SB Nation - Travis Zajac

Florida Panthers Played 60 Minutes, Defeated a New Jersey Devils Team Who Did Not, 4-2

John Fischer — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:11:51 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

This is what the Devils fans felt like after the Frolik goal too. Have to do better next time, Devils. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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What did I say in my preview for this game?

The Goal: 60 minutes will get you two points.

Ah, I was proven right tonight. The Florida Panthers played for the whole 60 minutes, the New Jersey Devils did not. There's your summary. Here's a link to the NHL.com recap complete with all your stats. For the Florida take, check out Litter Box Cats where the Panthers fans should be grinning from ear to ear for what they saw tonight. Credit the Panthers, they played far better than what their recent form and team stats indicated. The four game winning streak by the Devils is over, thanks for reading, and good night.

...

OK, OK, I'll put in more of a complete effort - something the home team did not do. Read on for my further thoughts.

Let's start with the highlights of the game, there's plenty to point out here from this NHL.com embedded video:

Let's review:

The first goal against came from a pass (of sorts) to the high slot where Jordan Leopold had the time, space, and position to fire a shot home.
The second and third goals against came from deflections - both by gliding Panthers right in front of Martin Brodeur, first by Michel Frolik and then later by Shawn Mattias. Ultimately, 24 minutes was all it took for the Panthers to score enough to win.
The Devils' goals included one well placed hard shot courtesy of Brian Rolston on a 3-on-2 and one unfortunate deflection by Keith Ballard that gave Dean McAmmond his first goal and Peter R of Silver Seven a reason to go "Whooooooo." So that's one shot off the rush and one fluke.
Michel Frolik snuck behind an aggressive Andy Greene (not that you could have faulted him, the Devils were pressing on offense and had the momentum), received a fantastic outlet pass from Nathan Horton, made one move, and finished it off cleanly.

I don't know about you, but I'd say the first three goals against weren't the fault of Martin Brodeur nor do I think they would have been stopped if Yann Danis had been playing. I'm just saying. I'd also say that Florida scored twice on high quality chances (Leopold and Frolik's second goal) and scored the other two off of being at the right place and with the right deflection (Frolik's first and Mattias).

In contrast, the Devils tried to create those chances, but they failed to do so. They had opportunities. They had plenty of odd man rushes. They attempted many passes across ice to get Scott Clemmensen to do what he's awkward at - lateral movement. Thanks to the Florida defenders playing right on the blueline (and doing well at it), Devils attempted shots from the wings - one went in and many went wide. They attempted longer shots through traffic. And for what? Not much. Especially late in the third period, but I'll devote a whole separate paragraph to that mess.

This yielded more shots than the Panthers, but the Devils wasted a lot of these opportunities. Officially, the Devils had 15 blocked shots, 11 misses - I'd say they were blocked by their own players at least 3 or 4 times in the third period alone, but I'm quibbling. My point is that the Devils weren't accurate or efficient with their shooting and as a result, the

But what bothers me - and most of the fans at the Rock, who were quite lively and loud tonight - was that it took a 3 goal deficit before the Devils decided to turn up the intensity. Honestly, the first period wasn't so bad. Despite Florida trying to use a neutral zone trap (don't say otherwise, I saw 5 in the neutral zone on a few breakouts), the Devils got 9 shots on net and had the better run of play. They looked a bit inconsistent on offense, but with some more hustle and just a little more focus, I thought at the time that the Devils could do what they have done many times and equalize with a 1 goal deficit. That I thought that at all meant that the Devils weren't quite all "there," a bit unfocused.

Then they just fell flat on their faces for the first 5 minutes of the second period, which threw the Devils' chances down the proverbial stairs. Seriously, 60 minutes means 60 - there aren't any 5 minute breaks! Bryce Salvador took a justifiable, if a bit soft, hooking call as Rostislav Olesz tried to pounce on a rebound. The Devils PK struggled to do much and Mike Mottau had no issue allowing Michel Frolik to waltz through the slot. Mottau and White both looked on as the Panthers cycled down low and as Mattias went to the net, where he was rewarded with a goal. In general, Mottau and White struggled throughout points in the game; but the Devils in general didn't look like a team that was ready to play. The first period may have felt a little sleepy, but the beginning of the second period looked Florida was just practicing out there. Terrible and the Devils ultimately didn't recover from this.

I don't want to think that the Devils needed a 3 goal deficit to "wake up," but that's what happened. Rolston gave the team a lifeline, the Devils upped their offensive aggression to give Scott Clemmensen some serious work to do, but what shouldn't be ignored was how well Florida was performing. They were calm in their own end in breaking up passes, making passes out of the zone, and getting the puck in deep on offense and put a few on Brodeur. The Panthers ended up outshooting the Devils 13-11 in that period, despite Rolston pulling a lot of momentum back in New Jersey's way with his goal and despite two Devils power plays (which looked OK, but the Devils were shooting better after them, for some reason).

The Panthers then sat back a bit after Frolik's goal. After all, the Devils were down by 2, the defense was pretty solid for Florida, so the Panthers didn't have to be so aggressive on the attack. Here, the defense only made one mistake and that was critical - Andy Greene got caught on the point with Frolik well behind him. Horton's pass to him was perfect and the then 3-2 game quickly became a 4-2 deficit.

The game also became nightmare as the Devils just got worse and worse going forward. If there was a way the Devils could screw up a pass or a shot, they found it in the next 17 minutes or so. Here's an extended sample of what was seen at the Rock: Miscommunications, firing shots directly into a Panther or a Devil, flinging shots wide when the right thing to do was to put it on Clemmensen, passes hitting skates where they should have been on the stick, giveaways on long outlet passes on the breakout, Devil forwards attempting to skate through 2 or 3 Panthers, odd man rushes consistently leading with passes instead of shots so Clemmensen and the Panthers defenders knew how to read them, rebounds and loose pucks caught in between skates, and easy dumps to the corner. Did Florida press hard to attack? No, and they didn't need to with the way the Devils offense was going. The passing and shooting was garbage in the third period, and that's especially bad since both aspects needed improvement for the Devils to truly have a shot at coming back from 2 down.

Who on the Devils looked good? Well, would you believe it would be the fourth line of Rod Pelley, Dean McAmmond, and Ilkka Pikkarainen? Pikkarainen had an assist, 4 shots, and had 2 official hits; Pelley had 2 shots and 3 big official hits and by my estimate 7 actual big hits; and McAmmond got a goal. They were hustling and hitting; they were the most consistent. Brian Rolston somehow managed 6 shots on net and a goal, but somehow only got 14:38 of ice time.

Well, Lemaire wanted the top forwards out there and, well, they didn't have a good night, really. Zach Parise had an excellent scoring chance late in the second, but overall only managed 3 shots in 20:27 (missed 1, blocked twice), while he showed a lot of spirit, it didn't translate to good puck movement. Travis Zajac didn't have a good game - 1 shot, 3 blocked, 2 missed, and 6 for 15 at faceoffs in 19:22 of work. They are both very talented, but they weren't effective tonight. In retrospect, I'd like to think Lemaire would have given more time to Elias and Rolston if only because, hey, they got a goal in the game.

Nevertheless, the Devils simply didn't play a complete game and that was the source of the loss. Their passing was progressively miserable, their shooting was wasteful, and they weren't focused in those first 25 minutes which allowed Florida to dig a big enough hole for the Devils to sit in. The Panthers played a complete game and succeeded to the surprise of no one. Good for them, bad for the team we support.

After a few wins with not-so-great performances (Buffalo excepted), the Devils put out a not-so-great performance and lost. Honestly, I'd rather have the win; but such as it is. While we can dwell on it, the Devils can't as they have Philadelphia coming tomorrow. Thanks for reading and leave your comments and complaints about tonight's game in the comments.

Game Preview: Washington Capitals @ Buffalo Sabres

Rafal Ladysz — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:29:06 -0000

More photos » by Don Heupel - AP

11 days ago: Buffalo Sabres center Derek Roy, right, celebrates his goal as Sabres defenseman Henrik Tallinder, of Sweden, skates over during the first period of the NHL hockey game against the Montreal Canadiens in Buffalo, N.Y., Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009. Buffalo won 6-2. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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There's good and bad news for this Wednesday clash. The good is that Buffalo has twice bounced back from shutout defeats and are surely upset about this previous predicament coming on home ice. Lindy Ruff referred to it as an embarassment. The bad news is they're taking on the Washington Capitals, one of the teams that have blanked the Sabres, boosted by the return of Alexander Ovechkin but that's not the lone concern.

Forget about Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green for a minute because their abilities are well noted. Washington's offense is on the verge of prominence leading the league in goals (111) and in the standings with a 19-5-6 record. While much of that is purely because of two Russians, a Swede and a Canadian, there are others adding their names into the conversation.

Brooks Laich hacks and whacks at rebounds unconcerned with the abuse he's going to take. After a difficult season split between Anaheim and Dallas, Brenden Morrison found a solution by joining the Capitals. Tomas Fleischmann and Eric Fehr are both on track for career years. Despite Mike Knuble's injury, that's eight individuals the Sabres will have to shadow which is a lot to demand.

Without the services of Paul Gaustad and possibly Mike Grier, those assignments will be tremendously difficult to handle.

Five things to consider about both Washington and Buffalo:

Washington has lit the lamp 38 more times than Buffalo but the Sabres have allowed 20 goals fewer. It will be a matter of finding out which style stands out stronger: the desperate defense or the potent offense. The Capitals have picked up the slack on the back-end though conceding just six goals in the past four games. I get the feeling Ryan Miller's going to have to be exquisite again.
Derek Roy and Tim Connolly are averaging 0.77 points per game. Six Washington skaters have a better ratio so let's count them off: Backstrom (1.1), Ovechkin (1.45), Green (1.03), Semin (1.19), Laich (0.83) and Fleischmann (0.89). Morrison (0.76) and Fehr (0.75) aren't trailing far behind themselves. Knuble was at 0.78 before being sidelined. May the panicking ensue.
Back-to-back regulation losses aren't ordinary with Ryan Miller but Buffalo has one goal in two games. If that wasn't too negative, they didn't out-shoot New Jersey which is a positive we have taken from losses. No, they were out-hustled, out-gunned and out-worked by the Devils' 37-22 shot advantage. On a separate note: congratulations goes to Martin Brodeur for tying Terry Sawchuk's shutout record of 103.
Want more proof that Fleischmann and Fehr aren't in over their heads with these performances? The Czech native returned from a frightening blood clot which was in his leg to go on a nine-game point streak and now has five points in three games. Meanwhile, Fehr is on a seven-game run courtesy of five goals and five assists. Seems like the potential of these two early draft choices is being fulfilled.
Buffalo's richest salary owner, Thomas Vanek, has a goal in seven games or two in ten matches or three goals in the last 11 games. Half of his scoring came during the opening five contests in October. Any way you look at it, stability is unaccounted for in the Austrian. The 25-year-old had 20 goals at this checkpoint last season. Eight won't cut it whatsoever.
Ovechkin enjoys the city of Buffalo whether it be because of his constant success against them or executing cheap-shots into the boards. And Washington went on to win both instances after he was thrown out of the game. So much for taking hits for the team working out. Am I right Patrick Kaleta? What do you say Daniel Briere?
A sinking ship, the Sabres' powerplay has plummeted to 21st in the league. Penalty killing is excellent and it'll need to continue that way to protect Miller from the No.1 powerplay unit. The options they have are incredible and this is a moment where 60 minutes of non-stop work will be the only way out with two points.
Travis Zajac beat Miller with a shot that went through the netminder Monday night. There's a phrase we haven't been able to mention ~~weekly~~ monthly. As far as the pre-game rituals go, Miller is extremely focused and ready for showtime. With some of the game's finest stars coming his way, he'll have his hands full; not that it bothers him.
Indecisive recently, Buffalo's defense can't second-guess themselves because a glimmer of hesitation is the bread and butter of Washington's forwards. Turn-overs and odd-man rushes result in goals to this Capitals bunch unless Miller dives in. Tampa Bay played the puck, not the body on Monday and fell 3-0 to their Division rivals. Buffalo mustn't do the same.
Expected to start in goal for Washington is Jose Theodore but nothing has been confirmed.The former Canadien has stopped 72 of 76 shots in winning his last two. If Semyon Varlamov goes, he'll bring his 12-1-2 record and set his sights on shutting out Buffalo for the second time in two weeks. Note: Varlamov's first career NHL defeat came at the hands of the Sabres last April in a 5-4 overtime decision.

Buffalo must find their positional sense to fend off the Southeast giants. The saying goes "A-B-C, it's easy as 1-2-3." For the Buffalo Sabres, it's easy as stopping one (Ovechkin), two (Semin), three (Backstrom), four (Green), five (Laich), six (Fleischmann), seven (Fehr), eight (Morrison) and nine (Theodore/Varlamov). No room for blunders in this, a tall order.

Reviewing My 2009-10 Expectations for New Jersey Devils Forwards

John Fischer — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:07:06 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Can you believe I actually wrote that I'd expect a drop off in production from Zach Parise back in August? Can you believe he's on pace for 94 points - again? (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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This could have easily been titled, "Look at how wrong I was back in August!"

Back in August, I wrote a series of posts basically coming up with expectations for each Devil on the roster. Not all of them were statisically based, a lot of them came arbitrarily. Still, I felt it was better to state what I wanted to see out of each player prior to the season. Now that the Devils have played a third of the NHL season, it's a good time as any to see how my expectations are bearing out. Today, I will focus on the forwards with the defensemen and goaltenders coming on either Thursday or Saturday.

Before jumping into exposing how right or wrong my August thoughts hold up, I have to note that this doesn't cover the current roster. At the time, Nicklas Bergfors, Rob Niedermayer, Tim Sestito, Andrew Peters, Dean McAmmond, Matt Halischuk, and Vladimir Zharkov were not on the roster nor did I assume that they would make the team. I will say that I have been pleased with them how they have played with the exception of Peters - who has done very little this season. Were I to place them in order from most impressed to least, I'd go with Bergfors, McAmmond, Niedermayer, Sestito, Zharkov, Halischuk, and Peters.

Also, while I had a set of expectations for Brendan Shanahan, his retirement makes following up on that pointless. So we're down to 11 here.

One more note, I'm using "current pace" for scoring but I'd take such projections with a grain of salt. While, say, Jamie Langenbrunner is over a point per game pace, don't be shocked if he hits a slow patch later on. I'm just using it to illustrate how right and how wrong my earlier expectations have shown.

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

Zach Parise, What I said then:

Ultimately, Parise reached such great heights in terms of production and on-ice contributions that I am hestitant to say, "Well, Zach, time to do it again." I think he can do it and he may very well do it, but to me, it's unfair to say he would have had a disappointing season if he doesn't put up 94 or more points. Not that I'll be satisfied with only 25 goals and 60 points from Parise. No, that would truly be disappointing. Parise is so talented and has such a strong work ethic that he should be expected to lead the Devils' offense. I expect him to be the team's leading scorer in 2009-10 unless Elias has a monster season not seen from him since the second half of 2005-06. And to that end, if Parise finishes with about 35 goals and 80 to 85 points, I would be pleased - and so that is what I'm expecting. Lower production from 2008-09, but not a big drop as I believe he is truly an elite forward. (And, of course, if he scores more than that, then great.)

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Zach Parise	28	15	17	32	18	8	2	1	1	0	125	12.0

What he has done so far:

Parise is currently on pace for 44 goals and 94 points! Which is just about the same production he had last season (one fewer goal, one more assist). Talk about being proven wrong. Parise is the unquestioned leader of the offense and one of the top shooters (125 currently leads the league, though that won't last) and scorers in the league. In short, he's been exceeding my expectations.

Travis Zajac, What I said then:

I'm expecting Zajac to continue to grow as player, and so I want to see him win at least 52% of his faceoffs, use his size a little better in traffic, shoot at least 180 shots on net, and put up about 25 goals and 70 points. Given his expected linemates and where he is at his career, I think that would be "the next step" in his progression.

What he has done so far:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Travis Zajac	28	9	16	25	15	10	3	0	0	0	72	12.5

While he has shifted a little bit, he's currently in line to just go over most of those expectations. Zajac has looked stronger on and off the puck, he's been the definitive #1 center on the team, and he's on pace for 26 goals and 73 points along with 211 shots on net. Just what I was looking for, with the exception of faceoffs as Zajac has only won 51.6% of his draws. Still, I can't complain as he's meeting my expectations.

Jamie Langenbrunner, What I said then:

That said, I still expect him to line up with Parise and Zajac as the Devils' first scoring line. I still expect him to be responsible defensively while going forward, as that has been his game for his career. I still expect him to lead. I still expect him to unload some big shots. And he'll do all of that and do it well, I'm sure. But what I don't expect is 29 goals and 69 points. I can't help but think just out of sheer likelihood that his 2009-10 numbers will go down to more in line with the rest of his career. If Langenbrunner can contribute about 20 goals and about 50 points along what he normally brings to the team, then I'd say I'll be pleased with his production. With respect to overall offense, I don't think it's unfair to expect about 9 more goals from the rest of the team to make up the difference.

What he has done so far:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Jamie Langenbrunner	28	7	19	26	10	10	1	1	2	0	72	9.7

Can you believe it, he's on pace to have his best offensive season of his career! At age 34! The current pace calls for 26 goals and 79 points and that would be simply fantastic. Even if he slips a little bit in scoring, he'd still likely be on his way to surpassing my expectations. This is more impressive when you consider that Lemaire has shifted Langenbrunner up and down at right wing across three lines through this whole season. That Langenbrunner keeps getting points despite the changing linemates is a testament to how well he's been play. Clearly, he is exceeding my expectations.

Patrik Elias, What I said then:

Ultimately, I expect Elias to still play like he has been for his entire career. As far as what type of production to expect, I feel that if Elias can put up about 70 points next season, that would be more than fine. 65 points wouldn't be too bad, but I expect Elias to keep up his point per game rate close to 1 based on what he can do and the other factors in play. Could he repeat his 2008-09 performance? Sure! My expectations are only a little less than that.

What he has done so far:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Patrik Elias	14	3	8	11	2	8	1	0	1	0	29	10.3

Elias missed training camp, preseason, October, and some of November as he was recovering from surgery that removed scar tissue from his groin. Back in August, no fan saw this coming. So keep that in mind as well as the fact that Elias has come back in the middle of the season and play his way back into shape. Elias is currently producing at a rate of .785 points per game. Is this good enough considering the circumstances? I'm inclined to say yes. Elias is currently on pace to put up 15 goals and 54 points, but I'd like to think he'll manage to get more goals than that - his shot isn't bad at all. Moreover, if he catches on fire, then he's got an outside shot at hitting 60-65 points. I'd say in all things considered, Elias is meeting my expectations in spite of the injury.

Brian Rolston, What I said then:

He knows his teammates much better after a season in New Jersey. The new head coach knows him well and will certainly use him more to Rolston's liking. Brian Gionta is now signed with Montreal, so his former spot is really Rolston's for the taking: a right wing position on an actual scoring line, with the wondefully talented Patrik Elias. Add his own personal desire to improve, and this is an excellent situation for Rolston. If he avoids injury and meshes well with Elias and Zubrus, then a big improvement shouldn't surprise anyone. Therefore, I think it's fair to expect a big improvement. I would like Rolston to score at least 25 goals and put up at least 60 points.

What he has done so far:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Brian Rolston	27	10	6	16	0	6	5	0	3	0	92	10.9

This is curious. Rolston hasn't exactly been consistent in terms of his performances, yet here he stands as the second most prolific shooter on the team and currently on pace to put up 30 goals and 48 points. Yes, that works out to 18 assists and I doubt Rolston will finish with that few. Though I doubt many would complain if he does, in fact, put up 30 goals. He has avoided injury, he's (mostly) been on a scoring line, and he does look very good as Patrik Elias' winger in recent games. I would really like to see him put up more confident efforts more often, though. If he does, he could hit 60 points as well as 25 goals. To that end, I'd say Rolston has been exceeding my expectations for goals, but slightly below other expectations. (Yes, I'm hedging here, so what, they're my expectations, I can do that.)

Dainius Zubrus, What I said then:

So what to expect? If Zubrus does stay on at center on the second line, then I would like to see him win at least 51% of his faceoffs to start. In terms of points, this is tricky as those two seasons right after the lockout are the only times Zubrus has had more than 20 goals and 55 points in a season. All the same, I would like to see him improve over his production from last season. So I'm expecting about 17 goals and about 30 assists. Truth be told, I'd want him to break 50 points, I want him to score 20 goals, but I'm not really seeing any reason to believe that he will next season.

What he has done so far:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Dainius Zubrus	20	2	5	7	-1	10	0	0	2	0	33	6.1

The recent injury to Zubrus really hinders what he could be doing throughout the season. That just adds to the confusion surrounding Big Z. Has he been useful in the run of play? Yes. Has he shown a little versatility playing among the various non-first lines? Sure. But is he meeting my expectations of him in terms of points? No. Again, the injury leaves Zubrus out for likely all of December and some of January, so he's going to miss 15-20 more games on top of the 8 he's already missed. That alone will hurt his chances of hitting 17 goals and 30 assists. Yet, at his current pace, he wouldn't come close to those values. He wasn't even winning 50% of his faceoffs (he's at 49.2%). I don't like writing this because I really do think he brings value to the team, but Zubrus was playing below my stated expectations so far prior to injury.

David Clarkson, What I said then:

Since I hope and expect Clarkson to cut down on his penalties in minutes and improve his defense, I think Lemaire will be forced to give him more ice time based on his performances alone. I would think that if Lemaire can utilize Clarkson for 14-15 minutes a night, then that alone should see his point totals rise.

According to HockeyDB, it took Randy McKay 10 full seasons of pro hockey before he exceeding 20 goals and 40 points (24 goals, 48 points in 1996-97). I honestly think that Clarkson can raise his game to do that next season - his fifth in pro hockey. Given what I've stated so far, I expect Clarkson to finish with about 20 goals and 40 points in 2009-10.

What he has done so far:

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

I really wish he wasn't injured because that just stunts his production. Prior to the injury, I would have said that Clarkson has been playing well above expectations. He's been shuttled between the second, third, and fourth lines, and yet he provides solid production along with toughness (read: hits, PIMs) and all on an average of 15:08 per game. He's been getting the minutes I hoped Lemaire would give him and he hasn't disappointed. It'll be interesting to see how he and Zubrus play after their injuries. Zubrus wasn't on pace for my expectations, whereas Clarkson was on pace for 25 goals and 28 assists prior to his injury. Clarkson was exceeding my expectations then, and I certainly hope he can return to this form when he does recover.

Rod Pelley, What I said then:

Despite the spot he's going to fill in [third line center], I don't think it's fair to really expect a lot from him this season and so I won't. While he's not technically a rookie, he's still relatively new to the NHL and he's coming up after a full season spent in Lowell. It's like he is a rookie, in my view. He's a defensive forward so he isn't going to score a lot - that has to be considered as well. In terms of the latter, I would be more than pleased with any contribution he gives - perhaps 10 goals and 20 points at the most. On the defensive side, I'd like to see Pelley win close to half of his faceoffs, avoid taking penalties (less than 60, he had 78 with Lowell last season), and keep up with the opposition. It doesn't sound like much, but again, I'm keeping the expectations low since there isn't much to go on with Pelley. One thing is for sure, I certainly don't expect him to be the next Madden - it really is a lot to ask of a young player.

What he has done so far:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Rod Pelley	25	0	2	2	-6	16	0	0	0	0	27	0.0

The Devils never placed Pelley as the team's third line center. Right before the season started, the Devils signed Rob Niedermayer to a deal and gave him the spot. During the season, the Devils signed Dean McAmmond as additional depth (which was an important move in retrospect) and called up Tim Sestito, who actually played ahead of Pelley or in place of Pelley. Not only was a he a fourth line center, but he was scratched for a few games. Since being scratched, Pelley has played with a lot more vigor recently (now has 35 hits, 7:30 ice time) and without taking too many penalty minutes (currently on pace for 50 or so). However, he's not going to hit these expected numbers on his current line. He's just not producing, though that may change if the recent fourth line play keeps up their good work. I think this is fine considering the circumstances, but I misplaced my expectations on Pelley since I assumed back in August that he would be replacing John Madden's spot on the third line.

Jay Pandolfo, What I said then:

Let's be frank here, Pandolfo is not and will not be an offensive force. He's not going to be significant producer of points, he never has been, and it's foolish to expect him to do so now. If he can contribute 10 goals and 10 assists, great. If not, fine. In any case, his defensive work is his "bread and butter" and he has to do better in that department. I expect him to finish with a better goals for/against difference on the ice; contribute to a penalty kill that didn't do all that well last season (79.9% success rate, 20th best in the league); and earn his way back to 15-17 minutes on average on the third line. Basically, he needs to be a solid, competant checking forward once again.

What he has done so far:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Jay Pandolfo	11	1	2	3	-1	2	0	0	0	0	17	5.9

Like other Devils forwards, the injuries hurt his production. However, we are talking about Jay Pandolfo and his current production pace (I believe it is about 6 goals and 12 assists) is perfectly acceptable considering his offensive skills. Moreover, Pandolfo has averaged 15:10 over the whole season while playing on the third line and has averaged 2:23 on a penalty killing unit that is currently ranked tied for 10th in the league. Of course, Pandolfo didn't play on said unit for 17 games, but he is back on PK duty. In fact, he immediately returned from injury to playing his normal (and expected) workload. When Pandolfo is on the ice in even strength situations, per Behind the Net, the shots against per 60 shows no change (stays at 25.1) and the goals against per 60 does increase from 1.57 to 2.64. However, Pandolfo is playing against a positive quality of competition and the lack of games does skew these numbers from Behind the Net. Still, I would say that Pandolfo is meeting my expectations so far and I'm glad to see that after such a poor 2008-09 season from the checking left winger.

Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, What I said then:

Leblond is an OK skater, he can bring "energy" into a lethargic game, and he likes to be physical and aggressive. He's also not a scorer by any means and so all we can really expect from the player is hits and plenty of penalty minutes. Since I want - and expect - David Clarkson to fight less, Leblond should be more than able to replace him in that role. That is, when he actually plays. Given that Leblond is not going to develop into an offensive or defensive contributor, there's going to be some games where the Devils really don't need an enforcer to play 4-7 minutes and/or spend 5 minutes in a box.

What he has done so far:

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

What has Leblond done so far this season? Not much of anything really. When Andrew Peters has been getting more games than you, it's a sign that the season isn't going so well. Though to be fair, I'll say that while Leblond has not met my expectations, he has not earned a chance to stay on the roster.

Ilkka Pikkarainen, What I said then (thanks to HIFK supporter Patrik Sjögren):

So what to expect? Well, from what I read, it's a real mixed bag here. Physical/agitating play, a hard shot, and damaging on-ice discipline issues really seem to be the traits that stick out from what Patrik has seen in 3 years of the player. Hopefully, only those first two traits stick out in preseason as he competes for a spot. Even then, I would still pencil him in only for a fourth line position. But I'm a little less enthused about him, to say the least! Still, let's see what he does in preseason before bemoaning the signing.

What he has done so far:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Ilkka Pikkarainen	18	0	1	1	-4	8	0	0	0	0	11	0.0

Pikkarainen was known for being an agitator and has he done that? Well, not quite. He was the right wing for an ineffective fourth line and wasn't doing much like Peters and Pelley. It wasn't until recently where something must have clicked in Pikkarainen's head. Maybe it was the injury to Clarkson, leading him to think he needs to step up with the grit? Maybe the coaching staff had a talk with him? Maybe something else? Whatever it is, he's been playing more like a physical fourth liner recently along with Pelley. Not as much as an agitator, as I'm pretty sure he drew exactly one call this season. There's more energy in his gliding, he's stepped up his hitting (now at 30), and he has been good about staying out the box/keeping "Evil Ilkka" from showing himself. If he keeps this up, then I'd be fine with the way he plays. But overall, I must say that Pikkarainen has not met my expectations for a physical/agitating fourth liner until recently.

Overall

I must say, even with my arbitrarily defined expectations, a good number of the Devils forwards are either meeting them or exceeding them. Most importantly, those who are doing that are the top forwards on the team: Parise, Zajac, Langenbrunner, Elias, Clarkson (pre-injury), and Rolston (in goals only). I'm very glad to be wrong on my expectations for Parise and Langenbrunner, in particular. They are having just excellent seasons. I'd like to see the bottom 6 do a bit more (as well as Zubrus), but their chances are limited mainly due to the fine play of the additional forwards that made the team after these expectation posts were written.

Let me know what you think of all of this in the comments. Thursday or Saturday, I'll go through the defensemen and goaltenders (hint: Martin Brodeur still rules, but only meets my expectations since I expected him to be great.)

Martin Brodeur Earns 103rd Career Shutout as New Jersey Devils Beat Buffalo Sabres, 3-0

John Fischer — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:13:44 -0000

More photos » by David Duprey - AP

Martin Brodeur earned his 103rd career shutout. Here is one of the 22 saves he made. This puck went on to be picked up by a Devil and then pushed up ice on a breakout. (AP Photo/ David Duprey)

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Sing with me now!

There's only one Martin Brodeur! There's only one Martin Brodeur! There's only one Maaaaaar-tin Brodeur!

Martin Brodeur didn't have to make many big saves or pull out any highlight-reel worthy moves to stop the Buffalo Sabres. He did his job, he did it well, he was solid with his stick, and he controlled all the rebounds to places where his teammates can clean it up. Martin Brodeur earned his 103rd career shutout, tying him with the all-time leader, the legendary Terry Sawchuk. If 4 Vezinas, 3 Cups, and well over 552 career wins weren't enough to convince you of his greatness, then this should clue you in. If not, I have no words for you. Congratulations to Martin Brodeur.

That said, the 3-0 victory was also an excellent team win. While the first 15 minutes or so weren't great, the New Jersey Devils went on to apply - get this - consistent offensive pressure and just out-worked the Sabres for much of the game. The Devils had sequences where shift after shift just kept going after the Sabres. Most of the second period was an exercise of this domination, and even late in the game the Devils made a point of it to get the puck forward and put shots on Ryan Miller. It was what I wanted to see, it was what I think the team needed to do after two lackluster performances on offense, and it was glorious. NHL.com has their recap up of the Devils' victory, complete with links to the boxscore and other stats.

For the Buffalo perspective, read on at Die by the Blade later on for their recap. I would expect frustration to be the theme, but that's just me. The Buffalo faithful really let their displeasure known in the second and third periods and honestly, I don't blame them for booing. Their team just fell flat after the first period and deserves criticism for it. Read on for my further thoughts on tonight's win.

As the schedule turned out, this would be the only Devils road game between the beginning of the month and December 19 (where they travel to Atlanta). I figured the opposition would be tough and at first, it was a close game. I felt Buffalo were a bit better in the run of play for most of the first period. The Devils didn't look as sharp with their passes, they were a bit too passive on defense, and didn't get much sustained pressure going.

Fortunately, late in the period, they didn't need to do that as Brian Rolston and later Travis Zajac scored off the rush. They were well set up plays, truth be told. Vladimir Zharkov cut outside, fed it down low to Patrik Elias, who put it right on Brian Rolston's stick for the far-post shot that slid in. Well done. Shortly thereafter, the Devils hit back on a long breakout created by Colin White, Zach Parise dished it off to Zajac who ripped one through Ryan Miller. The Devils didn't look all that great, yet led after the period 2-0.

Then the domination began. When you're down 2-0, don't take a holding call to start a period! Apparently, Clarke MacArthur forgot that and he regretted his infraction. Nicklas Bergfors used Parise well on a screen to beat Miller and put the Devils up 3-0. And then the pressure came. The forechecks surprised Buffalo's defense. The neutral zone play was solid. And in the rare chance that Buffalo actually had the puck in a position to do something on offense, the defense either negated it, the Sabres either lost it while trying to set up a "good shot," or Martin Brodeur made an easy save. Only once did the Sabres get the puck in close on Brodeur, literally in the dying seconds of the second period - and the goaltender made sure he smothered it.

I cannot praise the offensive pressure enough, the Devils didn't hold onto their lead and they were really unfortunate (largely thanks to Ryan Miller) to not blow the game completely wide open. I wanted to see an aggressive offense from New Jersey's forwards and I saw it tonight and it was great. The second period was just fantastic hockey by the Devils. On this note, enjoy tonight's highlights from the game with this embedded video from NHL.com.

Jacques Lemaire rolled four lines, all of whom were effective, throughout the second and even all the way into the third period. As the forwards pushed forward, this gave less opportunity for Buffalo to attack. And when they did, the defense and backcheckers did a great job making it difficult with 20 blocked shots and only 22 allowed on net. Excellent work at both ends, in my view. When you see the fourth line of Rod Pelley-Dean McAmmond-Ilkka Pikkarainen out for a shift late in the third period - like with 100 seconds to go - that's a sign that the entire team has played very well that night.

Praise is definitely deserved for Brodeur. But nearly everyone had a good game tonight! Zach Parise roared with 7 shots on goal and an assist. Nicklas Bergfors had 6 shots and a power play goal. Travis Zajac (seriously, that line was cooking) had 4 shots, a goal, and went 7 for 11 on faceoffs. Brian Rolston had 4 shots and a goal. Patrik Elias had 3 shots and went 4 for 8 (good for him at least). Vladimir Zharkov didn't get a shot on net, but he did set up a goal, so that's definitely good - 3 assists in his last 3 games. Rob Niedermayer was solid on the penalty kill, leading that effort on special teams. Even the fourth line had a presence, Dean McAmmond stood out the most as he hit the post in the second, and got his two shots in the third: first by taking a long shot and his second was his own rebound. (Buffalo defense, you got burned by Dean McAmmond). The team as a whole blocked 20 Buffalo shots while only allowing 22 to go at Brodeur. Bryce Salvador and Mark Fraser each had 4, and Jay Pandolfo was close behind with 3. Johnny Oduya skated his socks off with a 26:13 effort; Andy Greene and Colin White rarely made a wrong move; and even Matt Corrente looked good in limited minutes (9:03, only one to play less than 10 minutes). Mike Mottau has played well for New Jersey, but he really wasn't needed all that much. I honestly can't say that any Devil had a bad game. Lemaire got the team fired up after a mediocre first period (despite scoring 2 goals at the end) and it clearly showed on the ice.

The Devils went on to outshoot the Sabres 37-22 (led after 2 periods 25-11, mind you), win more faceoffs (23-16 NJ), and nearly had 3 more goals. Dean McAmmond went high on a low Ryan Miller and only got post in the second period, Travis Zajac's shot while streaking to the net hit the far post on a feed from Parise, and Parise had a goal waived off when the video replay saw a kicking motion on the puck late in the game.

The only faults I could think of the team's performance had to do with discipline and special teams. During a power play, Brian Rolston, rushing back to prevent a shorthanded scoring chance, tripped up a Sabre - which wiped out the Devils' man advantage. In terms of straight-up minors, Bergfors took a late hooking call in the second and Fraser hit a Sabre with a high stick in front of the crease in the third period. Sure, the Devils (with some help with the Sabres) killed these penalties; but they could have been avoided altogether. On the flip side, the Devils' power play wasn't so great. Out of 4 opportunities (well, 3 minus Rolston wiping out the Devils' second power play of the second period), the Devils managed to only get 5 shots on net. They didn't do anything on the first power play of the game or the one they had in the third period. Of course, they did score a power play goal and for the Devils, that's perfectly fine.

And really, those faults are really small blips in comparison to the excellence of the (eventual) overall team effort, the coaching adjustments, Martin Brodeur, the effectiveness of the defense, and the play from all 12 forwards. If this is what the Devils look like now, just wait until the Devils get Paul Martin, Dainius Zubrus, and David Clarkson back from injury.

This was a great win for the Devils and I hope this inspires them to continue what they did in Buffalo tonight at the Rock. Once again, congratulations to the New Jersey Devils for a quality win and congratulations to Martin Brodeur for his 103rd career shutout.

Thanks to all who have commented and/or read the GameThread, thanks to Steve for making the GameThread, and thanks to you for reading this. Please leave all your thoughts about tonight's game in the comments.

New Jersey Devils Give Up 2 Goal Lead, Pull Out Win over Detroit Red Wings in Shootout

John Fischer — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:09:07 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Patrik Elias showed up in the shootout and scored the shootout winning goal to give the New Jersey Devils the win. Chris Osgood is frozen at this point in time. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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Last Saturday, the New Jersey Devils snowballed their way to a huge 6-1 win over the New York Islanders. As the game went on, the Devils played better and went on to dominate on the ice and on the scoreboard. Tonight, the opposite happened as the Devils hosted the Detroit Red Wings. The Devils started off great, slowed down a bit in the second period, and then reverted to how they looked last night in the third period. In the process, the Devils conceded a two goal lead and the game was forced into overtime and followed by a shootout. The Devils won there, the final became 4-3, and so NHL.com has your recap complete with the relevant stats.

The Devils prevailed there, but I can't honestly say I'm pleased with the performance. I know, I know, it's a results-oriented business and the Devils just picked up 4 points in 48 hours. Fine. But the Devils could have and should have done better tonight, especially because they played so well and worked so hard in the first period. Credit the Detroit Red Wings for responding after being beaten on first twenty minutes, they eventually took the game over and made it a game.

Winging it in Motown has their recap up and joehass wonders why Patrick Eaves wasn't used in the shootout for Detroit given that he had a goal and an assist. Read on my extended thoughts on tonight's game.

Let's talk about the goaltenders first. Martin Brodeur and Chris Osgood, I felt, played well. Both goaltenders had to come up huge at various points. Brodeur bailed the Devils out of the third period, whereas Chris Osgood robbed the Devils a few times earlier - most notably Ilkka Pikkarainen's backhand. A bit odd to say given that both gave up 3 goals each. However, only one of the six goals scored in regulation was really a soft - Johnny Oduya's individual effort sliding right through Osgood's legs. The other goals were off rebounds where the goaltender had no chance on (Jamie Langenbrunner, and one deflection by Patrick Eaves. Here's a video of the game's highlights from NHL.com. See for yourself:

Now, you can see where the momentum lied in the shots by period. The Devils' first period was very strong. They bossed the Detroit skaters around, they moved the puck up ice at will, they owned the neutral zone, and outshot the Wings 11-7. They were doing what I said I wanted them to do in the game preview - be aggressive on offense. If you had seen that period, then you became increasingly amazed at how the Devils took their foot off the proverbial pedal. In the second period, Detroit pulled one back (Kris Draper on a rebound), the Devils responded with a goal of their own (Rob Niedermayer on a rebound created by Vladimir Zharkov), and then Detroit capitalized on a power play near the end of the period (Thomas Holmstrom on a tip). Sure, the Devils were leading after the period, 3-2; but the Red Wings clearly made adjustments that the Devils didn't have many answers for and so outshot the Devils 11-9. No longer was Detroit being outworked, no longer was Detroit constantly giving away the puck in the neutral zone.

And then the third period came and it reminded me so much of last night, it was sick in retrospect. It started off well enough. Jay Pandolfo nearly had a goal when his shot from the high slot was stopped by Chris Osgood. The puck bounced up, over Osgood, and was about to slide in only for Brad Stuart to swoop in and clear it off the line. From that point on, Detroit took over in pinning the Devils back, forcing them to clear the puck right back to Detroit, and repeat. Patrick Eaves got the equalizer off a deflection and Martin Brodeur should be thanked for keeping the score tied. After all, the Devils only put 3 shots on Osgood in the third (11-3 Detroit in terms of shots). Where were the Devils of the first period? Where was the aggressive offense? Truthfully, the Devils escaped the third period and were fortunate to earn a point with that kind of "offense."

Overtime saw the Devils actually make an effort to score a goal and came close when a deflected shot by Travis Zajac beat Osgood, but was denied by the post. Alas, this game needed a shootout and the Devils pull out a win. The fans (it was a very good and loud crowd at the Rock) were real happy with the win, nearly everyone standing for every shot and Devils attempt. Exciting stuff, but I can't help but think that most would have liked to have seen the Devils continue to do what they did in the first period and put the game out of doubt. But Detroit responded real well and the Devils wilted. I also can't help but think of the following cliche: good teams know how to win games that they perhaps shouldn't have. The Devils did just that in the last two games. So I guess they are a good team.

A few Devils stuck out tonight, in my opinion. I felt Jay Pandolfo (17:58, 1 A, 2 SOG) and Johnny Oduya (21:01, 1 G, 3 hits) had good games. I was a bit concerned with how they would look after not playing for at least a month, and my concerns were quickly erased. Both hustled pretty well and didn't make too many noticeable mistakes as they played significant minutes. Well, Oduya did jump up on offense, got caught, and didn't really recover well as Darren Helm unloaded a shot that Kris Draper eventually knocked in. But Oduya was just a part of that, the other Devils should have helped out in recovery; so I wouldn't kill him for that one. Rob Niedermayer had a good game, he had 3 shots on net and went right to the net at the right time for the Devils' third goal. He played just over 19 minutes (19:17) and statistically I can only fault him for going 5 for 13 on faceoffs. I also felt Colin White (21:00) and Mike Mottau (24:57) had a solid game on defense. This is especially good news for White as he left Friday's game early due to "lower body soreness." Tonight, he stayed in and feels pretty good afterward according to Gulitti's postgame report.

In terms of Devils who stuck out for not being noticeable (this makes sense, hear me out), I'd have to point the finger to Patrik Elias and Brian Rolston. Last week, they were a dynamite duo. Tonight, they weren't really there. Rolston had 3 shots on net and played 14:57. None of those shots were of particular importance and he managed to get blocked twice and miss the net three times. I didn't think he had an impact. Elias got the win-clinching goal in the shootout, but he did little else in the game. He also played far less than I thought, only 14:05, put 1 shot on net, and was thoroughly beaten at the faceoff dot (3 for 11). The offense has a whole suffered as the game went on, and these two really do need to take more initiative to prevent this from happening in future games.

I do have to credit Detroit's defense in part of stifling New Jersey's offense. Nicklas Lidstrom is an absolute joy to watch on the blueline. He knows where to position himself, when to step up on a player, when to drop back, and he is so slick with the puck. A few times in the game, a Devil forward would have the puck and carry it over the blueline only to just dump it away because he knows he can't beat Lidstrom in a one-on-one battle. It's no wonder he's known as a dominant defenseman. Naturally, he played 30:48 for Detroit because he really is that important. Jonathan Ericsson also came back from injury and put in a good (not perfect, but good) effort in playing 28:24 (!!), often along side Lidstrom. Overall, the Red Wings' D cleaned up a lot of rebounds and Lidstrom alone made things difficult for the Devils' offense after the first period. Not that the Devils' offense was particularly interested in attacking them by the third period.

So what's next? The Devils have four games in the coming week and they really need to be more consistently positive on offense. That means putting shots on net through all three periods. That means not allowing the opposition to dictate the play when up with a lead. That means not giving up a two goal lead in a game. I think it'll get better, hopefully by Monday when they go up to Buffalo. Thanks to Steve and commenters in the GameThread, as well as all of the readers. Feel free to leave your thoughts, questions, complaints, stats I missed, and anything else you feel about tonight's shootout win in the comments.

The New Jersey Devils Lose Ugly against Vancouver Canucks, 5-2

John Fischer — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 04:25:32 -0000

More photos » by Rich Schultz - AP

Hey look, it's Colin White standing by as Alexandre Burrows deflected a puck past Martin Brodeur while being right in front of him. This was the first goal of the game and the first of a bad first period. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

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Tonight was very disappointing.

The New Jersey Devils opened the month by hosting the Vancouver Canucks. The Devils were coming off 3 straight wins from the last week and won their last 6 home games. In my preview for the game, I raised the question that if the Canucks look good on paper, why are they 4-8-0 on the road? Needless to say, that record and New Jersey's streaks meant nothing tonight. The Devils looked very poor in both ends of the rink, and the Canucks took advantage in a big way to cleanly win 5-2. In a nutshell, that's what happened.

For the Canucks-based reaction to tonight's game, which must be a very positive one, Nucks Misconduct is where you should check out. If you want a straight overview of the game with boxscores and other stats, NHL.com has you covered with this recap. Read on for my further thoughts on the game.

First and foremost, here is a video of all the highlights from tonight's game from NHL.com, including all of the goals and big saves. That is, of course, you would like to see all of these over again, or even for the first time.

Where do I even begin with all of this? Martin Brodeur did not have a good night, period. I will say that up front. He's had better games, he's had games where he stops some of those goals against. This was definitely not a game that helped his stock for Team Canada. Not that Roberto Luongo was great; but Luongo made the game-shifting-in-hindsight saves that absolutely robbed Zach Parise at point blank in the second period (see 3:45 on the above video). Had Parise get one past Luongo - and maybe he should have done better - that would have been the equalizer and tonight could have been an entirely different game.

Of course that didn't happen, Luongo robbed him, and the Canucks maintained their lead through the second. However, Luongo had the help of his skaters playing fairly solid defensive hockey. The defensemen in front of him were generally first for rebounds. On defense, the Canucks broke up their fair share of Devils' passes and collected way more than a few bad Devils' passes and dumps.

That said, while I don't think he played well, Martin Brodeur cannot necessarily say the same of his defense (or backchecking forwards). Sure, Alexandre Burrows' deflection was point-blank and perfect; I get that one going in. While Alexander Edler's shot took a deflection off of Rob Niedermayer (who played tonight, no really, he did, I swear to you he did), the puck did go 5-hole on Brodeur. Regardless of Brian Rolston giving up the puck during a line change that led to the Vancouver attack, I feel that shot should have been stopped.

But the other ones, well, Brodeur can't say the guys in front of him helped him out on those. Not after Mike Mottau tipped in Sami Salo's shot for Vancouver's second goal; not after getting left hung out to dry on a bad line change leading to a goal by Daniel Sedin; and definitely, absolutely, positively not after Colin White made the boneheaded decision to go after a puck carrier on a two-on-one, leaving Jannik Hansen wide open for a beautiful goal against. I don't care if they only allowed Vancouver to 26 shots. When opportunities and deflections like those come a team's way and leads to 5 goals on the scoreboard, the number of shots on net isn't so important.

Really, Colin White? You have a legendary goaltender who can take on any shooter and instead of letting him challenge the shooter, you leave the other man open? Really? I thought that was textbook defending; and you managed to forget that basic . I know it ultimately didn't affect the outcome, the Devils were losing anyway; but the fifth goal against falls on you in my opinion.

This is not to say the Canucks were just fortunate. Oh, no. They played well. They were given opportunities to score and they came through big time. They looked more confident on the ice, they were calmer with the puck, and their passes weren't a mix of "good idea, poor execution" and simply duffing the pass. All traits the Devils did not really show for much of this game.

Thankfully, the Devils got lucky late in the first period and scored their only two goals of the game. Good heads up plays by Niclas Bergfors and Travis Zajac to finish off the opportunities. Good work by Andy Greene and Jamie Langenbrunner for making them happen. They made the game an actual "game." But they were really the benefits of good bounces going the Devils' way. Bounces that didn't come at all in the rest of the game. The Devils had a few more opportunities - Zach Parise being robbed in the second, a 5-on-3 power play where some bad bounces prevented some high quality scoring chances - but Luongo reacted very well to everything and the defense cleaned up the mess the Devils' offense made. What was notable was that Zajac had 8 shots on net, Parise had 5 on net, Patrik Elias looked vigorous but didn't get much for his efforts, and Brian Rolston looked nothing at all like he did in the previous two games and helped Vancouver get their offense going that led to Edler's game winning goal. Everyone else was sort of forgettable outside of the goals.

We may be able to take solace in the fact that in the long run, this game may not be so important. We know that the Devils can do better, we've seen them do better, and they will do better. Regardless, it really was a bad performance and a bad loss to take. It wasn't a failure for 60 minutes, I felt the game was very even in the second period - perhaps some edge to the Devils, but the Canucks clearly won the first and third periods and did so quite easily. But I'm getting the impression that this is leading to a blueprint on how to beat the Devils: Get a 3 goal lead, force New Jersey to keep turning over the puck via clearances or bad passes, keep attacking if they mount a comeback, and hold on. While the Devils have made comebacks from deficits, they have yet to win after going down 3 goals in a game. That appears to be the mark that opponents should be aiming for.

The fans, small crowd as it was due to it being a midweek game against Vancouver, were right to boo, sigh, get indiginant, and/or leave early. By mid-way through the third period, this game was pretty much in the bank for Vancouver. I can't blame them at all, the Devils played very sloppily - far and away different from what Devils fans saw on Saturday against the Islanders. The few Canucks fans in the crowd, as well as the thousands across the continent, have every right to be happy with their team's victory. Jacques Lemaire has already said that the team clearly needs a "good practice," as reported by Tom Gulitti.

Me, I just want to see the Devils I've seen in the past month at the Rock. To me, I was just waiting for the "real" Devils to show up. The Devils team that gave consistently strong shifts even if the situation wasn't in their favor. What I actually saw tonight was just an ugly performance that reminded me of a Buffalo game at the Rock from October 28. That too was a bad loss (4-1) and hard to watch. I don't think that is a coincidence.

Thanks to Steve for the GameThread, the commenters who joined in, and, of course, the readers. Please feel free to leave your thoughts, complaints (and I know you'll have a few), and other feelings about tonight's loss in the comments.

To Hell With The Devils! Canucks-Devils Preview

Sean Zandberg — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:00:20 -0000

2:38 PM ET Update: Shane O'Brien will play tonight instead of Mathieu Schneider. The Canucks need some more toughness against the Devils, and I'll speculate that Schneider's lousy game a few nights ago didn't help. OB has missed 7 games as a healthy scratch. Taking 10 minor penalties in 17 games didn't help. Always the smartass, OB told the Province today: "I already told the guys, to be ready to kill one off."

Ryan Johnson is a man's man. He will play tonight, bruised leg and all. And he won't change his style of play either. Balls, you rule, man!

As Missy had mentioned earlier, Rick Rypien should be good to go tonight. That means Darcy Hordichuk will sit this one out.

2:10 PM ET Update: When asked if he'll be watching the Olympic hopeful netminders tonight, Steve Yzerman said:

"I'm going to TiVo it and watch it later," Yzerman told ESPN.com on Tuesday. "I'm going to be at another game [Tampa at Boston], but when I saw this game [Canucks-Devils] on the schedule, I wanted to make sure I watched it."

**********************************

Devils (17-6-1, 4th in the East) vs Canucks (14-12-0, 11th in West)

GAME TIME: 4:00 PST

TV: TSN

THE WICKED: In Lou We Trust

When the Devils beat the Canucks 5-3 at GM Place in their only meeting last year, Brodeur and Luongo were not even playing between the pipes. It was Scott Clemmenson vs Jason Labarbera. Barbie had a rough start, facing 6 shots in the 3 minutes he played and allowing 2 goals. Curtis Sanford replaced him. In 2007-08 the 2 teams played each other once, with the Canucks winning 5-0 at GM Place. That was a Luongo-Brodeur showdown that we can appreciate.

Since the 1997-98 season, New Jersey and Vancouver have only butted heads 13 times. The Canucks have a 8-5 record against them, and outscoring them 35-34 in the process. But that's all history.

The media is going to write a "Brodeur vs Luongo: who's starting for Team Canada?" angle for this game. However, neither goalie is buying into the hype. So far, Brodeur has Lou by the bag.

Roberto Luongo

Games Started: 19

Wins: 10

Losses: 9

GAA: 2.56

Save %: .910

Martin Brodeur

Games Started: 21

Wins: 15

Losses: 6

OTL: 1

GAA: 2.05

Save %: .925

Brodeur was named the NHL's 2nd Star of the Week after winning 3 straight games and posting stellar 0.97 GAA and .963 save percentage.

The Devils hold a 7-4 record at home this year, but an even more impressive 10-2-1 record on the road. The road is where the Canucks are anything but warriors so far this year, posting a dismal 4-8-0 record. Vancouver needs to be better than a .500 team on this trip, and it won't be easy. The night after the Devils game, the Canucks play the Flyers.

Vancouver is now 9 points behind the (puke) Flames, who are clinging to the top spot in the Northwest right now. That being said, the Nucks are still only 3 points out of a playoff spot.

Comparative Stats:

Goals Per Game: Canucks 9th overall, Devils 18th

Goals Against Per Game: Devils #1 in the NHL, Canucks 10th

Powerplay : Canucks 3rd, Devils 10th

PK: Devils 9th, Canucks 23rd (yowza)

5 on 5: Canucks 10th, Devils 11th

Shots Per Game: Canucks 11th, Devils 14th

Shots Against Per Game: Devils 6th, Canucks 10th

Faceoff %: Canucks 6th, Devils 25th. Faceoffs hardly mean shit. The Devils have been missing centers Rob Niedermayer and Jay Pandolfo for extended amounts of time. Pandolfo may return against the Canucks.

Devils to watch out for:

Zach Parise: 15 goals and 30 points in 24 games

Travis Zajac: 7 goals and 22 points in 24 games

Jamie Langenbrunner: 5 goals and 22 points in 24 games.

One thing about the Devils: their defence is very effective defensively, but not offensively. Their best scorer from the back is Andy Greene, with 3 goals and 12 points in 21 games. It drops off considerably after that.

Remember when we used to be called the Devils of the West? Well don't let that fool you. This could be a high-scoring game.

2010 Olympics Preview: New Jersey Devils

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

by Bill Kostroun - AP

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

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

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

PACK YOUR BAGS, VANCOUVER AWAITS!

Zach Parise, LW, USA

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

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

Martin Brodeur, G, Canada

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

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

Patrik Elias, LW, Czech Republic

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

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

NEARLY A LOCK, EXPECT TO SEE THEM IN VANCOUVER

Paul Martin, D, USA

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

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

Jamie Langenbrunner, RW, USA

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

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

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

Johnny Oduya, D, Sweden

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

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

WORK TO DO, LONG SHOTS BUT NOT OUT OF CONSIDERATION

Travis Zajac, C, Canada

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

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

Nicklas Bergfors, RW, Sweden

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

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

MOVING UP, COULD BE CONSIDERED WITH AN AWESOME DECEMBER

Brian Rolston, LW/RW, USA

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

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

NOTABLE DEVILS WHO WON'T BE IN VANCOUVER IN FEBRUARY

David Clarkson, RW, Canada

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

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

Andy Greene & Mike Mottau, D, USA

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

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

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

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

New Jersey Devils Rout the New York Islanders with a 4 Goal Third Period, Win 6-1

John Fischer — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:46:01 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

The New Jersey Devils, seen here, celebrate one of their six goals scored against Martin Biron. I believe this is after Parise's goal, the fourth goal by New Jersey. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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The New Jersey Devils didn't start off this game so well. The New York Islanders immediately swarmed the Devils' defense. The Islanders got the first few shots and scoring chances of the game. The Devils looked a bit off, with their passes consistently just out of the reach of their target. And Richard Park unloaded a rocket of a shot off the rush that just beat Martin Brodeur to put the visitors up one goal.

From then on, the game slowly but surely became dominated by the New Jersey Devils. Like a snowball rolling down a mountain, the New Jersey Devils just went from strength to strength as the game went on. Not that they were perfect, but the Devils had momentum building after the Park goal. The passing improved. The Devils were able to get more shifts in Martin Biron's end than in Martin Brodeur's end. The Devils, get this, started maintaining and keeping possession more often. Their penalty kill was excellent in preventing the Islanders adding to their lead in the first period. They started throwing more pucks into traffic, leading Mike Mottau to get a lucky re-direction in front of the net for the Devils' equalizer.

The Devils put more and more shots on net, leading them to hit the post 4 times - most notably Dean McAmmond's shot off a rebound hitting both pipes and Matt Halischuk hitting the far post that was initially thought to have gone in, but waived off after video review. The Devils' struck ahead on a power play, well set up by Jamie Langenbrunner and Patrik Elias, and finished off even better by Brian Rolston. Yet, it was still 2-1 and the Islanders were still in it. They got 12 shots on net, and they beat the Penguins in the third period from such a deficit.

Then the third period came and it was a veritable avalanche of goals for New Jersey. As a testament (and evidence) to the importance of possession, the Islanders had a mere 4 shots on net. And with a power play, no less. They had as many shots on net as the Devils had goals in the third. When you own the puck like the Devils did, good things happen. Converting 25% of the team's shots on net in the third period, Patrik Elias (twice) Brian Rolston, and Zach Parise poured on the misery for Martin Biron and the Islanders. The Rock could have easily been called High Five City with all of these goals being scored. The Devils won 6-1 with a fantastic third period performance that was the logical conclusion of what they built up after Park's goal. They have now won 3 straight, and get a much needed 3 days off before Vancouver visits next Wednesday.

NHL.com has the recap of the game up, complete with stats and other bits of interest. Dominik at Lighthouse Hockey, like much of the Islander faithful, are probably not happy with the loss. He'll have a recap up later on. I called into Hockey Night on Long Island for their post-game show and gave a few thoughts about the game and the Devils literally from the Rock. That's up as Episode 6, Post-Game Edition for November 28, 2009. As usual, I have much more to say, so please continue after the jump to find that out.

First and foremost, just like with the last Washington game, you need to see the goals in this game. Even if you were there, watch them again. How often do you see the Devils score 6 unanswered goals? The answer is almost never. So savor these highlights from NHL.com!

There's just so much to like. So many goals, scored in so many ways. It's important that the Devils kept looking for the opportunity to score after going up 2-1 or 3-1. They didn't sit on the lead or play it safe on offense, the Devils went forward when they had the chance and they were rewarded. It's an excellent habit to form, in my opinion.

But I fully believe this is all the result of being the dominant team in terms of possession. The Devils got the Islanders into that cycle of clearances-right-to-the-other team that just kept giving New Jersey the space to go ahead and attack some more. That's how 32 shots in the last 2 periods happened, that's how beating the Islanders in shots on net 42-23 happened, that's how Martin Biron had a very difficult afternoon happen, and that's how most of these goals happened. I said it in the preview and I think I was proven right - puck possession makes things a lot easier for the controlling team.

Of course, the only real criticism one could have for the Devils today was how they started the game. The Devils responded well after the Park goal and handled the Islanders' aggressive forecheck well overall. But the first period could have been real ugly for New Jersey if it wasn't for Martin Brodeur. The defense, if not all the skaters, were a step behind to start and Brodeur had to come up big. Again, the Devils did make adjustments and improved their overall performance. That's very good; but the slow start was bad.

Everything else was great. The penalty killing units were on the top of their game, holding the Islanders to a mere 2 shots on net across 4 power plays. The power play units were also great and let me emphasize watching the Rolston and Elias goals on the video. Those are perfect examples of why players on the PP don't just fire away when they have the puck for a second. They look for an open man who is set-up for the shot. With a man advantage, someone has to be open and the puck is moved around to get someone open in a good position. Those two goals are perfect examples of this idea; both goals were set-up well and the players in question were in a great position to fire it home.

Speaking of Rolston and Elias, they were magnificient together! Rolston followed up a strong game in Boston with another great performance today. While he only had 2 hits today, he had 7 shots on net again, scored 2 goals, and picked up 2 assists with 19:20 of ice time. While one can't expect a 4 point game from any player all the time, any Devil has to be pleased with this kind of effort from Rolston. Elias had a huge game with 4 shots on net, 2 goals, 2 assists, and 18:22 of ice time. The only downside to his performance was winning only 3 out of 14 faceoffs, but I tell you, Elias is back. In this post game post, Tom Gulitti noted that the two are playing very well together and that's an excellent sign. There very well could be great chemistry between the two forwards, which gives Lemaire an easy decision to make with respect to putting together a second scoring line he can count on. We should all hope Rolston and Elias continue to produce.

But in a 6-1 win, lots of players have had good games. The defense was actually led by Bryce Salvador, who played 25:34 and looked real solid in doing so. Yes, Andy Greene played "only" 22:36 and Mike Mottau played "only" 23:02, but both contributed on the score sheet with Greene's shot leading to the rebound Parise smashed home and Mottau equalized the game early in the second period. Zach Parise had his usual game - 5 shots on net, a goal, and 20:30 of solid play. Travis Zajac was the Devils' best faceoff man, winning 12 out of 19 draws today - the only Devil to have won more than 50% of faceoffs. Mark Fraser again got 15:29 as a sign of Lemaire and the coaching staff trusting him more and more; and Matthew Corrente got 12:27, another sign of a young defender starting to grow into the system. Matt Halischuk very nearly had a few goals today, but he was denied by the iron (especially on the third one, nullified by video review). He was named the game's third star by the media, perhaps as a sign of recognition of what could have been. At least he drew a minor from Jack Hillen (a minor the Devils scored on, thanks to Richard Park taking a second minor during the PP).

I'd like to highlight the two forwards from Lowell. First, there was Ilkka Pikkarainen. Back after a conditioning stint, the fiesty Finn played a great game. Yes, he only got 6:58 of ice time but he made the most of it. He hustled, he threw four hits, he moved the puck decently enough, and he drew Jack Hillen into shoving him and saying some nasty things - earning Hillen an unsportsmanlike conduct minor. The Devils scored on the ensuing power play, so credit to Pikkarainen for playing well on the fourth line today. That was exactly what I want to see him do on the fourth line. Throw some hits, bring some energy, and draw a call here and there.

Second, there was Vladimir Zharkov. Today was his first NHL game and did he make a mark with 5 shots on net. Seriously. He had as many shots on net as Parise did - only Zharkov had McAmmond and Halischuk as his primary teammates and Zharkov did all this in 14:40 of ice time. One of his shots forced a highlight-like sliding save from Biron and another led to a McAmmond rebound that struck iron. According to this postgame post from Gulitti, Zharkov was rightfully praised by the fellow teammates. After all, he came real close to getting his first NHL point; if he continues plays like this, he'll get that sooner rather than later.

There was a lot written here, a lot of praise for the Devils, because they won in such a big fashion. They didn't just ride momentum to take a lead, but they did it to just overwhelm the Islanders. It's the team's third straight win and now they have some deserved rest. Today, they showed the Islanders what exactly they can do when they grow to dominate possession and keep building off good shift after good shift. Hopefully, the rest of the league paid attention as well.

Thanks to all the readers and commenters. Please leave your thoughts about today's big win in the comments.

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

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

by Mary Schwalm - AP

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

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The Time: 1 PM EST

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yann Danis
Martin Brodeur

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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