SB Nation - Cory Murphy

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)

View full size photo »

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).

New Jersey Devils Morning News, Nov 20

TibbsBeastoftheEast — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:58:46 -0000

Devils notes: McAmmond skates right in - (The Bergen Record)
Rookie Eckford feels at home with Devils - (The Bergen Record)

Devils lose game, Zubrus to leg injury - (The Bergen Record)
Devils’ luck in shootouts runs out - (Fire & Ice)
Successful Devils’ debut for McAmmond; Eckford enjoys first NHL game - (Fire & Ice)
Zubrus headed back to New Jersey with right leg injury - (Fire & Ice)
Live post: Devils and Predators tied 2-2 headed to a shootout; Zubrus out with leg injury - (Fire & Ice)
Leblond placed on injured reserve, McAmmond activated - (Fire & Ice)
Youth serving Devils well so far; Murphy might be back - (Fire & Ice)
Looks like McAmmond, Eckford will make Devils’ debuts - (Fire & Ice)
Brodeur, White, Langenbrunner not skating; Arnott recalls 2000 winner - (Fire & Ice)
Devils call up Tyler Eckford from Lowell; send down Cory Murphy - (Fire & Ice)
An 'awesome' NHL debut for NJ Devils rookie Tyler Eckford - (The Star Ledger)
NJ Devils center Dainius Zubrus may have broken leg, will return home from road trip - (The Star Ledger)
Dainius Zubrus injured in NJ Devils' 3-2 shootout loss to Nashville Predators - (The Star Ledger)
NJ Devils-Nashville Predators: As they played - (The Star Ledger)
Dean McAmmond will make NJ Devils debut; Tyler Eckford gets 1st NHL game - (The Star Ledger)
Jason Arnott: I'll never forget NJ Devils Stanley Cup in 2000 - (The Star Ledger)
Nashville Predators coach: NJ Devils are 'Beast of the East' - (The Star Ledger)
Predators beat Devils in shootout - (The New York Daily News)
Devils fall in shootout - (The New York Post)
Watch Lemaire's Postgame - (Msgnetwork)
Cangy: Elias Still an X-Factor - (Msgnetwork)
Predators 3, Devils 2 FINAL SO - (NewJerseyDevils.com)
NHL Standings - (Yahoo NHL)
Devils' players stats - (Yahoo NHL)
Devils Team Report - (Yahoo NHL)
NCAA PRO-file with Brian Rolston - (NHL.com)
Waiver Wire: Devils going Greene - (CBS SportsLine.com)
Predators complete top-team sweep - (The Tennessean)
Dallas Stars Trend Of Failure on Home Ice Becoming Expected - (Bleacher Report)
Devils @ Predators, 11/19/09 - (Interchangeable Parts)

AHL Player of the Week Tyler Eckford Called Up; Cory Murphy Sent Down

Steve Lepore — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:03:01 -0000

This is certainly an interesting move. The injuries to the Devils have offered us a chance to see the organization to experiment with youth in a big way for the first time in a long time. That continues with the Devils calling 24-year old defenseman Tyler Eckford up from Lowell (AHL).

Tom Gulitti has thoughts from GM Lou Lamoriello:

"He's playing extremely well, so we're going to take a look at him," Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said. "He'll come in and practice with us today and then it will be a coach's decision (whether he plays Thursday)."

Eckford has 5 goals and 10 assists on the season, pretty solid numbers for a defenseman. I always liked watching him in pre-season games and scrimmages I've checked out at The Rock. This will be a chance for the 2nd round pick from 2004 to play his first NHL game, as Murphy's being sent down means that either he or Matt Corrente will play their first NHL game this Thursday in Nashville.

New Jersey Devils Come Back with Five Unanswered Goals to Defeat Washington Capitals 5-2

John Fischer — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 04:21:53 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Washington Capitals goaltender Jose Theodore looked behind into his own net many times tonight. Five to be exact. Dainius Zubrus only saw two goals go in on the ice, both while up front. Nice view (this goal was the Colin White goal). (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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Eight straight wins. Four straight home wins. Three straight over the Washington Capitals this season. The second win against the Capitals where the Devils came from a two goal deficit to win. 1,000 overall victories for the franchise. The team's first game scoring five goals this season; all from five different players and all of them were unanswered.

No matter how you slice it, tonight's 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals had many meanings. NHL.com has their recap up complete with the box score and additional stats. An embedded video of the highlights of this game are after the jump and it is a must-see. All five New Jersey goals were absolutely wonderful goals.

And they were important goals too. Despite the score, the play of the two teams was close from where I saw. I'd love to say this was a blowout. I'd love to say that the Devils dominated. But I really don't think they did. The Caps fans are understandably unhappy about how tonight went, especially after a quick-fire double on their first two shots of the game. Becca H's recap at Japers' Rink sums up the disappointment well. After the jump, I'll offer my thoughts on what I saw in tonight's game that will hopefully explain my feelings about the game.

First, watch this video.

In a way, the highlights tell the story of the game. Did the Devils dominate in puck possession, as I hoped for in today's game preview? No. They had their good shifts on offense - even some down right great ones. But overall I'd say the Capitals were better overall in terms of moving the puck up on the attack. That partially explains why the Capitals outshot the Devils 29-23 and enjoyed so much time on the attack.

Another partial explanation would be the Devils defense itself. They were inconsistent with respect to their clearances and plays on the puck. On some plays, they were excellent - stopping a Caps attack stone dead with a block or a takeaway with a proper pass up-ice. On others, they gave the puck right back to the Capitals, made an errant pass to a Devil in the neutral zone that led to another Capitals attack, or let a big juicy rebound go right to a Capital. I'm not saying the defense was awful; they had their usual solid moments; but they didn't look as solid as often as they have been in recent games.

So how did the Devils make this win happen while the Caps floundered? The old cliche of finishing their chances.

See, the Capitals got off to a quick start with two one-timers. One on a power play from a Matt Halischuk trip that I felt wasn't much of one. Tomas Fleischmann was the open man on the flank, the Capitals moved the puck especially well on their PP, and he applied the right shot. Shortly thereafter, Mike Green fires another one-timer from the high slot, tipped by Mathieu Perreault for a 2-0 Caps lead. And that was it from the Caps.

Later on in the game, the Capitals had some absolutely glorious scoring chances in the second period. Even when tied at 2 or down 3-2, the Capitals were able to get loose with the puck to fire a hard shot or get a rebound right at their sticks. Yet, Martin Brodeur became huge on those shots, both at the first and second chance. Even when the Capitals thought they got Brodeur in a untenable position for a save, they would duff the shot wide or glance it off the post. The Capitals even had a few chances in the third - not many, but a few - and Brodeur just denied them while the Devils defenders tightened up.

The Caps moved the puck better with more accurate, simpler passes and as such got more shots and got scoring chances later in the game. Had the Caps have better finishing tonight, the score would be justifiably closer. Instead, they didn't and so Martin Brodeur has some highlight saves that are easily viewable at NHL.com - in the embedded video above.

In contrast, as you saw from the highlight video, the Devils made the most of their chances. An open shot off a feed from the point? A goal from Colin White, likely one of the few he'll have this season. An open shot above the right circle? Another goal for Jamie Langenbrunner, and from the power play as well. Turning an Alexander Semin-produced giveaway into a breakaway that just made Jose Theodore look silly? A classic goal from Zach Parise. A cross-ice pass that was unloaded to the far post from the left circle? Goal - and congratulations to Tim Sestito for his first NHL assist and to Matt Halischuk for first goal of his career. A slap shot from the point right off a faceoff? Goal - and Cory Murphy's second of the season.

All of them were just well placed shots that just made Jose Theodore look silly. And to think, it could have been much more. As you saw in the video, Brian Rolston was absolutely robbed in the first period on a cross-ice feed from Langenbrunner. As you didn't see in the video, Dainius Zubrus spun with the puck to get free from a defender and was denied by the post mid-way through the third. Later in the game, the ZZ-Elias unit nearly cashed in at the crease. The Devils not only scored 5 goals through superior finishing, but they could have had much more.

Nonetheless, all Devils fans should be pleased with the win. I'm just saying it wasn't a dominating victory. Martin Brodeur bailed out the defense on more than a few occasions. The start of the game was poor. And the Devils didn't really boss the Capitals around in terms of puck possession.

Yet, when the Devils were down 2-0, it didn't bother them - or at least, that didn't show in their play. The Colin White goal and the Brian Rolston scoring chance was huge in that it gave the Devils something to build on in the second half of the first period and afterwards. I'm sure Lemaire reminded them of the last time the Devils were down 2-0 to the Caps at some point in the game. They showed the strength of their character by looking ahead despite the deficit; that and their superior shooting rewarded them with a 3 goal second period. In a stunning contrast, the Capitals looked down and perhaps even demoralized coming out for the third period - the Matt Halischuk goal was really the nail in the coffin (I guess that makes the Cory Murphy goal the dirt over the grave?)

I cannot stress enough how important finishing on a play is. Tonight was the perfect example. Most of the Devils' 23 shots were smart shots; they gave Jose Theodore trouble and beat him five times and could have done even more. Without the finishing, this game would have been much closer than the score indicates based on the run of play. In general, we don't normally see this from the Devils - usually it's the opposite case of the Devils not being able to finish a great number of scoring chances they generate. Clearly, it's nice to see what the other side of that is.

And it took the Devils into their eighth straight win by scoring five unanswered goals, their fifth come-from-behind win in their last six games, their fourth straight at home, their third straight over Washington, and their one-thousandth franchise win. That's something no one can really complain about.

Thanks for reading and commenting in the GameThread; big thanks to Steve for taking care of that. Please leave all your thoughts and questions and such about tonight's game in the comments. Lastly, if you haven't, please watch the highlight video from NHL.com. The Devils' goals alone are worth it.

New Jersey Devils take Atlantic Division Lead with 3-1 Win over Anaheim Ducks

John Fischer — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:15:44 -0000

More photos » by Rich Schultz - AP

David Clarkson scored such a sweet goal tonight, he did his best Michael Jordan impersonation to celebrate. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

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The New Jersey Devils' injury list is loaded. The team has a tough stretch of games ahead of them on the schedule and a potential "banana peel" opponent tonight. What do the Devils go out and do? They make the most of their chances. And so the Devils defeated the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 at home. With the win, the team is now 4-4 at the Rock, they have won six straight games, and by virtue of having played two fewer games than the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Devils currently lead the Atlantic Division. NHL.com has their recap up with all the boxscores and game stats that you may desire. For the Ducks' side of things, Daniel at Anaheim Calling has an open recap post open with a short blurb about their loss.

Winning is always a good thing. It was great to see the Devils actually score the game's first goal and eventually build a two-goal lead to hold onto instead of a one-goal lead. Devils fans didn't have to sweat out the end of the game. But the more I think about it, the more I think that the Devils didn't play an excellent game.

For example, look at the shot totals. The Ducks, holders of one of the worst defenses of the league, outshot the Devils, who has one of the best defenses in the league, 32-25. I felt the Devils didn't really do much dictation of the game, waiting for mistakes to pounce on. Instead, it was Anaheim who set themselves up more often on offense, made safer passes for better possession, and so had more shots on net. Something I certainly didn't expect going into tonight's game.

Upon reflection, I now wonder why the Devils push the tempo more often? Whenever they did get the puck in deep and start cycling, they looked pretty good in doing so. They just didn't do it as much as they could.

Yet, all that led to was the Ducks leading in quantity and total possession. As you see from the score, that amounted to very little. The Devils' defense - both the defensemen and backchecking forwards - were instrumental in preventing any rebounds or second chance shots get to Anaheim sticks. The lone goal allowed was a bit soft; I'm not sure why Martin Brodeur couldn't have covered the post better and I'm even less sure why Colin White didn't knock Corey Perry to the ground before he scored what was likely the easiest goal he'll score all season. Beyond that error, Martin Brodeur saw the majority of those 32 shots against and the only concern for him was reacting to any rebounds. An issue that the Devils made sure wouldn't become goals against. The defense and Brodeur played well in that regard.

The Devils' offense really made the most of it's chances and that decided the game. Look at the highlight video from NHL.com and you'll see what I'm talking about. Three great goals from New Jersey. Jamie Langenbrunner's deflection of Andy Greene's shot was sublime; and early enough in the game to really dampen Anaheim's spirits. David Clarkson's goal was just fantastic. I have no other words for that release off the toe drag. Zach Parise's shorthanded effort was an excellent blend of skill and grit, making the goal happen. I felt Parise was actually robbed on a 5-on-3 power play; he had the puck right on the backdoor, but Jonas Hiller just threw his body to his left and got fortunate. It's in the highlight video too. That power play situation wasn't too bad as it put good offensive pressure on the Ducks in the third period, but it didn't convert and so you can find some fault with the the Devils having zero goals on two-man advantages for the season.

Hiller was kind of sketchy all night long. From what I saw, he gave up far too many rebounds than he would have liked. He got into position well, but instead of saving a shot and then holding onto it, too often did the puck just bounce ahead of him. Fortunately, the Ducks' defense was solid in preventing rebounds as well. Which makes me wonder what could have been if the Devils were just more aggressive tonight.

To clarify, I mean in terms of offensive play. The Devils were caught being too aggressive by handing Anaheim 6 power plays. OK, some of them were a bit iffy, such as Dainius Zubrus' "hook" and the tripping call on David Clarkson - I thought it would be on Jamie Langenbrunner as Clarkson was just standing behind the net. But I saw it live, perhaps it was clearer on tape. The most infuriating of the calls were that two of them were too many men on the ice calls and, honestly, I have nothing but an angry stream of expletives. This is a clean blog so I will relent but no one should be happy with one too many men on the ice call tonight, much less two. This careless team error needs to stop happening at all. Overall, the discipline was poor and handing any team 6 power play opportunities is just stupid.

Except the Ducks' power play was absolutely terrible. They may have actually set up in the Devils' zone for one and a half of those power play chances: second half of the Zubrus hooking minor at the start of the third period and during the Mike Mottau slashing minor. The stats say the Ducks got 8 power play shots on net; I'm pretty sure nearly all of them were pedestrian. The Devils penalty killing units just kept taking the puck away and clearing it in all manners of fashion. Of course, the apex was Jamie Langenbrunner springing Zach Parise into space for his shorthanded goal. The Devils penalty killers were just excellent all game long and the Ducks' power play just couldn't muster much momentum going. Again, I'd like to see less shorthanded situations overall; but any Devils fan has to praise the work done by the PK tonight.

Just as a final note, just a few quick thoughts: Patrik Elias looked more like himself, playing in all situations across 18:47 of ice time; though, I wish he shot it more than once. He did look tired again in the third, but that will go away in due time. The best forwards on the Devils tonight were the goal scorers: Jamie Langenbrunner (1 G, 1 A, 5 SOG, 19:05), David Clarkson (1 G, 3 SOG, 15:43), and Zach Parise (1 G, 1 A, 5 SOG, 22:25). On defense, I felt Mike Mottau had a quiet, but very effective night - his only error was that slashing call near the end of the game but the Devils PK made sure it wasn't a big error. Mark Fraser got over 12 minutes tonight which is a nice step; Cory Murphy playing less than 8 makes me wonder whether Matthew Corrente will replace him for a game or two. Lastly, in honoring the 2003 Stanley Cup Champion Devils team, they announced all the players from that team prior to the game. Brian Rafalski, Scott Niedermayer, Brian Gionta, Sergei Brylin, and Pat Burns all got noticeable cheers; whereas Scott Gomez got very noticeable booing.

Big thanks to Steve for taking care of the GameThread and thanks to all the readers and commenters. The Devils now lead the division and have a chance to start building a lead tomorrow night at the Igloo. Of course, they'll have to do better at dictating the pace of the game themselves instead of just reacting to the opposition, as well as not hand the other team power play after power play. A quick preview of that game is forthcoming. Please comment about tonight's win here in the meantime.

New Jersey Devils Morning News, Nov 7

TibbsBeastoftheEast — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:16:42 -0000

Devils notes - (The Bergen Record)
Up next: Devils at Senators - (The Bergen Record)

With Goals by Cory Murphy and Brian Rolston, the New Jersey Devils Beat the New York Islanders, 2-1

John Fischer — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:18:57 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Brian Rolston had every reason to smile as his big slapshot scored the Devils' second goal and the eventual winner over the New York Islanders tonight. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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In yet another one-goal victory, in yet another game where the scoreboard is closer than the actual run of play, and in yet another game where the Devils' power play actually came through - the New Jersey Devils defeated the New York Islanders 2-1. The NHL.com recap is up with all the links to box scores, event and game summaries, and more.

Some critics may look at 7 out of 10 one-goal victories in this season and argue that this is proof of the Devils' style of play being all trap, all defense, or somesuch. They would be foolish, but the number of one-goal games involving New Jersey is worthy of some criticism. Tonight was another example where the Devils took the lead but couldn't expand it. They wanted a third goal, maybe they deserved one, but once again, they couldn't make it a two goal lead.

All the same, as time ran out in the third, the Islanders got more aggressive with their forechecking and their general attack and they were an less than an inch away from an equalizer in the final minute - only for a jammed puck to glide across the crease instead of the goal line. The Devils, you could say, played with fire and didn't get burned thanks to some heads up plays on defense and generally preventing the Islanders from getting high quality scoring chances all game long. The criticism is that the Devils' offense could ease a defense that is already seeing big minutes at the ends of games by not having to worry about conceding an equalizer.

But again, that didn't happen tonight and so Devils fans should be pleased with the team's third win at home. Soon, they will be .500 at home and that would be good. Check out Lighthouse Hockey later on for Dom's recap from the Islanders' perspective. Read on for further thoughts about the game, why I think the offense didn't get more than two past Biron, thoughts on Patrik Elias' debut, praise for the defense(s), and some video clips from NHL.com

As you can see from the following videos from NHL.com; the goals itself were impressive on their own. Cory Murphy opened his account in New Jersey with an excellent slapshot that slipped through Martin Biron's legs. Here, see it to believe it:

Brian Rolston made the Devils' power play relevant when he unleashed a bomb from the point. You can say that this was the kind of goal you'd expect from Rolston, known for his big cannon and being paid to, well, hit the target with it. And it was on the power play, the one shot out of nine that got through. Watch it with this video, as Biron didn't really get to see it:

While both came in the second period, the Devils looked for more action in the third period, and overall outshot the Islanders 31-24, they couldn't beat Biron a third time. Even on other long shots from other players - something the Islanders' defense was more than happy to concede.

Why? Well, Biron played well enough for starters. Can't blame him on the Rolston goal as he was screened by David Clarkson and the shot from Rolston was like a laser-bullet. His only real mistake was keeping his legs open when Murphy unloaded his shot. What also stymied the Devils were the Islanders' committment on defense to clog the middle. The Devils didn't get a lot of space in the slot, they couldn't get many passes into the slot, and even off the rush, a white sweater was ever present in the middle. Rebounds? Forget about it. Biron controlled them fairly well and the Islanders were in good position to clear them out as needed. Allowing 31 shots isn't exactly an superb performance for any defense; but they should be commended for forcing the Devils to adjust where they shoot.

What also didn't help is that some players had relatively quiet games. Believe it or not, Zach Parise didn't get a single shot on net tonight - 3 misses and one attempt blocked. Travis Zajac was more productive in terms of shots with 4, but he didn't get a really great chance and many of his passes were forced. Dainius Zubrus moved a lot of people around, won 8 of 12 faceoffs, but he only managed two shots on net (and one attempted shot that knocked Brendan Witt right over at the end of the first - link goes to NHL.com video of hit). Rolston and David Clarkson had big nights with 6 shots each; but were many of them truly great shots? Not really. Not all of the Devils' best offensive players were having great offensive nights and so, the offense suffered despite putting 31 on Biron.

I will say that tonight was probably the best performance I've seen by the fourth line all season. Rod Pelley and Ilkka Pikkarainen both got assists on Murphy's goal; and they brought energy without taking a penalty (6 hits combined). If they keep this kind of play up, maybe Lemaire will give them more minutes per game. An effective fourth line, I think, benefits the other three overall. Namely because the other three lines won't have to play as many minutes and the opposition will have to worry about three more forwards to deal with.

Of course, there is Patrik Elias. For someone who hasn't played for 5 months, he looked pretty good in his debut. His first shift - on a penalty kill - saw him take the puck up ice, pull off a dazzling move to beat a defender, and then miss the resulting shot. All the same, he got three rounds of applause for that shift (coming off, that move, and going off). But after then, he started looking like more of himself. He threw some checks, he made some good passes, he had two hard shots on net, and he played 16:01 tonight. I think he'll need some more time to get back into form before he starts producing; but it wasn't a bad debut by any means.

The only real negative mark on Elias is that he was on the ice for the Islanders' lone goal against. A blocked shot by the Devils led to Jon Sim pushing it ahead and the Devils doubling back. While Nicklas Bergfors was about to take the loose puck, Sean Bergenheim took it away from him and slid it across ice through Bryce Salvador's legs. Frans Nielsen was right there to Yann Danis' flank; while Danis slid across the net, Nielsen went to his backhand and the shot was high enough to bounce off Danis go in. Elias was trailing on Nielsen, but he had no chance to catch him. the Isles forecheck really made that whole play happen.

That aside, the Devils handled the Isles' forecheck very well. There were some times in the third period where two Islanders were able to win back the puck; but they ultimately did little with what they won. And with what little they shot, Yann Danis was usually in position to make the stop. Good job by the backup in his second start of the season. That said, a lot of credit should go to the Devils' defense for forcing the Islanders to take 24 mostly-not-so-strong shots and for cleaning up whatever rebounds were there. Even late in the game, they didn't panic all that much and if the Islanders did get possession, they recovered back into position very quickly. Despite a late hit in the first period on a penalty kill that led to a minor, I felt Colin White was one of the top defensemen for the Devils with 6 hits and 22:03 of solid defending. His partner, Mike Mottau, also had a strong game with 25:36 played - he didn't concede much space either. Overall, I was pleased (again) with the performance by the Devils' blueline.

I'm glad that the Devils won. Yet, I can't help but feel the score should have been much more by New Jersey as they really dictated the game up until the very end where the Islanders got desperate and had to turn up the aggression to get an equalizer. But again, the Devils didn't get many great scoring chances despite 5 power plays, 9 shots on said power plays, and 31 shots overall. Top Devils forwards didn't have the best of nights. Moreover, the Islanders' defense did a great job preventing much happening in the slot, the prime real estate for scoring goals. Hopefully the offense will have a better night tomorrow against Ottawa and get a win by more than one non-empty net goal.

The New Jersey Devils Win Seventh Straight Road Game in Shootout over Tampa Bay Lightning, 2-1

John Fischer — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:25:28 -0000

More photos » by Mike Carlson - AP

The team congratulations David Clarkson's shootout winner that gave the Devils' seventh straight road win and their eighth win of the season. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

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The New Jersey Devils dominated the game in all aspects except on the scoreboard in this afternoon's game. Nonetheless, the Devils earned the result through the shootout thanks to David Clarkson not going glove-side on Antero Nittymaki and a number of Lightning shooters not fooling Martin Brodeur. NHL.com has their recap up along with links to the boxscore, extended stats, and highlight videos. Check out Raw Charge later for their recap of today's events from the Lightning perspective.

Honestly, the tight score was no means indicative to how well the Devils played in this game. The Devils outshot the Lightning 40-19; 38 to 15 in regulation. The Devils had power plays largely set up in Tampa Bay's end for the duration of the penalty. The Devils' penalty kill allowed a mere two shots on net, both in the first period where the Devils allowed only 3 shots against. The Lightning looked out of sorts for the first 40 minutes and surprisingly also in the shootout where shooters Andrej Meszaros, Jeff Halpern (seriously) and Steven Stamkos all missed the net entirely.

The win is the Devils' seventh straight on the road, their third via the shootout, and their fifth where they won by one goal. It also results in the Devils finishing the month at 8-4, their best in recent seasons. Read on for more thoughts about the game.

First and foremost, Tampa Bay Lightning fans need to give all the credit for this game to Antero Niittymaki. He and he alone kept this game from being a blowout in New Jersey's favor. He robbed Ilkka Pikkarainen and Cory Murphy with his glove in the first period. He denied a penalty shot attempt from Jamie Langenbrunner (from the penalty kill no less) with a stretched out left leg. He moved swiftly to get in front of everything possible when the Devils swarmed the Tampa Bay defense, especially when New Jersey had the man advantage. Simply put, Antero Niittymaki got this team with a point. Given how much Tampa Bay seemed "floaty" out there, he had to stand on his head and make save after save with the exception of one goal and one that got through to the crossbar.

And Tampa Bay was seriously beaten on in this game. I'm telling you, the Lightning got two power plays in the first period and the following players on the team's top 6: Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Ryan Malone, and Steve Stamkos. The only got 3 shots on net. During the second period, the Devils had a power play where they spent all 2 minutes of it in Tampa Bay's end, followed by a power play later in the period where the Lightning got 3 clearances. After Tampa Bay got it's equalizer - a literal fluke goal as Langenbrunner unwittingly re-directed a Steve Stamkos pass at Brodeur which fooled him - it only had the Lightning play more "even" with the Devils instead of New Jersey dictating the game as they did through the first 40 minutes.

The Lightning were clearly outplayed in this game overall. At forward, with 40 shots on net, they largely looked good. The ZZ Pops line looked great, with Parise putting eight shots on net. Ilkka Pikkarainen had his best game yet as a Devil, while robbed by Niittymaki, he worked hard and well with his linemates (Nicklas Bergfors and Dainius Zubrus) and put up 4 shots of his own - the second most on the team along with Mike Mottau (seriously). Brian Rolston also looked good with 3 shots and 4 blocked and I've noticed him more on the penalty kill and going up on the forecheck. As with Bergfors, I think the points will eventually come to Rolston if he keeps up his good work.

I have to give a lot of credit to the entire Devils team for outplaying Tampa Bay alone. In their third game in four nights, on reduced rest because it was in the afternoon, and still reeling with injuries to Paul Martin, Jay Pandolfo, and Johnny Oduya, one would expect the Devils to falter somewhere. Yet, they did the opposite. The depleted defense held Tampa Bay to 15 shots on net in regulation and the Devils kept attacking over and over again. I said in the preview to this game that I wanted the Devils to take initiative, and they did just that. Even on the power play, where the Devils often moved the puck with ease in Tampa Bay's zone and applied further pressure to their defense. This had all the makings of a blowout if it weren't for Niittymaki. My only real complaint is that, well, the Devils needed to go to the shootout to win this. But can I really complain that much if the opposition's goaltender was so good?

I especially have to thank the defense because Lemaire wasn't kidding when he said he'd give the veterans most of the minutes. While they looked OK, Mark Fraser had only 6:52 of ice time and Cory Murphy played 14:02. The minutes for the new third pairing were limited. That's why Mike Mottau played 28:29 and Andy Greene played 29:48 of solid, solid defense from both of them. That's why Bryce Salvador played 23:35, blocked 5 shots, took a backhanded shot to the ear, and was massive all game long. That's why Colin White, somehow, got "only" 20:54 and 4 hits. The Devils blocked 13 shots and allowed only 19 shots against from Tampa Bay today - you can't expect much better than that. Martin Brodeur was as good as he could have been, though I wish he (and everyone else) was more aware on Langenbrunner's deflection off of Stamkos. If only to get shutout #103 out of the way already.

You also can't ask for much better than this individual effort from Travis Zajac in the only Devils goal in regulation.

To recap: Zajac won the faceoff which went to Fraser. Zajac tips the shot, spins away from the defender to get loose, and Zajac gets to the rebound first to put it home. Simply great from Zajac. With the end of the month, I'm going to have a hard time deciding between him and Parise for Devil of the Month.

Again, my only regret is that the Devils didn't turn the dominance in shots, possession, power play chances (4 to 3), and so forth into more goals. Going into the third, I had the voice of pessimism in the back of my mind saying, "You know, if Tampa Bay gets a break and scores one, it's not only tied but they'll be energized to take this game over." The Lightning did get that break, but the Devils held them off soon after and didn't let up too much on their own after the goal. While that was good and I'm glad the Devils got their deserved result, it's not something that New Jersey should look to make a trend.

Nevertheless, the important matter is that the Devils got the two points, they end a successful October, and they amazingly remain perfect on the road. Again, one can't complain too loudly, can they? The Devils now get 3 days of rest before hosting Washington next Wednesday. The team has certainly earned it!

Thanks for reading, and please leave your thoughts on today's game in the comments.

New Jersey Devils Morning News, Oct 31

TibbsBeastoftheEast — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:07:24 -0000

Oduya, another Devil injured - (The Bergen Record)
Brodeur to start vs. Lightning; More heavy minutes coming for defensemen - (Fire & Ice)

Oduya won’t play vs. Lightning, but might play Wednesday - (Fire & Ice)
Oduya returns to New Jersey; Devils’ road streak impressive - (Fire & Ice)
Johnny Oduya's injury not deemed serious; Cory Murphy will step in for NJ Devils - (The Star Ledger)
Johnny Oduya does not accompany NJ Devils for game against Tampa Bay Lightning - (The Star Ledger)
New-look lines center on Z's - (The New York Post)
Third periods proving pivotal for Devils - (NewJerseyDevils.com)
Old 'dogs' can learn new tricks in today's NHL - (NHL.com)
Stats - (Yahoo NHL)
Standings - (Yahoo NHL)
Devils Team Report - (Yahoo NHL)
Devils-Lightning Preview - (CBSSports.com)

LOWELL DEVILS
Devils Nipped By Pirates in OT, 3-2 - (LowellDevilsHockey.com)
Devils Summary - (The Lowell Sun)

TRENTON DEVILS
Devils Upend Chiefs 3-2 - (TrentonDevils.com)
T-Devs pull one out - (The Trentonian)

AROUND THE NHL
Power rankings: One month in … - (Yahoo NHL)
11 games on a busy Halloween - (NHL.com)
Injuries mount early in condensed 2009-10 season - (SportingNews.com)

MISCELLANEOUS
Former Russian hockey star scores with Niagara icewine - (St. Catharines Standard); Igor Larionov

Game 12 Preview: New Jersey Devils at Tampa Bay Lightning - 10/31/2009

John Fischer — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:15:13 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

The last time the Devils were in Tampa Bay, Travis Zajac (seen here) scored a last-second equalizer. The Devils went on to win their first game thanks to that and the shootout. Will Zajac score again today? (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

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The Time: 3 PM EST

The Broadcasting Info: MSG+ for your TV, 660 AM WFAN for your radio.

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (7-4-0) at the Tampa Bay Lightning (4-3-3)

The Last Devils Game: It was tight, it was close, and Johnny Oduya left early due to injury. But Yann Danis was solid, the Devils pounced on two pucks that got through Tim Thomas' pads, and the Devils won 2-1. My recap of the game can be found here.

The Last Lightning Game: The Lightning just beat on the Ottawa Senators. Steve Stamkos was a Senator-wrecking force with 2 goals and faceoff domination, Mike Smith held up well, and Ryan Malone got his first assist (to go with his eighth goal). Cassie at Raw Charge saw the game from a different angle and stated as such in her recap.

The Last Game These Two Played: The Devils started off well, then the Lightning hit back with a 25-shot second period. The Devils fell behind 3-2 and got a last-second equalizer from Travis Zajac. The Devils eventually won in the shootout, spoiling Tampa Bay's home opener and earning the team's first victory this season. In retrospect, an early turning point.

The Goal: I feel that the Devils need to take initiative to win today's game. That means more than just getting the game's first goal. It means starting off each period - not just the first - with some strong shifts. It means dictating the pace of the game. It means stepping up to Tampa Bay's big offensive weapons in Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, Steve Stamkos, and Ryan Malone. In Boston, the Bruins usually made the first move and at times, it really pinned back the Devils into precarious situations. Today, the defense is even thinner, and I think repeating the same approach would lead to the Lightning taking quick advantage.

Read on for guesses at lines, further thoughts about the game, and insight about the Lightning as Cassie of Raw Charge has answered some questions about the team.

Devils head coach Jacques Lemaire was upfront about some of the lineup changes for today's game. According to Tom Gulitti's report yesterday, Lemaire said that Martin Brodeur will get the start, Cory Murphy will be on defense, and the remaining veteran Devils defensemen will get the lionshare of minutes with Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya out with injury. I would guess that based on what Gulitti saw in practice yesterday, Lemaire will likely keep the same lines from the Boston win, at least to start the game. I honestly felt that Andrew Peters played relatively well in Boston, so I think he'll get another game and play this afternoon:

Zach Parise - Dainius Zubrus - Jamie Langenbrunner
Brian Rolston - Travis Zajac - Ilkka Pikkarainen
Nicklas Bergfors - Rob Niedermayer - David Clarkson
Andrew Peters - Rod Pelley - Matt Halischuk

Colin White - Mike Mottau
Cory Murphy - Bryce Salvador
Mark Fraser - Andy Greene

Martin Brodeur
Yann Danis

A few words are necessary about the defense. First, I'm guessing on the pairings, but I'd be surprised if Lemaire pairs Cory Murphy and Mark Fraser. That would be a big gift for Rick Tocchet and the Lightning offense; I would think he would challenge that pairing as much as possible. Fraser is still inexperienced, the most he has played so far was 12:52 against Boston. He'll get limited minutes. Given that Murphy hasn't played in quite a bit of time, he's going to have some rust. Even if he didn't, the Tampa Bay staff knows what he can do and they can respond to him accordingly.

Second, I'm fully aware of Lemaire's pronouncement that White, Mottau, Salvador, and Greene will all have heavy workloads. I understand it. They're the vets on the blueline and they know what to expect out of Tampa Bay. But I really hope Fraser is given 14 minutes or so and Murphy can play about 16 minutes. That would ease some of the extra minutes because, really, do we want Mike Mottau putting in a 26+ minute effort in a second consecutive game?

Third, because Tampa Bay is so dangerous on offense, it is imperative that the defensemen as well as the forwards are committed to their positioning and their focus on defense. They will not succeed today by chasing down the Bolts in their own zone. They will not succeed today if they allow 25 shots in the second period. They will not succeed if they hand Tampa Bay power play after power play. They will not succeed if they allow Lecavalier, St. Louis, Stamkos, and Malone to have free reign in their shots. I mean, look at these stats just for Malone and Stamkos:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Steven Stamkos	10	9	5	14	3	6	5	0	1	0	41	22.0

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Ryan Malone	10	8	2	10	1	4	1	0	3	0	29	27.6

Yeah. And those aren't even the "big names," though Stamkos will be in short order. Speaking of, Lecavalier's actually struggling to score goals. Cassie explained the situation further yesterday at Raw Charge. All the same, with 9 assists and his natural talent, he's still a threat. The Devils shouldn't give him the opportunities to break his goal-scoring slump. I cannot emphasize the importance of preventative defense and discipline enough. If the Devils want to win their seventh straight road game, this is a key within the game.

Sure, the Devils' offense could have a banner day and just make it rain goals. But just the mere fact that the Devils haven't scored more than 4 goals in a game and no more than 2 in one period means that's a false hope. The offense needs to put consistent pressure on the Lightning defense if only to relieve the Devils' defense of playing so much in their own end. Of course, they'll need to score when possible; but their goal should be to do what is needed to avoid relying on the defense and Martin Brodeur to bail out the team. I fear that Tampa Bay will eventually break through if given enough chances.

To learn more about the Lightning, I asked the writers of Raw Charge some questions about how the team is performing. Cassie responded to the questions in a very in-depth, insightful way, and I thank her for taking the time to respond. It's quite a bit to take in, but it's well worth your while in terms of learning about the Lightning. Besides, this is In Lou We Trust; if you've been reading here even for a little bit, you're used to plenty of words as-is.

Question #1. The New Jersey Devils basically shocked the Lightning with a last-second equalizer earlier this month and went on to win in the shootout. Do you think that game will motivate or effect how Tampa Bay plans to play the Devils this afternoon? Or will they be energized in general for their recent beatdown on Ottawa?

CM: The Lightning have reacted well so far to teams that have beaten them in games that they’ve felt they should have won. In the previous game against Ottawa last Thursday, for instance, they made sure to shut down the Senators scorers – and were successful at it. However, since they were so successful against Ottawa, that might lull them into a false sense of complacency. Because this team is still trying to find its way to winning on a consistent basis, they can be unpredictable as to how they might react.

Question #2. The Lightning have been good at generating shots on net with an average of 30.4 shots per game, the 12th best in the league. However, they are conceding an average of 31.4 shots against per game, the 24th best in the league. Why are the Lightning giving up so many shots so far this season?

CM: In recent games, the Lightning haven’t been shooting as much as they had been the first few games of the season. It may be because they’ve been focusing on other things in practice, or perhaps it’s because they’re slipping back into the bad habits of last season. Then again, it might have something to do with the constant juggling of players between lines. But at this point, it’s hard to say exactly why they’ve been shooting less.

Having said that, a reason why they’ve been allowing so many shots is because the defense has a tendency to want to help out offensively. They’re just not staying back to cover the defensive zone as much as they should. This has led them to be greatly out of position at times, which allows other teams to get into their zone and get off shots.

Question #3. Let's talk goalies. Tampa Bay's #1, Mike Smith, has had some fantastic moments followed by some real poor moments across this young season. Is consistency an issue that Smith himself has to correct or is it more of a byproduct of his relative inexperience, which will become less of an issue over time?

CM: It’s probably a combination of both inexperience and how he plays, but mostly, it’s probably just the mental aspect of his game.

Last season, when he knew he couldn’t depend upon the defense to help him, he was a wall. He had an outrageous 2.62 GAA and a 0.916 SV% on a team that finished 24-48-10, used 22 players on their blue line, and ended up 29^th overall in the league last season . He had no defensive support from anybody; he knew that he had to do it all himself, so he did.

Now that he has a good defensive group in front of him, he has a tendency to think the defensemen will get more pucks and players then they really do. So he sits back more instead of challenging shooters like he did last season because he doesn’t think he has to. And, obviously, he’s gotten burned by doing that. So once he gets used to playing with the defense, instead of being separate from the defense, he should do alright.

Question #4. Most Devils fans are concerned with Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis when they see Tampa Bay on the schedule. And I'm sure a few are becoming just as aware of Steve Stamkos, having seen Stamkos perform well against New Jersey. Are there any "unsung" players on the Lightning that the Devils should be especially concerned with in today's game?

CM: The Lightning’s fourth line has been their best and most consistent line so far this season. You wouldn’t expect that, since it’s Todd Fedoruk, Zenon Konopka, and Steve Downie (yes, THAT Steve Downie), but they’ve really clicked. They play a tough, offensive, smart, and very disciplined game. They’ll definitely make fools out of teams that try to goad them into something they shouldn’t instead of taking them seriously. Konopka leads the league in faceoff win percentage, actually.

Question #5. Lastly, how about a prediction for today's game?

CM: The Devils are missing LW Jay Pandolfo (shoulder), LW Patrik Elias (groin), and possibly D Johnny Oduya (lower body) as well. Not only that, Rob Niedermayer is goalless in seven games, and Brian Rolston is goalless in six games. Martin Brodeur can only take the team so far with his goaltending.

The Lightning, on the other hand, have Steven Stamkos (9 goals), Ryan Malone (8 goals), Martin St. Louis (14 points during a 10-game streak – longest point streak in the NHL this season), and Mike Smith who’s finally looking very comfortable in net. The only player missing from Tampa Bay’s lineup right now is defenseman Paul Ranger, and that’s due to personal reasons and not injury.

I’d have to give this game to the Lightning. Unless they’re mentally unprepared to play – yet again. But I’m going to be optimistic and say Tampa Bay 3, New Jersey 1.

Of course, I must disagree with her prediction. But the general sentiment should be clearly understood: Tampa Bay is definitely not a doormat team. They haven't even lost in regulation at home this season. Which is why I feel it's imperative that the Devils make the first move, set the tempo, and make this afternoon theirs to win. If the Devils can catch the Tampa Bay defense on their heels and capitalize, then that will go a long way to achieving victory along with playing some solid defense.

It won't be easy without Martin and Oduya, but it never really is easy in the NHL. The Devils got the job done in Boston, here's hoping that the Devils can do it again. For the Lightning side, Raw Charge is the place you should visit. Steve will have the GameThread up later; I'll join in for most of the game - recap will be a little later that evening, but not too much. Thanks for reading, leave your thoughts about tonight's game in the comments, and Go Devils!