SB Nation - Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond

The New Jersey Devils Finally Have a Fourth Line - For Now

John Fischer — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:53:58 -0000

One of the few consistent parts of the New Jersey Devils for the past two weeks has been the fourth line of Rod Pelley, Dean McAmmond, and Ilkka Pikkarainen.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	ATOI	SOG	PCT
2009 - Rod Pelley	29	0	3	3	-6	16	7:45	31	0.0
2009 - Dean McAmmond	13	1	2	3	4	0	14:06	16	6.3
2009 - Ilkka Pikkarainen	22	1	2	3	-4	8	8:43	17	5.9

Recently, this threesome plays about 10 minutes a game and they're not all that productive (though Pikkarainen scored what will most likely be one of the weirdest goals of 2009-10 last night). They aren't a defensive group, told to shut down forwards.

Yet, that's not their role. They bring energy on the ice, throw a few hits, and manage to have a few good shifts. For a fourth line comprised of players making a combined salary of $1.55 million (per CapGeek), I don't think that's too bad. After about a month and a half of tinkering on the fourth line, Lemaire appears to be happy with this group. The big news out of practice today according to Gulitti was that Lemaire split up Zach Parise and Travis Zajac and jumbled all of the forwards with one exception. That's right, the fourth line. Out of all of what Lemaire changed and could change, he's kept the fourth line intact. To me, that's a sign that Lemaire is pleased with the group. It's entirely possible they'll be kept together for tomorrow's game.

As it currently stands, I see no reason for this line to be changed by giving Andrew Peters or Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond a game. That's unfortunate for Leblond (7 GP, 5:14 ATOI), who hasn't really got a legit chance like Andrew Peters to make his case to play regularly. It's, well, not totally undeserved as Peters (17 GP, 5:43 ATOI) hasn't made any physical impact despite his size and reputation as an enforcer despite limited minutes. So it's this group that's getting it done and so it should remain for now.

Even if they don't contribute much to the scoreboard, a decent fourth line is invaluable. Outside of it being generally used for more physical players or supplemental lines, it gives the other forwards time to rest up. Not unlike how the third pairing defensemen take some of the pressure off of the other four. A fourth line playing perfectly acceptable, decent hockey like the current group for the Devils means Lemaire doesn't have to shorten his bench during the game and it gives the top forwards extra time to catch their breath. Over the course of a game, it can have a real effect on a team's performance. Tired players tend to not do so well, after all.

However, as the Devils become healthier and with players like Vladimir Zharkov making a convincing case to stay up in New Jersey, will this unit last? I don't see how it will. When Dainius Zubrus and David Clarkson, some players will have to be sent down to Lowell to make roster space. Then what happens with the fourth line? Does Pelley and Pikkarainen, two players who have notably improved in recent weeks on the ice, start becoming press box fixtures? Where do you fit in someone like Dean McAmmond? Do the Devils risk players through waivers to keep someone quick like Zharkov up, but in a lesser role? That I can think of this many questions speaks well of the Devils' depth; a good problem for Lemaire and the Devils to have, I suppose.

Most importantly, what do the Devils even want out of the fourth line? With this group, you get an energy line and so far so good. Clarkson and Zubrus aren't coming back anytime soon, so this is a long-term question. But when they do come back, the Devils could have options to tinker further. They could go big and physical with Zubrus and Clarkson combined with Pelley or Pikkarainen. They could go for a more defensive direction by sliding, say, Jay Pandolfo down and have him play with McAmmond. They could go in other directions. For now, let's appreciate the fact that the Devils are apparently satisfied with one part of their lineup. Hopefully, they'll settle on the other three lines anytime soon.

Are you pleased with the fourth line? If not, what would you want to see from the fourth line? What changes would you make if you were in Lemaire's shoes? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Game 31 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs. Philadelphia Flyers - 12/12/2009

John Fischer — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:49:21 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

The Devils need to make the Flyers look unhappy and also celebrate. The best way to do that is to score goals and to do that, the team must be at least decent in their passing. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Browse more photos »

The Time: 7 PM EST

The Broadcasting Info: TV: MSG+2 (yep, commence complaining...elsewhere); Radio: 660 AM WFAN

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (21-8-1) vs. the Philadelphia Flyers (14-14-1)

The Last Devils Game: It was not a good game for the Devils. The Devils didn't give a 60 minute effort, but their opponents, the Florida Panthers, did and scored some fantastic goals. The winning streak was snapped at 4 with a 4-2 loss and I wasn't happy with the performance. But it could have been worse...

The Last Flyers Game: ...it could have been something like what Philly had against Ottawa on Thursday. The Senators held off Philadelphia and shut them out in spite of being on the road and being outworked, per this recap from Broad Street Hockey. The Flyers couldn't solve Brian Elliott and Travis Hughes - along with many other Flyers fans - is unhappy with how the team has performed.

The Last Devils-Flyers Game: In Philadelphia, the scoreboard was closer than the game that was on the ice. The Flyers outplayed the Devils and if it weren't for Martin Brodeur, the score would have been a rout in favor of the Flyers. The 3-2 loss by New Jersey snapped their road winning streak at 9 and then overall winning streak at 8. I recapped the game here; for the Flyers' side, Travis Hughes recapped the win over at Broad Street Hockey.

The Goal: Passing, passing, passing, PASSING. I want to see passes that hit their targets, that aren't straight giveaways to the other team, aren't leading their target into multiple opponents, and aren't easily read by defenders. You can easily tell when it's going to be a long night for the Devils and it's when they struggle moving the puck up ice in making those passes. It's not that the team doesn't have good ideas, an observer can see that if the passes got to where they needed to be, then the Devils' offense would be raking in the goals. And that's the problem - the execution isn't there and the team struggles to adjust. This was a problem yesterday and this was a problem in the last Devils-Flyers game. The Devils fans just have one simple request: a win over the hated Philadelphia Flyers. They're not going to do it unless their passing improves tonight.

Read on at Broad Street Hockey for the Flyers' point of view on tonight's game as well as a current state of their affairs. Continue after the jump for my further thoughts.

Now, the last two opponents were teams that were struggling in the NHL - the last-place Carolina Hurricanes and a Florida Panthers team mired in a haze. As proof to the theory that there are no doormats in the NHL, both of these teams were quite competitive against the Devils. In comes the Philadelphia Flyers, who now have a new coach but that has generated little momentum as the team remains in the bottom of the Atlantic Division (they are only ahead of the Islanders since they have played fewer games) and 2-8-0 in their last 10. The frustration continues for the Flyers faithful as Travis Hughes of Broad Street Hockey wrote this after their 2-0 loss to Ottawa:

Six games, three shutouts. Watch America's Most Wanted this weekend and maybe we can find out who kidnapped the Philadelphia Flyers offense. With the exception of one game against the New York Islanders, Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Scott Hartnell, Claude Giroux, James van Riemsdyk, and Danny Briere have been invisible over the last month.

I don't know what to think and I don't have answers, but this team just can't score. They have absolutely zero confidence. Maybe a trade is necessary to shake up the offense. Maybe they just need Simon Gagne, Blair Betts, and Darroll Powe back in the lineup. Maybe we overrated them and they're just bad. I simply don't know. With the amount of games coming up in the next few weeks -- really, up until the Olympic break -- they can't afford to continually give up points like this. It's frustrating, not to mention depressing.

Today, Travis put up this commentary emphasizing how important the next set of games are for the Flyers.

Now, it's up to them to respond and show they have something to prove. They have to take this personally. Richards has to lead the charge, emotionally and on the ice. He can set the tone for this team early on, and he'll have to against the Devils for the team to have any success. It's not that Richards has to score a goal in the first ten minutes. But when he's at his best, he's zipping around the ice, doing anything possible to make a high-percentage play. He has to set that tone, but his linemates and the other goal scorers on the team have to follow. That means Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, James van Riemsdyk, and most of all, Jeff Carter, have to match his intensity.

This should be a concerning point. All of the previous Flyers named are very talented. This is a team that should be scoring tons of goals, but aren't. The Devils absolutely cannot just rely on their continued failure. This is a rivalry and the Flyers were very amped in both games between the two teams - two losses for the Devils. If anything, I'd forget about the recent struggles down in Philadelphia and expect the Flyers to come out, well, flying. Maybe I'm overreacting a bit; but given that the recent performances, especially the games against Carolina and Florida, nobody should be underestimated even if their recent form is terrible.

As far as the Devils are concerned, well, I hope I made my point about the passing. So let's focus on guessing a lineup. The Devils didn't practice this morning, so Gulitti and Chere will have the facts later this afternoon. It sounds weird, but Martin Brodeur hasn't exactly got a lot of work as of late. He's faced a total of 122 shots, or an average of 24.4 per game, in the last five games. The Detroit game was the only one where he faced more than 25 shots, much less 30 (he faced 31). Given that and the fact that Our Second Most Hated Rivals Who Have a History of Looking Good but Falling Apart in Hilarious Fashion (OSMHRWHHLGFAHF) is coming to the Rock tonight, I would think Brodeur would be starting.

With respect to goonery because OSMHRWHHLGFAHF has a history of making it look "mean," I wonder if Andrew Peters or Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond would be inserted into the lineup. If it were up to me, I wouldn't bother as the fourth line has played well together recently and no one else in the lineup needs to be benched - just play more consistently better (I swear this is a phrase), that's all. So I would guess the same lineup that was seen last night, except ZZ Pops starts the game again:

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

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

Martin Brodeur
Yann Danis

As usual, check up with Gulitti and Chere will have the updated info later today. I'll take care of the GameThread, though my commenting will be a bit sparse so I try not to enter comments as action is on the ice. Do join in commenting all the same. Until then, please leave your thoughts and comments here. Go Devils!

New Jersey Devils Morning News, Dec 11

TibbsBeastoftheEast — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:28:10 -0000

Up next: Panthers at Devils - (The Bergen Record)
Devils set team mark thanks largely to their youth movement - (The Bergen Record)

Lemaire: Devils’ kids are all right - (Fire & Ice)
Bergfors not eligible to play for Sweden in Olympics afterall - (Fire & Ice)
Leblond on ice for today’s optional practice - (Fire & Ice)
Jacques Lemaire has been the coach for two best starts in NJ Devils history - (The Star Ledger)
Rod Pelley feels move to left wing for NJ Devils may have been a blessing - (The Star Ledger)
Jacques Lemaire: Impossible for NJ Devils to have had a better start - (The Star Ledger)
Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond among nine NJ Devils to skate on off-day - (The Star Ledger)
Devils growing with youngsters - (The New York Post)
Cangy: Greene Quiets All Critics - (Msgnetwork)
1995 Championship Night (Gallery) - (NewJerseyDevils.com)
Brodeur goes for shutout record on Friday - (NHL.com)
A blank look - (NHL.com)
Brodeur tells Bettman he wants to roam again - (NHL.com)
Clemmensen Starts In New Jersey - (NHL.com)
Langenbrunner awaits news of Olympic spot - (Duluth News Tribune)
NHL Standings - (Yahoo NHL)
Devils' players stats - (Yahoo NHL)
Devils Team Report - (Yahoo NHL)
Niclas Bergfors: New Jersey Devils ' rookie is turning heads - (Examiner.com)
The Count: Devils Defense Deserves Assist for Brodeur's Shutout Record - (Wall Street Journal)
Panthers-Devils Preview - (CBSSports.com)
Brodeur: Russians Owe Me Something - (Sport-Express Daily)
Brodeur deserves to be No. 1: Bower - (Recorder & Times)
Jim Kelley: Hailing Brodeur; plus the Ovechkin backlash - (CNN)
Flyers face adversity, Devils at same time - (Cherry Hill Courier Post)
"Spooking Cindy: Part III" By Margee - (Interchangeable Parts)
Rumor Roundup: Swamp swaps - (The Hockey News)
Brodeur earned his place in history - (Slam)

AROUND THE NHL
Emrick, Olczyk set for NHL Live! on Friday - (NHL.com)
Hawks No. 1, Rangers woes continue - (The New York Daily News)
The 5 best and 5 worst draft picks of the last decade - (Yahoo NHL); Where is Parise?

MISCELLANEOUS
12/10/09: Slava Fetisov, 51, to Dress for CSKA Moscow - (The New York Times)
Screen Shots: A Thursday with Shanny - (The Hockey News)

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!

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 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.

Two More to the IR: Dainius Zubrus Out 4-6 Weeks with Leg Injury, Ilkka Pikkarainen Sick

John Fischer — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:59:40 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

According to Tom Gulitti, Dainius Zubrus is out 4-6 weeks with an injury to his right leg. Above, Zubrus scored the game winning goal in Boston back on October 29. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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Tom Gulitti is in Dallas and he had more injuries to report: Dainius Zubrus is out for 4-6 weeks with an injury to his right leg and Ilkka Pikkarainen has been retroactively placed on IR due to being ill. This is confirmed by the Devils' official site.

Not to cause speculation, but given that Dainius Zubrus went down (and out shortly thereafter) yesterday's game after blocking a slap shot to his right leg and the length of time he'll be out, I wonder if it's a fracture? Per Gulitti's report, the shot cracked his shin guard so it wouldn't surprise me at all. Regardless of the true nature of Zubrus' injury and how ill Pikkarainen has been, here's the current injury list for the team:

New Jersey Devils Injuries

Out (IR / Out / Suspended / Physically unvailable)

Player	Injury Type	Injury Date
Dainius Zubrus	leg	11/20/2009
Ilkka Pikkarainen	other-illness	11/20/2009
Rob Niedermayer	"upper body injury"	11/05/2009
Paul Martin	arm	10/26/2009
Jay Pandolfo	shoulder	10/26/2009
Johnny Oduya	groin	10/30/2009

In other words, the Devils' top two defensemen; their best checking center; their best checking left winger; their #2 center; and a fourth line winger are all now on the injured list - and with no clear idea of when they'll return.

So far, the Devils have done well in spite of the injuries to Martin, Oduya, Niedermayer, and Pandolfo. Plus, they got some relief to the injuries recently to help with the depth. Patrik Elias returning has been big in terms of strengthening the top half of the lineup. On defense, Andy Greene, Mike Mottau, Colin White, and Bryce Salvador stepping up with heavy minutes in Martin's and Oduya's absence. While the adjustments have been constant, the rotation of Niclas Bergfors, David Clarkson, Matt Halischuk, Brian Rolston and Jamie Langenbrunner across multiple lines has helped for the second and third lines.

Yet with Zubrus and Niedermayer out, I'm now real worried about the center position (especially on faceoffs) for New Jersey. I have no problem with Travis Zajac, but beyond him it's not at all pretty. Tim Sestito has looked decent enough in centering the third line so far; but can he be relied on for the next month and a half to improve further? The signing of Dean McAmmond now looks especially smart, and he even got a point in his first game as a Devil. Though that was one game, how will he fit in going forward? Will he center the third line or even the second? Rod Pelley has remained on the fourth line and will likely stay there.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, will Lemaire now look to Patrik Elias to center the second line if he's not confident in Dean McAmmond? The Devils have the wingers for the second line, but not the center with Zubrus out. Even though I argued against the idea multiple times in the past, he may be the only option. In fact, he is the only option if Lemaire doesn't go with McAmmond.

No offense intended to Pikkarainen, but Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond has been activated off IR per Gulitti's report and according to the Devils' site. He can take his spot on the fourth line - whenever he even gets a game.

I hope Pikkarainen feels better and I especially hope for a proper and full recovery for Zubrus' leg. As with the other injured Devils, I hope they return at full health and that no more Devils have to join them on the IR.

Paul Martin's and Jay Pandolfo's Importance to the Devils & Who Can Fill In for Them?

John Fischer — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:23:52 -0000

More photos » by John Dunn - AP

Paul Martin will be out for 4-6 weeks and so can't make defensive plays like the one he's making here. Also, Matt Halischuk (far left) should be prepared to take more minutes soon in light of Jay Pandolfo's injury. (AP Photo/John Dunn)

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The big news today is a double-whammy for the New Jersey Devils. As Gulitti and Chere reported earlier today, Jay Pandolfo and Paul Martin are both out for 4-6 weeks with injuries. Already, a roster move has been made; Cory Murphy was called up on an emergency basis from Lowell. Steve had a good summary of all the news as it broke earlier.

The good news is that this is in weeks and not months. The bad news is that both players are significant players on this current team, especially Martin. As it is, the season waits for no one and so let's consider the possibilities for who will be filling in for both players. Steve, in his summary, pointed at Johnny Oduya getting more work on defense while David Clarkson or Matt Halischuk could replace Pandolfo on the blueline. ILWT user Space Weed had a FanPost up even before today's announcement of these injuries discussing who could be called upon to step up in their absence.

I agree with both to a point, but I'd like to highlight how much of a tall order it'll be to replace Paul Martin's and Jay Pandolfo's minutes - even if it is only for 12-15 games. I'd also like to offer my thoughts on what the Devils could do to replace their workload while they are healing (and, of course, we all hope they fully recover).

Paul Martin

Let's start with Paul Martin. I could hit you with all kinds of stats from Behind the Net that emphasizes his importance on defense. But instead, I just want to focus on how much Martin has done in this short season in comparison to all the other Devils defenders. After all, you can't replace Martin's skills; but you have to replace how much time he gets per game.

Player	GP	Shifts/Game	Avg. Time on Ice
Paul Martin	9	30.6	23:57
Johnny Oduya	9	28.3	22:00
Colin White	9	29.0	18:49
Mike Mottau	8	28.0	18:19
Andy Greene	6	23.3	17:54
Cory Murphy	3	22.7	17:07
Bryce Salvador	9	23.6	16:33
Mark Fraser	1	16.0	10:31

Yeah. Martin isn't going to be easy to replace just based on workload alone. From a follow-up story by Gulitti, Devils head coach Jacques Lemaire stated the pure truth about replacing Martin:

"It will be spread [around], but I don’t think one player will be capable of taking all of his minutes," he said.

He's right. Johnny Oduya is a logical player to focus on in replace Martin to some point. He has played as much as Martin as his partner in the past, he can move the puck on breakouts, and he can step in his spot on a power play where Martin wasn't exactly contributing. Plus, he just signed a sweet deal under the impression that he's quite good. And until recently, he wasn't playing all that well. I think he's starting to turn it around; yet, there will be even more pressure on him to play better in Martin's absence. Understandable, and I'm hopeful he'll be up to the task. But it's foolish to place it all on Oduya. Oduya's not going to replace an average of 30.6 shifts per game just by taking a few more shifts. Oduya's not the only other defender who needs to do well.

That said, I want to stress that the key to replacing Paul Martin's workload for the next 4-6 weeks will have to come from players like Greene, Murphy, Salvador, and Fraser, who haven't played a lot of minutes on average this season.

Among those four, I'm looking at Salvador as he's the only player who has played all 9 games. In the last two games, he was Paul Martin's partner and played 22:32 against the Rangers and 25:52 against the Penguins. While Martin stood out, Salvador held his own for big minutes against top teams. I fully expect him to be given similar minutes to start in this Martin-less period of this season. If he does well, then at least the Devils could have a fill-in top pairing of Salvador-Oduya.

I'm also hoping Salvador steps up because who else among these three will? OK, Andy Greene has done well so far, but Salvador at least has been in the top 4 on defense in the past. Greene hasn't; the most he's played this season is 21:08 on 29 shifts. He may be getting more 19-20 minute games as a result. Cory Murphy may have played about a shift less than Greene; but he did play him self out of a spot. He's got a chance at redemption now, but can we realistically expect him to do well over 18-20 minutes right away? No. As for Mark Fraser, he had a very good game on Saturday, but his minutes was very limited against Pittsburgh. Understandable, as it was his first NHL game in over 2 years and it was against Pittsburgh. Yet, it isn't fair to assume he would do just as well with 15-17 minutes. He needs to be eased into more time, in my opinion.

Of course, those three players will undoubtedly be given more time; but I feel Salvador is really the one who has step up among that group.

So, from what I'm looking at here, replacing Paul Martin's workload doesn't necessarily mean the emphasis should be on Johnny Oduya to eat up his minutes. Oduya, White, and Mottau will see more minutes; but Salvador will likely see the biggest increase in responsibilities.

Jay Pandolfo

Now, Jay Pandolfo's situation isn't as big in terms of workload. Pandolfo has averaged 14:53 per game and 23.1 shifts per game this season. Not exactly a big chunk of time to replace. His shifts per game are what they are thanks to being a regular on the penalty kill.

Since the Devils have rotated Matt Halischuk, Andrew Peters, Ilkka Pikkarainen, and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond in and out of the lineup, the Devils already had two spare forwards. Moreover, Lemaire has been shifting his lines from game to game - and within games, recently - so a number of players have been on the third line already.

Among the rotated players, the opportunity is here for Matt Halischuk if only by the process of elimination. Peters and Leblond are fourth liners and Pikkarainen hasn't proven himself yet to be deserve consistent minutes much less anywhere else from the fourth line. Besides, Halischuk has been projected to be a two-way forward by Hockey's Future. What better time to see how he would fit that projection than in replacing the Devils' long-time checking winger?

Of course, he may not even play on the third line in Pandolfo's absence. When Halischuk is in the lineup, Lemaire sometimes moves him up to the second line with Nicklas Bergfors and either Travis Zajac or Dainius Zubrus. In those cases, David Clarkson goes down to the fourth line. Lemaire could simply do the same thing, except he can slot Clarkson on the third line. In my opinion, this makes sense as Clarkson has played on the third line before; and he has averaged 14:46 per game this season and 20.6 shifts per game. Clarkson would have no trouble replacing Pandolfo's minutes on the third line and he would be familiar with the role of that line.

The only concern is that in both scenarios, Halischuk will have to play much more than the 10:59 average ice time and 16.9 shifts per game he has this season. Can he handle a larger role right now? Maybe. In 5 games this season, he has played, at most, 13:57 and he's topped 13 minutes twice. His average is heavily skewed by the mere 5:30 he got against the Rangers last Thursday. But unless Lemaire wants to try Pikkarainen on a line above the fourth or the Devils call someone else up (who?), Halischuk will get more ice time one way or another. At least, until Patrik Elias returns.

As far as the penalty kill is concerned, this is where Pandolfo will be missed the most. He averaged 2:34 of shorthanded time per game and he has faced the highest quality of competition when he's out there per Behind the Net. Fortunately, it's not as if he dominated the penalty kill. Jamie Langenbrunner and Zajac both have played an average of 2:17 and 2:07 per game, respectively, on the kill. I feel either one of them could take some more time. The question is then really who should be the fourth penalty killing forward? This was a question I brought up earlier this month and I felt that Dainius Zubrus or Brian Rolston could do the job. Based on this report by Gulitti, Jacques Lemaire has worked both into the penalty kill recently and I'm sure either one of them will be given a shot at more time on the PK.

Lastly, when Patrik Elias returns, the Pandolfo situation becomes a lot easier to handle as Elias returns to form. Elias has killed penalties, played plenty of minutes in general, and can play left wing. But that's not reasonably likely to happen, say, this week.

Overall

Hopefully after all this, it's a bit clearer as to what Martin and Pandolfo have done on the team so far this season and to what will it take for the Devils to replace their workload. Per this post by Gulitti, the team has the right attitude about the situation. Would they love to have Martin and/or Pandolfo back? Sure. But it's no excuse for the team's performance. They are right to keep thinking that the team has been successful in spite of past major injuries (e.g. November 2008 - February 2009) and to think that they can still win on most nights.

In my opinion, both injuries - especially Martin's - make the upcoming 12-15 games harder, even when Elias does return. The opposition will likely look to pick apart the defense whenever possible. Lemaire may have to tell his defenders to be more conservative in general, as to not make mistakes or be forced to make plays that Martin would otherwise take. At forward, the Devils essentially has one true defensive forward in Rob Niedermayer now, and so what that third line can and cannot do will temporarily change. These changes aren't insignificant, much less the changes the Devils will have to make to replace Martin's and Pandolfo's workload.

(Admittedly, I didn't consider a possible trade because the injuries are for 4-6 weeks and I'm not sure it would be wise for the Devils to move a good asset for temporary relief.)

Please leave your comments and thoughts about the injuries, how this will affect New Jersey, and what you would suggest that the Devils do in the meantime.

Much Ado about the New Jersey Devils' Fourth Line

John Fischer — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:41:08 -0000

With the New Jersey Devils sweeping their recent road trip, the team got back to practice and that meant plenty of news from Gulitti and Chere. The biggest news with respect to the team is that Patrik Elias has stepped up his practices, and according to Gulitti, Lemaire has stated - again - that he intends to slot him at center. It's great he's progressing in his recovery, but I'm personally not sold on Elias as a center. Feel free to give your two cents as to what you think the Devils' forward lines should be when Elias returns in this FanPost by Fearloathing13.

What shouldn't be big news is that Lemaire has seemingly shifted the lines again in practice. Gulitti and Chere both have those lineups - and only use a pencil to write them down, it could change tomorrow, in between Friday's and Saturday's game, and most definitely after both. Lemaire has been tinkering with the lines in some way or form every game so far in this young season. Namely, the wingers have been shifted between games numerous times already after 5 games. David Clarkson has been moved all over the place, save for the top line, thanks to his "unpredictability" according to Lemaire, via Chere. Also according to that same post from Chere, Lemaire has said that Brian Rolston's position is "everywhere" and so has been shifted between the second and third lines.

During games, Lemaire has moved Rolston up to the third line and the first line on separate occasions, switched defensive pairings (e.g. Andy Greene getting shifts with Paul Martin against Tampa Bay), and made other moves to try and get a more advantageous matchup. In addition to this, Lemaire has also revealed to both Gulitti and Chere that he wants forwards to play at about 18 minutes, yet he has (and had to, given the close nature of some of these games) given the ZZ Pops line an average of 20-22 minutes a night.

What is a bit concerning is what Lemaire plans to do with the fourth line. We can say positive things about the top three lines. They have each contributed positively so far this season. Yet, based on these past 5 games, the fourth line is seemingly a good bet to not produce any real benefit on the ice. Not to mention not really seeing the third period at all. Were I to name a set of 5 disappointing Devils so far this season, I'd cheat and place 4 fourth liners on that list. If Lemaire wants to give Parise, Zajac, and Langenbrunner fewer minutes and improve the team's performance overall, then the fourth line issues must be addressed. Let me break down the situation on the fourth line. If only to highlight why it's not that simple of an issue.

The Constant: So far the Devils have had 4 separate versions of the fourth line, and the constant has been the center Rod Pelley. Lemaire has been tinkering with his lines but not with how his centers line up. If his plan is to use Elias as a center, then Pelley should hope that someone's getting moved to a wing. A likely possibility, as Dainius Zubrus and Rob Niedermayer both have significant experience as wingers.

Pelley needs to hope for this as he hasn't been impressive in any of the four games. Yes, he's been limited to an average of 7:07 and that isn't solely his fault. Yet, Pelley has only 4 shots on net in 5 games, won only 8 of 21 faceoffs (38.1%), and hasn't contributed much of anything outside of hits (he officially has 7). These are not the numbers of a player who wants to cement a spot on the team, in my opinion. I feel like this is a "chicken and egg" situation, Pelley may not be doing more because he doesn't have the chance - yet he hasn't earned the right to get that chance because he hasn't done much. Likewise, are his performances hurt by his linemates not stepping up, or would his linemates do better if Pelley's own game was raised.

Either way, he and the coaching staff needs to figure it out and soon. So far, Pelley's spot is secure because the Devils only have four centers on the roster right now. If Elias returns and sticks as center, then Pelley could risk seeing some games from the press box (or wherever scratches watch the game at The Rock) if he continues to just be "there" as the fourth line center.

The Contracts: What really ties New Jersey's hands on the fourth line are the contracts. On surface, Ilkka Pikkarainen, Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, and Andrew Peters would be generally considered to be fourth line caliber players. Is there really a need to keep all three up, along with Rod Pelley and Matt Halischuk? Based on skill set and talent, I don't think so. But the contracts are the reason why they're up in New Jersey.

Unfortunately, the Devils are stuck with them if they don't want to risk them to the waiver wire. According to Cap Geek, all five of those players except for Halischuk are signed to one-way deals, meaning that any one of these players would be subject to waivers. When Elias comes back, a roster space will have to be opened for him - and Halischuk is the only one who can go down to Lowell without some other team swooping him up from the waiver wire.

Thankfully, none of these players are signed for a lot of money; Pikkarainen and Peters are making the league minimum with Leblond and Pelley making just above that mark. So this isn't a cap issue, it's a roster issue. It's why the answer can't be: "call someone up."

While you can argue that their performances so far wouldn't entice any team to pick them up, the Devils don't want to expose anyone to waivers if at all possible. Remember the return of Martin Brodeur last season for a moment. The Devils sent Scott Clemmensen down because he couldn't be subject to waivers as he was an "emergency call up" to replace Brodeur. By performance alone, it should have been Weekes; but due to the rules regarding NHL call ups, the Devils were able to avoid losing Clemmensen for nothing. Therefore, I don't see Lou allowing a player to go without any compensation. All four of Pelley, Pikkarainen, Peters, and Leblond are going to stay up with New Jersey namely due to their contracts in the foreseeable future.

The Skills: Halischuk has potential as a two-way forward and Lemaire even gave him shifts as a second line winger against Florida. Pelley has been forecasted as a checking center. And those are the only variations from the other three fourth-line players. Peters' calling card in this league is as an enforcer. Leblond is young and smaller enforcer who skates decently enough. Pikkarainen is a gritty winger with a "bad side." Even with Halischuk and Pelley on the line, the third player should be bringing some toughness, some meanness, some physical play to the table.

Yet, where is this energy and physical play? I can't say with a straight face that this is an energy/physical line like last year's permutations of the fourth line. Officially at NHL.com, Pelley and Peters both have 7 and 6 hits respectively. They aren't leading the team in that questionable stat, but it's up there. However, have they been pounding opponents on a regular basis? No. While I don't care for fighting, I have to point out that neither Peters or Leblond have fought at all yet. This is very curious as that's what helped got them contracts in the NHL; instead, they both have taken minor penalties (2 each). And between all 5 players, there is a total of 10 shots on net - 3 from Halischuk, 4 from Pelley, and 2 from Peters. Nothing from Leblond (OK, he played all of one game for 5:42, but was he even a factor?) or Pikkarainen (No shots, 4 PIM and for restraining fouls? Come on.).

Have I had it all wrong? Maybe I am mistaken in expecting Peters, Pikkarainen, and Leblond to get out there on the fourth line and hit somebody and mix up the tempo of the game? If so, then what can they do?

A Last Thought: If/When Halischuk is sent down, this fourth line on paper needs to be bringing it. Yet, no one has really made a strong case to stay on that fourth line. Pelley is there by necessity as a center. Leblond has got one game and needs more minutes. Pikkarainen missed most of preseason, but he's struggled to fit in. Peters was signed during training camp, yet he's looked slow, he hasn't been a big body presence on the ice, and Rob Niedermayer has looked to be better shape than him despite being signed even later than the "enforcer."

Can we really expect a solid 7-10 minutes a night from a unit consisting of these players? Right now, I don't think so and apparently Lemaire's choices in the third period seem to agree with that.

I'm hoping some of these guys turn around their slow starts and actually make a statement on the ice. I don't think it's an issue of whether they can handle the spot. They have just been unimpressive at best and so Lemaire is changing the combination almost between each game so far. Even as to go as far and having David Clarkson play on that line to get something going. I think the opportunity to be a regular on this team is there, albeit in a fourth line role - even after Elias returns. But the effort has to be better from all who have played on that line (except Clarkson, his spot on the team is safe as milk).

What should Lemaire do to get this fourth line to be more effective in some way or form? Will further tinkering help (e.g. trying Peters and Leblond in a game?) What kind of fourth line do you even want the Devils to have? Does a move have to be made to improve the fourth line? Leave all your fourth line related thoughts and suggestions in the comments.

New Jersey Devils Out-Shoot and Out-Score Florida Panthers to Win 3-2

John Fischer — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 02:15:14 -0000

More photos » by Alan Diaz - AP

The Devils celebrate a goal, one of the three they scored off of 41 shots on net tonight. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

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The New Jersey Devils have won their first regular season game in regulation by defeating the Florida Panthers 3-2. While the score was close, for many stretches within the game, the Devils were clearly the better team on the ice. The biggest piece of evidence for this would be the Devils leading the Panthers in shots on goal 41-21. That is not a typo, the Devils' offense kept finding spaces and holes to shoot, shoot, and shoot some more all game long.

In my preview for this game, I wanted the New Jersey Devils defense to play much better on defense and they did just that. Paul Martin in particular was great tonight. He looked calm despite Florida forecheckers surrounding the puck, his positioning was solid, and he made the right decisions with the puck - when to pinch in, when to stay at the point, and so forth. He set up the game's first goal, he gave 22:30 of great hockey, and the only real negative to his performance was being on the ice for Florida's first goal.

I also wanted to see the Devils to not drop in intensity during the game and prevent the Panthers from making the game their own. Again, 41-21 in shots speak to that pretty well. For the Panthers' perspective, check out Litter Box Cats later on. Read on for my further thoughts from what I saw tonight.

Now, I didn't see much of the first period outside of the final 4 minutes - wherein I saw Dainius Zubrus get robbed on a rebound by Tomas Vokoun. When I learned that New Jersey not only outshot Florida 16-4 but prevented the Panthers to take their fifth shot until Florida's first power play in the second period, I was pleasantly surprised. Yet, in retrospect, what I saw is the big story out of this game. The Devils would bomb away at the Panthers, getting shots in all sorts of manners, but Tomas Vokoun was great. After giving up 5 last night against Carolina, he really had an excellent game. Panthers fans should be unhappy with their defense, not with Vokoun tonight.

The Devils goals were all well-placed efforts. Paul Martin, from behind the net, patiently waited until Keith Ballard made a move. That allowed Rob Niedermayer to be wide open in front of the crease, Martin made the pass, and Niedermayer scored easily. The second and third goals came on the power play - power plays all thanks to Michael Frolik, a player Florida fans should be unhappy with tonight. Travis Zajac was fed in the high slot by Andy Greene, Zajac was wide open and let loose a laser of a shot that Vokoun couldn't stop. And then late in the third, David Clarkson tapped in an excellent pass by Zajac in front of the net that, again, Vokoun couldn't stop.

After a disappointing 0-for-3 on the man advantage in the first period, the Devils finished the night 2-for-6 and scored important goals on those power plays. Important as they re-took the lead for New Jersey.

While Florida was out-shot heavily in this game and went through long stretches where their only offense was to fire a puck at a body in front of the net and watch the Devils defense take the puck away from them and move it out. The Panthers caught the Devils in an ill-advised line change in the second period, allowing Dennis Seidenberg to make a long pass to Radek Dvorak, who fed it to a streaking Rostislav Olsez. Brodeur couldn't get in front of it in time, Martin tried to cover Olsez, but the pass was too perfect and the shot was too wide to the right for anyone to get to it. Later in the third period, an ill-advised stick-hold by Travis Zajac led to a fourth power play for Florida. While the Devils have been very successful on the first three penalty kills (and nearly scored on the end of the third), Stephen Weiss went from center-ice-to-end, burned Johnny Oduya, and beat Brodeur with a killer shot to tie it up.

In both cases, bad, preventable decisions led to Florida tying up this game twice. Lemaire could have called for the line change on a longer dump-in or only called for the forwards to go off. Zajac, who otherwise had a great game, didn't need to grab a Panther's stick while on offense. Oduya could have tried to do something to Weiss.

But in the bigger picture, the Devils rose above those mistakes in both cases. It wasn't a failure of a certain component or system of the team; just mistakes that the Devils paid for dearly. After both Florida equalizers, the Devils would get a power play a few minutes later (again, thanks to Frolik) and they would succeed and so they won the game.

Lemaire changed the lines tonight to get some more offense going and, hey, 41 shots on net is good evidence of it not being a bad idea so far. The new second line of Niclas Bergfors (6), Matt Halischuk (3), and Dainius Zubrus (2) contributed 11 shots tonight; and were represented as the forwards on the Devils' second power play unit. They were quiet in my opinion in the third period. But they had a good enough game in my view to warrant another game together. The new third line may have not been as prolific, but they contributed to the game in a significant way. Brian Rolston got two assists, the secondary on Martin's goal, as the third line of Rolston, Jay Pandolfo, and Niedermayer got a goal and 5 shots. The fourth-version of the fourth line featured 5 shots from David Clarkson, and some energetic play from Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond and Rod Pelley. But ZZ Pops stood out the most, leading the offense with a total of 19 shots (Parise - 9 shots, 1 A; Zajac - 5 shots, 1 G, 1 A; Langenbrunner - 5 shots). They were dominant, but they weren't relied on at any point to be the difference makers and that's an important distinction in my view.

I would have liked the Devils to have scored more, early and often, but I fully understand that Vokoun simply wasn't making that happen. There were a few other scoring chances where the execution could have been better. For example, Rolston fed Pandolfo right in front of the crease, had a hole to beat Vokoun, but Pandolfo whiffed on the pass in the dying seconds of the second period. Another example would be on the end of the Devils' third penalty kill, where Jamie Langenbrunner fed Zajac down low, but the pass was behind Zajac a bit and it prevented him from an easy open bottom left corner that Vokoun couldn't reach.

Again, it's a bit difficult to criticize the Devils' offense considering they got the job done eventually and Vokoun really was great tonight. But I think the Devils would be wise to work on their execution on some of these offensive opportunities.

That said, I feel the Devils played better than the score indicated and this should be seen as a big confidence boost. I'd say the road trip has to be seen as a success in advance of the Washington game as the Devils got their first win in a shootout, their first win in regulation, they got both on the road, and they've played better and better with each game so far this season. Let's hope the Devils continue to improve their overall game.