers encouraged to get in front or shots and take pucks back instead of preventing shots?

Dominik: Again, their lack of depth means they have to compensate with hard work, including with blocked shots, relentless backchecking, and by not taking periods off. They have to keep pressing for pretty much the whole game, because they don't have the margin of error that deeper teams have. (Except, of course, the 61-shot debacle they miraculously won over the Leafs in OT.)

Question #4. Mark Streit is the Islanders' #1 defenseman. The stats back this up, leading the blueline in points and in average time on ice (25:33). What I want to know is who is the second best defenseman on the Islanders?

Dominik: It changes by the day, but right now and for the last two weeks Jack Hillen is by far their #2. He can rush the puck, he can get back quickly after pinching in, and though he's undersized he's showing he can handle his own defensively. As of Friday, he also leads the team with a plus-8.

Question #5. Lastly, do you have a prediction for this afternoon game?

Dominik: A low-scoring Lemaire game? The Islanders have had some trouble finishing lately, and I don't expect that will change against the Devils. Lemaire strikes me as the perfect coach to frustrate Gordon's aggressive forecheck -- at least until Gordon has more, better players with which to deploy it. With both teams coming off an afternoon game yesterday, who knows who will wear down first? The Islanders take more penalties on the road (and draw more, too), so at minimum I predict a lot of powerplays.

Big thanks to Dominik of Lighthouse Hockey for his answers. And there you have it. Further reason to believe that the Islanders are not an easy two points. Further reason to believe that John Tavares is some kind of special player. And as a bonus, Dominik offers an opportunity for the Devils - power plays. The Devils didn't get it done in Boston with their man advantages: Zajac came as close as you can get with an opening as wide open as you can get but didn't get the shot off and Rolston ended one prematurely with a "slash." If the Devils do a better job of maintaining possession and use it in going forward, then I don't see why they can't be drawing calls in their favor - leading to those all important opportunities. Possession will be the key to getting those calls, if not getting chances to begin with.

Steve will set up the GameThread but both of us will be at the game. So I invite you to comment, but do keep everything clean and relevant to the game. I also invite you to comment here prior to said GameThread about this game. Due to time circumstances, the recap might be up a little later in the evening after the game; but one will be done on Saturday. Regardless, thanks for reading. Go Devils!

Game 23 Preview: New Jersey Devils at Boston Bruins - 11/27/2009

John Fischer — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:45:08 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Will it be Martin Brodeur to make saves like this in Boston tonight? Or will it be Yann Danis? One thing for certain is that no Devils fan would want to see two Bruins wide open in front like this. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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The Time: 12 PM EST

The Broadcasting Info: MSG on the TV, 660 AM WFAN on the radio

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (15-6-1) @ the Boston Bruins (12-8-4)

The Last Devils Game: The Ottawa Senators won their last four games coming into the Rock and played a tightly checked game. A great opportunity from a bad bounce and a deflection by Patrik Elias were enough for the Devils to best the Senators. The Devils won 3-1, which ended a winless streak of their own. My recap of the game is available here.

The Last Bruins Game: The Bruins took on the Minnesota Wild and basically had to grind out a result. While the Wild outshot the B's, Tuukka Rask made big saves to keep the game tied at one. The Bruins eventually got the W in the shootout. The win marks the fourth straight for Boston and places them at the top of the Northeast Division. Stanley Cup of Chowder recapped the game as such here.

The Last Devils-Bruins Game: This game was also in Boston and close, but generally sloppy and I felt the Bruins were better in terms of possession. The Devils eventually broke through Tim Thomas with shots that trickled through him and two Devils (David Clarkson, Dainius Zubrus) that knocked it into the net. Yann Danis made his first start and did quite well in the 2-1 victory. The downside to the win was that Johnny Oduya was injured during the game.

The Goal: Forecheck for success. The Devils are an interesting team at forward in that all 12 forwards aren't shy about going into the boards to get the puck. From Zach Parise to Brian Rolston to Patrik Elias to Tim Sestito, the Devils will go after the puck if they feel they have a shot at that. Given that in the last Devils-Bruins game, the Bruins were able to control and move the puck better, leading to more possession on their side, a solid forecheck could disrupt that. With the Devils on the road and coming off a win, it would be best if they can establish some pressure on their forecheck and set the tempo that way in getting off a good start. I think it'll build momentum and throw the Bruins off their game more than a little bit. This is what I would like to see, outside of another victory over a hot Boston team - didn't the Devils just play a Northeastern Division team that won 4 straight and was leading the division?

Read on for further thoughts, a guess at the lineup, and some insight into the Bruins thanks to Stanley Cup of Chowder.

Now, on Wednesday night, some Devils had some good nights. Patrik Elias got his first goal of the season and according to this Tom Gulitti's postgame post, he's feeling better after the recovery. Though, I'm not so agreeable with the notion of moving him to center permanently, given that he won 4 out of 13 faceoffs against Ottawa. But that's an argument for another time. I didn't think Zach Parise had such a great night, but still managed 4 shots on net and an assist. Nicklas Bergfors scored a goal and got 3 shots on net. Per this postgame post by Rich Chere, Jacques Lemaire was pleased but he's not fully satisfied yet - citing long shifts as something to work on. I guess he wants Bergfors to come off the ice faster, fair enough.

But overall, the Devils could stand to shoot more. They only got 21 through to Brian Elliott and were blocked 11 times. Boston's pretty good at allowing shots, only letting up an average of 28.9 per game so far this season. Given that Rask has been playing well this season, the Devils will have to take more chances at shooting rather than setting up great plays unless Boston's D is just asleep. As mentioned prior to the jump, a good forecheck could go a long way at pressuring the defense and allow the Devils to go forward more often on the attack.

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Tuukka Rask	10	619	7	2			22	2.13	289	267	.924	1

With respect to the lineup, I'd expect the same with a possible change for starting goaltender. At time of this writing (Thursday evening), it's not at all certain who will start for the Devils given that they play their next two games back-to-back. It could be Martin Brodeur. After all, the Bruins have played better than the Islanders and so playing the superior goaltender may be the better option. On the other hand, Yann Danis has come into Boston before, played well, and got the win. He'll know what to expect out of Boston's attack.

In terms of injuries, according to Rich Chere, Rob Niedermayer has actually went through his first full practice, but he didn't travel with the team up to Boston. This is still good news. The return of Niedermayer would strengthen the Devils at center and solidify the role on the third line. With the number of injuries the Devils have, any sign of improvement has to be lauded. Alas, it will not mean a thing for today's game. As such, here is my guess at the Devils' lineup:

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Niclas Bergfors
Brian Rolston - Patrik Elias - Jamie Langenbrunner
Dean McAmmond - Tim Sestito - David Clarkson
Andrew Peters - Matt Halischuk - Tyler Eckford

Andy Greene - Bryce Salvador
Colin White - Mike Mottau
Mark Fraser - Matthew Corrente

Yann Danis
Martin Brodeur

As much I'd like to see Rod Pelley back into the fold, I'm growing more doubtful. I also think Danis will get the start because, as mentioned earlier, he's won in this building before plus his start will mean Brodeur is fully rested for Saturday. Of course, this is all just a guess, so don't be surprised if I'm dead wrong.

Now, let's discuss the Bruins. I asked five questions to Stanley Cup of Chowder to get some insight into today's opponent:

Question #1. The last time the Devils played the Bruins, the Devils won with a late goal. Did anything stick out from that game that you feel the Bruins need to more of or avoid in tonight's game?

SC: The Bruins looked pretty sharp in the first game against the Devils, but surprisingly Yann Danis was able to shut them down. The one area that concerned me during that game was their inability to move the puck through New Jersey's aggressive forecheck late in the game.

Question #2. One of the big signings for the Bruins in this past summer was defenseman Derek Morris. On paper, he looks to have been a good signing. Are you pleased with how he has performed so far? Can he improve in any part of his game?

SC: I have been pleased with what Morris has brought to this team. He seems to be a good fit on the 1st pair with Chara.

Question #3. Let's talk goaltenders. Tuukka Rask has a good goals against average of 2.13 (2nd best in NHL) and a save percentage of .924 (4th best in NHL) and now has more wins than Tim Thomas. Is there a goaltender duel in the making in Boston?

SC: I think it is more of a duo than duel. Tim Thomas has never really been called on to be the definitive starting goaltender and he needs to have a backup that can give him some rest and share some of the workload between the pipes. Rask has proven this season that he is ready to play at the NHL level. The B's have done a great job of taking their time with Rask and not rushing his development. I think at some point in the next few years Rask will be an elite goalie in the NHL. Right now, I'm happy with him being a solid back-up/1A option with Tim Thomas.

Question #4. One of the more surprising team stats about the Bruins is their power play. It ranks 26th in the league with a success rate of 14.5%. Is the result of a fairly unproductive Bruins offense (2.29 goals per game average - 27th in the NHL) or is the lack of power play goals related to something else entirely?

SC: The Bruins were without playmaker Marc Savard for most of the season, but you can't really use that as an excuse. Every team is dealing with injuries right now. The power play has been struggling and I can't really put my finger on what it is that they are doing wrong. Whatever they do, it doesn't seem to work. I think it is a situation where they are struggling and they are starting to grip the stick too tight and are trying to make that extra pass. The power play did show some signs of life on Monday night against the Blues going 2 for 3, which hopefully was a step in the right direction.

Question #5. Lastly, do you have a prediction for this afternoon game?

SC: 3-2 Bruins in the shootout.

Big thanks to Stanley Cup of Chowder for his responses. I wasn't aware of the Bruins actually getting power play success recently. Sure, the power play percentage isn't so good but so was Nashville's and their power play actually got an important goal against New Jersey last Wednesday.

Nevertheless, notice that Stanley Cup of Chowder cites the Devils' forecheck as a reason why the Bruins struggled late in their last game. Again, a good forecheck even if it doesn't intercept passes or take the puck away can still be effective just by throwing off the opposition. That's why I think it'll be important that the Devils make an effort to beat the Bruins today.

Steve will hit you up with the GameThread. Stay in on Black Friday and join the both of us by watching some New Jersey Devils hockey. Feel free to discuss the game in advance in the comment. Go Devils!

New Jersey Devils Departures and Replacements at the Quarterpoint

John Fischer — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:51:44 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

How does Niclas Bergfors, the rookie scoring winger for the Devils, compare to Brian Gionta, who was the team's second line right winger last season? (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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In this past offseason, the New Jersey Devils have lost some significant players to free agency. Here's a list of the notable departed players from last season:

John Madden signed with Chicago
Brian Gionta signed with Montreal
Scott Clemmensen signed with Florida
Mike Rupp signed with Pittsburgh
Bobby Holik retired

To replace those spots, the Devils gave Nicklas Bergfors a real shot to make the team as a scoring winger and has stayed up ever since. Also, after training camp, the Devils assigned Rod Pelley to center the fourth line as Bobby Holik did for much of 2008-09. With respect to the other three spots the Devils signed Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, Andrew Peters, and Ilkka Pikkarainen as "tough" wingers; signed Rob Niedermayer to play center on the fourth line; and signed Yann Danis as a backup goaltender.

A reader suggested that I compare how these players are doing with respect to how the departed players are doing at the quarterpoint mark of the season. A quick comparison of stats via NHL.com follows after the jump.

Second Line Right Wing - The Departed: Brian Gionta

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Brian Gionta	19	8	5	13	3	8	2	0	1	20:53	65	12.3

The Replacement: Nicklas Bergfors

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Nicklas Bergfors	21	5	9	14	0	6	3	0	2	15:23	55	9.1

Now, Gionta broke his foot; but prior to that he was enjoying his hockey with Montreal. He's been scoring goals and playing on Montreal's top line. Only injury has really slowed down Gionta so far this season. Who actually is playing right wing on the second line is debatable as Jacques Lemaire switches his lines from game to game, often within the game. Based on his role as a scoring winger, I feel Bergfors would be the appropriate choice as his replacement. While the rookie doesn't have as many goals, he's got one more point than Gionta with less average time per game, and he has shown a good tendency to shoot. Of course, Bergfors should remain more productive just because he's healthy; but I feel he needs work with his consistency. After putting up 5 points in 2 games, he only has 2 shots on net in his last 4 games. He can't dip into spells like that, not as an offensive winger. But so far, so good.

As an additional note, David Clarkson potting in 7 goals (3 PPG) and 8 assists is a significant amount of production in Gionta's departure not necessarily being a big deal. Since Clarkson's role changes along with where he's moved to in the lineup (e.g. more physical on a fourth line, more defensive on a third line), that's even more impressive than Bergfors' start as a rookie.

Third Line Center - The Departed: John Madden

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - John Madden	21	4	4	8	-1	10	0	0	0	16:47	36	11.1

The Replacement: Rob Niedermayer

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Rob Niedermayer	13	2	5	7	3	4	0	0	0	17:38	19	10.5

Madden has been playing his brand of defensive hockey for the benefit of Chicago. Rob Niedermayer was a late signing in preseason, but has been a mainstay on the Devils' third line until he got injured. Niedermayer has fit in well and even provided some early production as a nice bonus. Niedermayer was actually used more often than Madden has been in Chicago; but Madden has the advantage in shots against differential per 60 minutes in even strength situations over Niedermayer according to the numbers at Behind the Net. Had Niedermayer not get hurt earlier this month, the comparison would be more meaningful. As of now, it's Tim Sestito holding the role and there really isn't much of a comparison there. But when Niedermayer does get healthy, he'll retake his spot as the third line center.

Fourth Line Winger - The Departed: Mike Rupp

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Michael Rupp	23	4	2	6	2	29	0	0	0	9:05	25	16.0

The Replacements: Andrew Peters, Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, Ilkka Pikkarainen

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Andrew Peters	13	0	0	0	-4	18	0	0	0	5:49	10	0.0

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond	7	0	0	0	-3	0	0	0	0	5:16	2	0.0

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Ilkka Pikkarainen	13	0	1	1	-3	6	0	0	0	8:17	7	0.0

Yeah, this isn't really close. Rupp has been very useful in his limited role with Pittsburgh and has gotten more ice time on average than any of these three players. Whereas these three Devils wingers are incredibly limited and haven't contributed much of anything this season. Even in hits, Rupp has 53 - which is 5 more than these three Devils combined (Peters has 17, Pikkarainen has 17, and Leblond has 14). Granted, the position isn't crucial for success; so it's not like the Devils are sorely missing Rupp. Yet, you want a contribution from all your lines and the fourth line hasn't done much of that for New Jersey.

Fourth Line Center - The Departed: Bobby Holik

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2008 - Bobby Holik	62	4	5	9	-2	66	0	0	1	10:11	79	5.1

The Replacement: Rod Pelley

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Rod Pelley	20	0	2	2	-6	11	0	0	0	7:11	18	0.0

Since Holik is retired, I'm using his numbers from last season for comparison. And it's not really that bad. Holik didn't contribute much outside of getting limited action per game, throwing a couple hits, winning faceoffs, and contributing a little production. I have no issue with Pelley's offense, but if he got minutes similar to Holik's then it should improve slightly. Pelley does have one big advantage over Holik. Pelley's not likely going to get benched in the second half of the season for getting aggressive and taking really dumb calls regularly. Then again, Lemaire hasn't shown much faith in the fourth line as seen by their average ice time, so it may be a moot point. So far, Pelley has done OK in that spot.

Backup Goaltender - The Departed: Scott Clemmensen

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Scott Clemmensen	5	247	3	1			17	4.13	139	122	.878	0

The Replacement: Yann Danis

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Yann Danis	3	140	2	0			5	2.14	65	60	.923	0

Scott Clemmensen has had a rough time in Florida as Tomas Vokoun's backup. He's been shelled for goals and not inspiring any confidence in his team. A big contrast to how he played in relief of Martin Brodeur when Brodeur was injured. Danis has been earning the confidence of the Devils' coaching staff however. They gave him two starts in back-to-back situations and was given the start in Dallas on Saturday after two losses. Sure, Danis was pulled in that Dallas game, but he had no real chance at the goals and I doubt he'll be placed in exile for it. While he hasn't played as much as Clemmensen, Danis has the better numbers and will likely continue getting a few more games here and there in New Jersey. Best of luck to Clemmensen in turning it around in Florida.

Looking just at the numbers, it's clear to me that the Devils have done an adequate job in filling in these larger holes in the roster. Granted, if Gionta wasn't injured, then it may be a different story. But we can only compare what has been done and honestly, the only real big gap is at fourth line winger as Rupp's job has not really been replaced. You can argue that third line center is an issue now with Rob Niedermayer injured and leaving Tim Sestito - an AHL callup - to take over with spot duty (though the job may be Dean McAmmond's now).

Perhaps this is to be expected. After all, despite going winless in their last three games, the Devils are still 14-5-1 and only a point outside of the Atlantic Division lead. From that alone, one could say the Devils have not been rocked too hard by the losses of these players. However, it is heartening to see that some of the replacements for their positions are generally doing as well as the departed players for the most part. Hopefully, this continues for the rest of the season.

Feel free to disagree or agree with how I'm looking at the departed and replacement players. Are you happy with the replacement players who aren't fourth line wingers? Do you wish any of those departed players didn't leave New Jersey as they did over the summer? Do you have a better way of comparing these players, or a different perspective? Please let everyone know what you think in the comments.

Stargazing: Stars, Robidas Defeat Devils, 5-3

Brad G — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:31:38 -0000

Stargazing is a daily assortment of Dallas Stars and Texas Stars news, and whatever other random ramblings are bouncing around inside our heads.

Stephane Robidas and the Stars took advantage of nearly every opportunity the Devils afforded them Saturday night. They cashed in on the power play, got some timely saves, and got scoring from both marquee names like Ribeiro, and the more obscure like Tom Wandell in their 5-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils.

Brandon said it last night, but it's worth repeating: The best part of this one was scoring five goals at home, goals have been very, very hard to come by so far this season. The victory was only their fourth at home this year in 10 tries.

There was much reason to dwell on the past last night at the AAC. With the Devils in town, I know I always think back to their Stanley Cup clinching victory in Dallas in 2000. The man who clinched that cup, Jason Arnott, was later traded to Dallas for the Stars current general manager, Joe Nieuwendyk. Nieuwy was up in the General Managers box last night, watching the man who was traded with him, Jamie Langenbrunner still going strong for New Jersey. A few feet away in the press box sat Eddie Belfour, chatting up Mike Heika. Belfour of course was also there that night in 2000, and played with all of the aforementioned. Belfour received a nice welcome from the Dallas crowd last night.

There's a little bit of reminiscing for you. It's one way of avoiding posting the exact same discussion after a nice win like this that followed a real clunker. We're all thinking the same thing. The players and coaches too. This was a real nice win; One that shows what they are capable of doing. But what will happen Monday? The Hurricanes carry a 3-0-2 streak with them into Dallas, but have not won a game on the road? Not a single one? That can't be right. We'll talk more about that on Monday.

For now, let's celebrate Robi's big night and get some quotes from both teams following a very entertaining game:

Follow the jump for more...

NHL.com recaps Robidas' big night:

Robidas had two goals and two assists, rookie Tom Wandell scored the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period and the Stars beat the New Jersey Devils 5-3 on Saturday night.

"Sometimes everything you touch seems to go in," Robidas said after his second career two-goal game. "It's pretty simple."

Robidas had his first career four-point game, adding eight hits and two blocked shots.

"He's a warrior," said Brad Richards, who had four assists. "He does things game in and game out that only teammates see. We know how valuable he is. His heart is always in the right place."

Mike Heika on Robidas:

...To be fair, two of his assists were on shots from the point and one of his goals was on a big shot when he was safely moving in from the point, so it's not like he threw caution to the wind.

But, he was more active all game, and that did help set a tone where the Stars were able to control the pace at times and draw penalties from the usually stingy Devils. He was joined in that thinking by Matt Niskanen, and it is clear that when the Stars do take some chances, they provide problems even for a good defensive team like the Devils.

Getting offense from the blue line. This must be what most other teams feel like. It's nights like this when one is reminded of Sergei Zubov's absence. He's no Zubov, but it's great to see him rewarded for the constant punishment he takes night in and night out.

Check out "In Lou We Trust" for the New Jersey point of view:

Where does one start with a game like this? The Devils scored first, and not only went on to not build on that Brian Rolston beauty of a goal, but they went on to concede three goals. Yann Danis had no real chance on either of them, the first coming off a deflection (Warren Peters by way of Stephane Robidas) and the latter two coming from the power play. If anything, the power play goals were more of a result of the PK units looking lost and, really, the root cause of those power plays were two really stupid penalties by David Clarkson and Tyler Eckford. Still, the Devils struck first, struck quickly, and Dallas made sure that meant little by the first intermission. Needless to say, the Stars were the better team in the first twenty minutes.

The Star Ledger recaps backup netminder Yann Danis' night. He had a 1.00 GAA and .964 save percentage before the Stars hung three on him in twenty minutes:

Getting pulled after one period won't hurt Devils backup goalie Yann Danis' confidence.

It was, Danis understands, a move to try to shake the Devils up and his confidence wasn't shattered.

"Not at all," Danis said Saturday night. "I still feel good. I'm still confident. Monday morning it's going to be back to business. Life goes on."

It was something of a surprise start for Danis, who allowed three goals in the first period on nine shots. Two of them came on power plays.

"He has to do something to change the momentum," Danis said of coach Jacques Lemaire. "It worked."

"We tried to change things," Lemaire explained. "Danis, I think, had no chance on rebounds. They went right on their sticks. He made the first save, which is what we wanted. We were not sharp enough around him."

The Stars didn't seem to care who was in net. There's no denying the greatness of Brodeur, but the Stars nearly had three on him as well, as Matt Niskanen rang one off the post in the second period.

Brodeur says the Devils, who have some really significant injuries right now, are being tested right now:

"You never want to lose," Brodeur said, "but we have to be realistic. We’ve done really well without some key players. It’s been a tough go. We played the last three games on the road. Even though we’ve had some success (this season), they’re not easy games to play.

"Now we’re going to go back home to another tough stretch. It’ll be another tough challenge for us. We have to regroup and keep our heads up.

It seems lately that no matter who scores for Dallas and in what situation, Brad Richards had a hand in it:

Brad Richards is showing every game how much he means to the Dallas Stars.

Never mind that he has a team-leading 26 points in 20 games after a four-assist night in Saturday's 5-3 win over New Jersey. The real testament to his value is that everybody playing on his line seems to find a way to score.

With James Neal suspended two games for a boarding incident against Columbus, coach Marc Crawford decided to move Tom Wandell to the left wing on Richards' line. Wandell, who entered with two goals in 21 games, scored the game-winning goal in the third period off a no-look, between the legs pass that Richards somehow squeezed through a crowded slot.

Also, Richards did a lot of the heavy lifting on a shift in which Loui Eriksson found Stephane Robidas for the insurance fifth goal

Puck Daddy put Robidas ahead of Iginla's hat trick as their number one star of the night:

No. 1 star: Stephane Robidas (notes), Dallas Stars

After Brian Rolston (notes) opened the scoring for the New Jersey Devils, it became the Robidas Show for the rest of the first period: Primary assists on goals by Warren Peters (notes) and Mike Ribeiro, and then a power-play goal of this own. Tom Wandell's (notes) goal in the third gave the Stars the lead again after a Devils' rally, and it was Robidas that finished off the scoring with his fifth of the season for a 5-3 Dallas victory. It was the defenseman's second career two-goal game and first four-point night.

Dallasstars.com brings you Marc Crawfords take on the big win:

"We did the things we had to do to be successful against these guys," Stars coach Marc Crawford said. "Protecting the puck, not turning it over, making sure we're solid going into the offensive zone, getting pucks, trying to create rebounds and really winning the battles after the initial shot."

With the exception of the first 55 seconds of the game, I would agree.

Let's take a look at some ex-Stars in the NHL last night:

New Jersey Devils Morning News, Nov 22

TibbsBeastoftheEast — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:53:51 -0000

Devils notes - (The Bergen Record)
Devils finally may be feeling injury bug - (The Bergen Record)