SB Nation - David Clarkson

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.)

The New Jersey Devils: November 2009 in Review

John Fischer — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:15 -0000

by Adrian Wyld - AP

New Jersey Devils left wing Zach Parise scoring one of his 9 November goals. This one came against Pascal Leclaire and the Ottawa Senators from November 7, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Adrian Wyld)

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In recent seasons, the month of November has been very kind to the New Jersey Devils. November 2009 proved to be no different. The New Jersey Devils finished the month with a 9-2-1 record. 9-2-1. Let that sink in for a moment. 19 points in 12 games and finishing only a point behind Pittsburgh with 3 games in hand is nothing to sneeze at. The Devils vastly improved their home record by going 6-0-0 at the Rock, compared with 1-4-0 last month. The road winning streak continued into the middle of the month, before a three game winless road trip, leaving the road record at only 3-2-1. I can't complain, as I felt only 14 points would have been expected back at the beginning of November.

To think, all of this has been done with more Devils seemingly getting injured. Jay Pandolfo, Paul Martin, and Johnny Oduya missed the entire month. During November, the list grew to include Rob Niedermayer, Dainius Zubrus, and most recently David Clarkson. The only Devil to really come back from injury was Patrik Elias, who ended the month showing off why he's still to be seen as an elite winger. Yet, the Devils kept on rolling to win games. It didn't matter if they gave up the first or second goal on most nights, they found a way to defeat (and in two cases, blow out) their opponent. Why? The Devils' top players are playing at a high level, the various called up players and those lower on the depth chart have taken the opportunities available to show off what they can do, and Jacques Lemaire and the coaching staff have done an excellent job of holding the team together.

We can only imagine how good this team will be at full health. A frightening prospect for the rest of the league because November proved that they are a very good team right now.

The Month in Review

The month of November couldn't have started any better for the Devils. Not that every game favored the Devils, but winning the month's first 6 games (an 8 game winning streak overall) was definitely a sign of a team doing something right. The Devils opened up the month by finally getting their then-second win at the Rock in a 3-2 defeat of the Washington Capitals. In every one of these wins, it seemed the Devils got it done in some different way. The Devils tried to crack Martin Biron; but it was long shots from Brian Rolston and Cory Murphy which got past him en route to a 2-1 win. The next night the Devils power play uncharacteristically carried the team to victory with 3 goals to defeat Ottawa 3-2. Against Anaheim, the Devils scored first and then responded to the equalizer with a two-goal lead to win 3-1 and take the home record to 4-4. The Devils looked poor to start in Pittsburgh, but then responded with 4 unanswered goals to win 4-1. The Devils allowed the first two goals against the Washington Capitals on their first two shots, and then dismantled them at the Rock to win 5-2. The Devils were hot and now the home record was finally above .500.

Things were great. Even when it looked bad, you knew that the Devils could pull out a win. Down by 1? Down by 2? Tie game? Someone or some unit will step up to shift momentum back to the Devils and then finish the necessary plays to take the game. Could the Devils make NHL history with 10 straight road wins? Could they extend their winning streak to 9 games or more?

In a word, no. In Philadelphia, the start of a three game road trip, the Flyers had all the answers to New Jersey's plans and generally outplayed them. The final score of 3-2 was close, but the action on the ice showed otherwise. The streaks were over, how would the Devils respond afterward? Not so well. They played an even game in Nashville, but fell to the Predators in their first shootout loss this season, 3-2. In Dallas, the Stars went up 3-1 after the first, Martin Brodeur replaced Yann Danis, and the Devils were able to claw back to 3-3 in the third period. It looked like the same magic seen earlier in the month was back. The Devils would come back from 2 down to win, a concept not at all foreign to the Devils or their fans. Unfortunately, the Stars had other ideas and the Devils gave up their momentum quickly to allow two third period goals. The Devils lost 5-3 to Dallas and were suddenly mired in a 3 game winless streak. Could it be, that after so many wins, the Devils were slumping? Did they come back to reality?

Thankfully, the Devils got it together with, what else, a close win over Ottawa. The Devils' all-time leading scorer tipped the puck off of Andy Greene's shot for the go-ahead goal, leading to a frustrated Senators team by the game's end. The Devils won 3-1 and the slump - short as it was - was snapped. Not that the Devils necessarily slept on it. In Boston, the Devils, somehow, managed to keep the score really close despite being dominated in terms of puck possession and scoring chances by the Bruins. Oh, wait, I know why - Martin Brodeur was massive (and set a new NHL mark for career minutes played). The Devils eventually prevailed in the shootout, winning 2-1. In the last game of the month, on the very next day, the Devils snowballed their way to a huge 6-1 win over the New York Islanders - led by the production of Brian Rolston and Patrik Elias. And so here we stand. A 3 game winning streak in response to a 3 game winless streak in the prior week.

Again, I cannot emphasize enough how the Devils succeeded in spite of losing players to injuries. Players like Dean McAmmond, Mark Fraser, and Tim Sestito have shown to be more than just "filler" players on a roster in the absence of regular Devils. All three can definitely play decent minutes at the NHL level. Young call ups like Tyler Eckford, Matthew Corrente, and most-recently Vladimir Zharkov got a taste of NHL hockey and showed promise in the limited minutes they got.

Of course, I cannot discount the return of Devils legend Patrik Elias. Finally returning from injury, he needed a few games to get back into his groove. It took him 4 games before getting any points and when he did, it was 2 assists against Philadelphia. By the end of the month, New Jersey fans are being delighted by seeing the old Patrik back. Elias now has 3 goals and 5 assists since opening his points account on November 16, most notably blowing up against the Islanders on November 28 for 2 goals and 2 assists. Glad to have you back and healthy, Patrik!

Yet, it was the top players on the team who led the way throughout the month. Where would the Devils be without the fine play of their top forwards, their top 4 defensemen, and Martin Brodeur? A place we really don't want to think about (namely, right next to the Rangers in the standings). When the team has gone 9-2-1 in a single month, lots of players look deserving for player of the month. Or at least some definite praise. Believe it or not, I think Martin Brodeur had a Devil of the Month worthy November. He went 8-2-1, gave up 18 goals in 11 games, and yielded a mind-boggling 93.9% save percentage. The NHL even named him the Second Star of the Week for giving up a mere 3 goals in the last 3 games. Yet, I think two Devils have impressed me more than that in the last month:

Devil of the Month Honorable Mention:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
November 2009 - Andy Greene	12	2	7	9	3	2	2	0	2	26:10	20	10.0

Prior to the season, I set my expectations low for Andy Greene. I figured he was going to have to fight for his spot on the team's #6 defenseman. In fact, he did, as Cory Murphy eventually started in his place. But since Murphy didn't do so well to start, Lemaire gave Greene a shot and rarely has he looked back. What's most impressive is that since the injuries to Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya, Jacques Lemaire has put his trust into Greene.

Greene's been productive while not slowing down with the ridiculous workload he's been getting. Seriously, unless I can't average time on ice, he's averaged 26 minutes a game this month. He's actually leading the blueline in Martin's absence. To think, he didn't even start the season on the team's top 6! Per the even strength numbers at Behind the Net, it's not all good with Greene - the team's shots against per 60 do rise from 24.7 to 29.5 when Greene gets on the ice. On the other hand, the goals against per 60 drop from 1.88 to 1.40 when he's on the ice; and he's the only active defenseman with a positive CORSI (1.1). So he's not shutting anyone down, but it's not But if you want an example of someone stepping up in place of injury to play out of their minds, Greene is a fantastic example. Seriously - 26 minutes on average a night in November, who DOES this?

While Greene has certainly impressed me, one player has not only been great, but consistently great for New Jersey in November. Zach Parise, you are the In Lou We Trust Devil of the Month for November 2009.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	ATOI	SOG	PCT
November 2009 - Zach Parise	12	9	7	16	13	0	1	1	1	0	50	18.0

No, Parise didn't have a game where he exploded for 4 points like Elias and Rolston did against the Islanders. No, Parise didn't drop a hat trick on anyone. All Parise did in November was grabbing points. In fact, he had a point and at least 3 shots on net (at least 4 if you throw out the Nashville game) in every game in this past month with one exception - the Devils' 2-1 win on November 6 against the Islanders. That was the only game where Parise was held to very little. In every other game (11 out of 12, in case you forgot), Parise had a hand in the scoring, somehow and in someway.

In total, Parise managed to score 9 goals, 7 assists, put 50 shots on net (A shooting percentage of 18%!!), take exactly 0 penalty minutes (!!!), and played an average of 21:30. When I said the Devils keep on succeeding because their top players are playing at a high level, Parise's November is a good as example as you can find. He's expected to be the team's offensive leader. He's expected to produce on a regular basis. Parise is doing that and taking more minutes and showing no drop off to his game. He's hustling just as well with Travis Zajac as he does when double shifted to the fourth line. He's more than willing to jam pucks in front of the net to score as he is on breakaways like this one against Washington from November 14 (which turned out to be the game winner):

And I didn't even mention that he's got a point streak that's 10 games long and still going strong.

Zach Parise leads the Devils and all Americans in the NHL in the scoring with 15 goals and 15 assists; and it doesn't look like anything is going to stop him. Especially with the roster being in flux due to injuries, Parise's consistent scoring is even more valuable. More so, when you consider he can easily continue to play this well. For that, I feel he is more than deserving to be the In Lou We Trust Devil of the Month.

Zach Parise

#9 / Left Wing / New Jersey Devils

Height: 5-11

Weight: 190

Born: Jul 28, 1984

November 2009 Devil of the Month

Monthly Stats: 12 GP, 9 G, 7 A, +13, 0 PIM, 50 SOG

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 News and Notes, Nov 28-30, 2009

TibbsBeastoftheEast — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:42:43 -0000

Clarkson is sidelined 4-to-6 weeks - (The Bergen Record)
Elias and Rolston spark Devils - (The Bergen Record)

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!

New Jersey Devils Grind Out a Win over Boston Bruins with the Shootout, 2-1

John Fischer — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:38:49 -0000

More photos » by Mary Schwalm - AP

The New Jersey Devils celebrate after getting one past Boston's Tuukka Rask. Zach Parise was the goalscorer and turned out to be the only one for NJ during regulation. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm)

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It wasn't an easy game at all for the New Jersey Devils. The Boston Bruins, who won their last four, were pressing hard early and in the third period. While the Devils outshot the Bruins 37-33, the Bruins had more possession, pinned the Devils back in their own end more often, and had better scoring chances. Yet, the score remained tied thanks to one man: Martin Brodeur.

Today, Martin Brodeur broke the all-time NHL record for career minutes played in the second period. That wasn't all. He wasn't just big in Boston, he was massive. Long shots, point-blank shots, shots from the slot, up high, down low, on the ground, while standing - Brodeur made every stop except for one. A shot right on Brodeur's flank right in front of the crease courtesy of Blake Wheeler. Nevertheless, Martin Brodeur prevented this one from becoming a Boston rout in the third period and for that alone, he should be praised. The Devils get nothing from today's game if it wasn't for Brodeur bringing his "A" game.

Credit should also go to Boston's Tuukka Rask as well; he had a busy afternoon with 37 shots against and he was only beaten by Zach Parise forcing a puck into the net. But the Bruins had more scoring chances in my opinion, more dangerous shots on net, and Brodeur was the sole reason the Devils got a point - much less two. Jamie Langenbrunner sealed the deal in the shootout and so the Devils win their second straight over Boston and in general. NHL.com has their recap up with a link to the boxscore and other stats.

Check out Stanley Cup of Chowder for his recap later on - he was at the game, as I understand it so it'll be up a little later. My recap continues after the jump.

First, an embedded video of the game's highlights via NHL.com. Expect a lot of saves:

The win didn't come easy at all for New Jersey. First, the Devils lost David Clarkson early in the game. Clarkson blocked a Zdeno Chara slapshot from point blank right on his right ankle. He had to crawl to the bench, he did not return at all, and that is definitely concerning. The last thing the Devils need is another injured forward. Unfortunately, per this postgame post by Tom Gulitti, Jacques Lemaire is already saying that the injury "doesn't look good." That could mean just the fact that another Devils is injured doesn't look good, but it could also mean the injury is serious. More will be available tomorrow, but I wouldn't expect Clarkson to play at the Rock.

Second, the Devils had to make a lot of heads up plays in their own end, leading them to be pinned back further. The Devils blocked a total of 17 shots, 4 by Bryce Salvador, but many of these blocks led to an errant clearance that the Bruins picked up in New Jersey's end or a clearance that got the Devils to change but Boston easily got so they could start again. Ultimately, the Devils got into too many cycles where they kept having to defend over and over. It's great that they made defensive stops, and it's great that Martin Brodeur made so many saves. But it's not great that the Devils essentially made it easier for the Bruins to attack over and over. In particular, the make-shift third line of Tim Sestito-Dean McAmmond-Matt Halischuk got worked over the most in the third period but this was true across all four lines.

Yes, all four lines. There was a Rod Pelley and Andrew Peters sighting in the third period. Not that Jacques Lemaire wanted to spread out some of the fatigue among the forwards. The top two lines got plenty of work with all of them playing at least 20 minutes today except for Nicklas Bergfors (18:28). As usual, the defensemen endured a disparity in time played. While Matthew Corrente got 10:52 of ice time, the workload was all over the top four with Andy Greene playing a mind-boggling 27:59 this afternoon. And to think, only Mike Mottau (26:52) made a fatal error - giving the puck right to Byron Bitz who fed Blake Wheeler for the goal. I really hope Greene gets a lot of rest tonight because the Islanders aren't going to give him a break tomorrow.

With respect to individual statlines, this may surprise you, but Brian Rolston had the most impressive set of numbers. He played 22:45, put 7 shots on net, attempted 10 (3 misses), and had 5 hits. Really. He had the second best scoring chance in the first period when he broke away on a breakaway, but was forced to the side by Dennis Wideman from behind and so Rolston's shot was on an angle and hit Tuukka Rask's helmet.

Going back to things that made this game difficult for New Jersey: the power play. The Devils didn't have too many of these, the refs let the players play today. But in the first period, Travis Zajac had a wide open net right in front and the shot was shanked during the Devils' first power play. The miss wasn't fatal, but it was regrettable. If only Zajac actually had the puck on his stick when he attempted to shoot it! Who knows how . Later on, during a power play late in the second period, Brian Rolston "slashed" Dennis Wideman (I'll give Dennis this, he knows how to sell a move - like a wrestler!) which led to a minor penalty that wiped that chance out early into the man advantage. I can't complain about the special teams too loudly, since the Devils' PK was solid, but it's still opportunities wasted.

Lastly, I have to praise the Bruins' for their balanced attack. 33 shots, Patrice Bergeron led with 5, but 5 other Bruins had at least 3 shots on net, and only Marco Sturm ended the game without a shot on net - and that's only because Matthew Corrente recovered from getting burned to stop him from shooting. The Bruins were better at faceoffs, winning 61% of all draws - further proof of Boston's advantage in terms of puck possession. It wasn't one line or one player that gave the Devils' issues - it was the whole team.

That all said, I would have been happy with just a point. But the Devils managed to hold steady in overtime and earn the win in the shootout. This reminded me of Stanley Cup of Chowder's recap of Boston's previous win: a game where the Bruins didn't look like the superior team, where the Bruins kept it close largely in part of their goaltender, and got the win (2-1, no less). The Devils will take the win; but they'll have to be ready for a tough one tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, they all get a good night's sleep - they'll need it after such a tight game today.

Thanks to Steve for the GameThread, the commenters in said GameThread, and you, for reading all this. Please share your thoughts, concerns, and such in the comments.

New Jersey Devils Fall Down, Rise Up, but Finally Fall to Dallas Stars, 5-3

John Fischer — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:34:58 -0000

More photos » by Mike Fuentes - AP

Brian Rolston would go on to finish this move and beat Marty Turco for the game's first goal. The problem is, the Devils did nothing to build on it and Dallas hit back with 3 later that period. (AP Photo/Mike Fuentes)

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The New Jersey Devils have just had a poor week. They got outplayed in Philly and had their winning streak broken by 3-2. The Devils and Nashville Predators played an even game, but Nashville won with the shootout. Tonight could be seen as the worst loss. Now without Dainius Zubrus, the Devils switched their line up, started Yann Danis, and got rolled 3-1 in the first period to Dallas. The Devils eventually made the comeback to tie it up at 3, but Tom Wandell stole all the momentum back and Stephane Robidas put the nail in the coffin.

The Devils did what they often did, came back from a deficit, only this time the opposition re-took the lead. The Devils lost 5-3, they are now winless in 3, and will have Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday to think about what needs to be changed prior to the Senators coming to the Rock on Wednesday. NHL.com has their recap up, with links to the boxscore and other stats. Brandon Worley has a recap going at Defending Big D - check that out if you want to read about the Dallas' view of tonight's game. I guess they're ecstatic with Robidas' performance. Read on for my recap.

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

While the Devils did come back in the second period (where Brian Rolston scored from the point and the team generally looked better) and tied it up in the third period by way of a Travis Zajac power play goal, they did little to press the issue after Zajac's equalizer and the defense got too shaky at times. As a result, Dallas saw their opening and got a break when Tom Wandell was able to follow up his own shot. That not only revitalized Dallas, but it returned the Devils to their first-period mode. Stephane Robidas - who was having an amazing game - was left uncovered for the one-timer and with it being so late in the game at that point, the Devils had no real chance to get momentum back short of Marty Turco making a ridiculous error. But that wasn't happening - the Devils put 34 shots on Turco, outshooting Dallas, and the only time the goalie looked off was when he tried to the play puck. That wasn't happening, it didn't happen, and that was the game. The Devils weren't good enough in the first period and didn't build upon an equalizing goal in the third period.

There were positives in the game. Scoring the first goal was a positive. Coming from behind and taking advantage of the Stars in the second period was a positive while down 3-1. Scoring two power play goals was a positive. Brian Rolston scoring a two goals - and having a good night overall - was a positive. Andy Greene playing 26:54 and blocking 8 shots (Dallas had 23 blocked total. Yes, Greene alone accounted for nearly 25% of all blocked shots) Matthew Corrente was a positive (of sorts), playing at forward and not looking terribly out of place. Elias looked more like his old self tonight, putting up 4 shots and getting 2 assists - that's a positive. No one got injured, though Nicklas Grossman checked Zach Parise from behind into the corner boards late in the game. Given the state of the team, no injuries is definitely a positive.

But they didn't lead the Devils to a result. They got them into a situation where they could have earned a point or even two of them, only for the Stars to take the game right back into their favor.

Yet, I question some of the decisions made by the Devils tonight. Not just on-ice decisions like the penalties the Devils took, but also in how they were used. The lines were jumbled up so much, we actually saw a shift of Zach Parise with Tim Sestito and Matthew Corrente. We saw Elias at center after all, but not Corrente as a defender. Despite 7 defensemen on the roster, we saw the same four defenders get the same amount of minutes again, and I think they're honestly starting to get tired more often - the workload could be getting to them. Danis had little chance on any of the 3 goals given up, I'm not sure why Lemaire felt he had to replace him with Martin Brodeur after the first.

Most of all, I'm not sure why the Devils didn't adjust for Dallas' top players. Mike Ribiero and Brad Richards had fantastic nights and were able to make slick passes all night long. Richards had a hand on 4 of Dallas' goals, so why wasn't he tightly checked? Stephane Robidas had a (Pierre McGuire-worthy) MONSTER night with 2 goals and 2 assists, 22:38 of ice time, 8 hits (I think the scorekeeper was generous with the hits, Dallas was credited with 62), and four shots on goal. Given the first and second goals scored, you can say that every one of Robidas' shots on net led to a goal if it didn't go in on its own. Couldn't Lemaire have just told the team, especially after a three-point first period, to have someone always smother him when he's on the point?

But what's done is done. Now the larger question is whether we should be really worried as Devils fans. After all, the injuries are looking to take their toll. On the other hand, that the Devils were able to tie this game up and yet give it right back is not just disappointing, but inexcusable. The Devils honestly looked like they were a team looking for the win, especially after the second period and the Travis Zajac's power play goal in the third. But they got sloppy in their own end and Tom Wandell sucked the life right back into the home team. It doesn't matter how depleted the roster may be, allowing to let momentum slip away after working so hard to tie the game up is just not acceptable.

Inconsistent play often leads to losses. The Devils certainly weren't great in the first period or in the last 11 minutes of the third period. Lo and behold, that's when Dallas struck. Not that the Stars were consistent, but they weren't as inconsistent as the Devils were. Not in terms of length of time or the severity of the inconsistency.

I'll update this with an embedded video of all the highlights from NHL.com as soon as it appears. Check out Defending Big D for the Dallas fan's view of the game. Surely they must be pleased, especially with Stephane Robidas. Feel free to leave your thoughts, questions (e.g. Why is Andrew Peters on this roster if he's only getting 3 shifts?), complaints (I'm sure you'll have a few), and other messages about tonight's game in the comments. As usual, thanks for reading.

New Jersey Devils Morning News, Nov 18

TibbsBeastoftheEast — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:44:41 -0000

Shanahan announces retirement - (Fire & Ice)
Lemaire proactive with Devils’ practices - (Fire & Ice)

Elias not thinking about Olympics, yet; Parise unhappy with Pronger cross checks (corrected) - (Fire & Ice)
Devils getting ready to go to Nashville; Injured players staying home - (Fire & Ice)
No rest for Lemaire; Elias, Langenbrunner, Clarkson, Salvador not practicing - (Fire & Ice)
Looking for rest, NJ Devils instead hit the ice for practice after lazy road loss - (The Star Ledger)
NJ Devils GM Lou Lamoriello praises Brendan Shanahan - (The Star Ledger)
Former NJ Devils, NY Rangers forward Brendan Shanahan announces his retirement - (The Star Ledger)
Jacques Lemaire: NJ Devils must avoid a letdown after loss to Flyers - (The Star Ledger)
Two winning streaks are over, but NJ Devils are driven to start another - (The Star Ledger)
Shanny hangs 'em up - (The New York Daily News)
Lemaire keeps Devils on their toes - (The New York Post)
Shanny retires, up for league job - (The New York Post)
Shanahan Retires After 21-Year Career - (The New York Times)
Fischler: The Law of Averages - (Msgnetwork)
Cangy: Elias Contributes - (Msgnetwork)
Brendan Shanahan announces retirement - (NewJerseyDevils.com)
Thursday Night Party - (NewJerseyDevils.com)
Impact! NHL.com's online magazine - (NHL.com); Lou Lamoriello
'Shanny', Burke helped turn Devils around - (NHL.com)
Brendan Shanahan announces retirement - (NHL.com)
Bowman: Shanahan the "missing piece" - (NHL.com)
Chase recalls Shanny's halcyon days in St. Louis - (NHL.com)
NHL Standings - (Yahoo NHL)
Devils' players stats - (Yahoo NHL)
Devils Team Report - (Yahoo NHL)
The NHL without Brendan Shanahan is sadly now a reality - (Yahoo NHL)
Fantasy Pool Look: Bergfors becoming big force - (The Hockey News)
NHL Power Poll: Are Devils really this good? - (Sporting News)
Shanahan leaves impressive off-ice legacy - (Globe and Mail)
Shanahan To Retire: Thank You Shanny - (Bleacher Report)
Brendan Shanahan Retires: Great Player, Entertaining Person - (fanhouse.com)

LOWELL DEVILS
Lowell Extends Winning Streak To Five - Top-ranked offense helps tie franchise mark for consecutive wins - (LowellDevilsHockey.com)
Eagles' grad Eckford named American Hockey League POW - (BCHL)

TRENTON DEVILS
Cyclones, Penalties Doom Devils 3-1 - (TrentonDevils.com)

AROUND THE NHL
News of Hockey, 11/17/09: Shanahan Retires; Naslund Unretires and Joins Forsberg in Sweden - (The New York Times)

VANCOUVER 2010
NHL.com's Olympic roster selections - (NHL.com)

MISCELLANEOUS
West Kelowna's Curtis Gedig the newest Ohio State Buckeye - (Kelowna.com)
Newark's newest venture offers a jolt to Devils fans - (NJBIZ)
Gedig and Szczechura commit to Ohio State for 2010 NCAA season - (BCHL)

New Jersey Devils Outplayed by the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2 Loss Ends Devils' 8 Game Winning Streak

John Fischer — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:31:57 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

Philadelphia Flyers' Ray Emery, left, blocks a shot as New Jersey Devils' Travis Zajac looks on in the third period. This happened quite often. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Browse more photos »

The New Jersey Devils lost tonight and it was unfortunately a deserved loss. The loss ends the eight game winning streak as well ends the nine game road winning streak. The score reads 3-2, but the Philadelphia Flyers were the dominant team on the ice. They played with confidence, they played with smarts, and they were superb in clogging the neutral zone and their own slot. Quite frankly, they deserved the win tonight and they got it. NHL.com has their recap up, with links to the boxscore, highlights, and extra stats.

Poor would be would turn out to be the theme of the game for the Devils. Devils fans have a right to be unhappy with their favorite team's opponent - especially against a rival. But they should not have been surprised. Read on after the jump for my thoughts on the game. Check out Broad Street Hockey later for their recap of tonight's game.

First, some highlights from NHL.com. Come see how poor the Devils looked on the goals they gave up:

The Devils were poor with the puck, constantly turning it over and making poor passes throughout the night. The Devils were poor on defense, conceding 35 shots and a seemingly boatload of scoring chance to the Flyers. From what I understand, Mike Mottau and Colin White definitely did not have a good night. As an example, White's poor clearance on the Devils' first penalty kill went right back to the Flyers, who kept it in the zone. Scott Hartnell was able to get the puck and a cross-crease pass bounced off Mike Mottau and beat Brodeur. Perhaps tonight was the first game where the Devils truly missed Paul Martin (and Johnny Oduya). While Martin would have been a big help, we've seen the rest of the defense have had better nights. Tonight clearly wasn't one of them.

While Martin Brodeur made many big saves and kept this from being a Flyers rout by himself, even he had his poor moments. An clearance off the boards was stopped by Arron Asham, who fed it to an open Claude Giroux, who fed it to a wide-open Darrel Powe for the easy shot off Marty's flank. The clearance would be the first mistake, though the defense could have, you know, covered the other Flyer forwards. The second one would be more costly. When the Flyers forecheck kept the puck in deep, the puck came loose from the corner and just before Bryce Salvador played it, Brodeur poke-checked it. Only it went right to James Van Riemsdyk, who just fired it right back. That would be the Flyers' third goal and that one was fully Brodeur's error. Due to a last second consolation goal, it became the game winning goal. But, really, it was just a backbreaker. Since the goal was Marty's fault, it may look like he cost the game; but he really didn't. He made a lot of big saves tonight - he was the reason it's not 5-2 or 6-1 blowout loss.

As did Ray Emery at the other end. Only the Flyers benefited from a Devils' offense that went into hibernation for stretches at a time through the game. The Devils nearly went 12 minutes in the third period without a single shot on net. While down 2-1 and then 3-1. Seriously. This was the direct result of the Devils struggling on their breakout, constantly clearing the puck back to the Flyers, and with getting passes on target into the neutral zone. This was a problem that occurred again and again for the Devils - though they were able to get it together for some parts of the game.

For the most part, the Flyers were consistent in their attack, putting 35 shots on net on 62 total attempts (14 blocked by Devils, 13 misses). When the Devils were able to go forward, the Flyers' defense was literally right in their way. The Devils also had 35 shots on net, but made 73 attempts: they missed the net 12 times, and were blocked 26 times in the game. When you're getting blocked that much in a game, that's just awful. Jamie Langenbrunner had 5 shots on net and was blocked 6 times. Zach Parise, who managed a goal and an assist, had 4 shots on net and was blocked 5 times. David Clarkson led the team in shots tonight with seven and even he was denied by a Flyer 4 times when he was shooting.

All this speaks to poor shot selection. The Flyers let the Devils have the point, let them have the long shot, and the Devils stupidly took it over and over - only for the shot to be stopped or deflected in traffic. Whatever got through was calmly stopped by Emery.

The shot blocks/poor shooting decisions were most notable on the Devils' five power plays. Sure, the Devils finally did get a 5-on-3 power play goal thanks to David Clarkson's shot off a rebound. Yes, the Devils were able to have some good possession on their power plays. But the blocked shots just prevented it from being damaging. The Devils were able to move the puck in the zone only to not get a shot off at all because of the traffic - and when they did, it often was blocked. Those power plays were missed opportunities and I'm really surprised the Devils didn't adjust much for the Flyers' defensive gameplan.

The Flyers were able to clog the middle and successfully all night long. Emery did face 35 shots, but he didn't have to make ridiculous stops on rebounds or forwards behind his own defense multiple times. He was only beaten twice on point blank shots and you can't really fault him for that. At least, I wouldn't.

With poor defense, poor mistakes, poor puck movement, poor decisions to shoot, and not adjusting properly for the opposition's defending, how can you win? You don't. The Flyers only real big error was taking far too many stick-related penalties (two slashing calls, two tripping calls, a hi-sticking call). The scoreline was only kept close due to Brodeur's big saves and Zach Parise's last second put-back in the slot. I suppose Patrik Elias getting his first two points - assists - of the season is a positive. But even then, Devils fans can't be happy with the result nor how bad the Devils looked tonight. I'm certain Jacques Lemaire isn't happy with the performance.

So what now? Well, the sun will rise tomorrow. The eight game winning streak and the nine game road winning streak are both over, thanks to a poor game by the Devils. They do have a great opportunity to rebound on Thursday and Saturday. They'll be on the road in Nashville and Dallas. Good, winning performances there will not only restore their confidence, but send the message that this season's Devils team isn't just a flash in the pan. As far as the Flyers go, the Devils will have four more games to get revenge on them this season. Now is the time for the team to reflect on what went wrong and work on not making those mistakes in the next few games.

Thanks for reading. Thanks to Steve for the GameThread and to all the commenters. Please leave all your thoughts about the game in the comments and let's hope for a better game on Thursday.

Game 19 Preview: New Jersey Devils @ Philadelphia Flyers - 11/16/2009

John Fischer — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:29 -0000

by Bill Kostroun - AP

Things I want to see tonight: The New Jersey Devils' Zach Parise elated after scoring a goal. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

View full size photo »

The Time: 7 PM EST

The Broadcasting Info: Versus for the TV (hope you don't have DirecTV like I do); Devils main site/NHL for radio feed

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (14-4-0) @ the Philadelphia Flyers (10-5-1)

The Last Devils Game: The Devils got off to a rocky start by giving up two goals to the Washington Capitals on their first two shots. Then New Jersey hit back with five unanswered and beautiful goals. My recap of the game explains why the score flattered the Devils more than anything else.

The Last Flyers Game: The Flyers were hot prior to visiting the Buffalo Sabres. Alas, the Sabres got the best of them and held off a third period comeback effort by the Orange and Black. The Flyers lost to the Sabres, 3-2; a loss described by Geoff Detweiler at Broad Street Hockey as "frustrating" in his recap.

The Last Devils-Flyers Game: It was the home opener at the Rock, but it was anything but welcoming for the Devils. The Flyers were just a step ahead of the Devils all night long and comfortably won 5-2. I called the game as a rout by the Flyers since they were so dominant with the puck in my recap back in October.

The Goal: Stay vigilant. In my opinion, the Devils are in that odd area where they've won so much - undefeated on the road - yet the wins largely didn't come easy. In five of the last six games, the Devils conceded the first goal - most recently, the first two goals against the Caps - forcing them to make a comeback. Can we honestly expect the Devils to keep doing this over and over? Yet, just when I think the opening to a game may lead to the eventual end of the winning streak, the Devils dig deep and eventually make their presence felt, equalizing before killing off the game for yet another win.

The Flyers are a tough enough opponent as-is, being a rival; and emotions tonight will especially be high as the team will honor Dave Schultz prior to the game. Therefore, I feel the Devils should aim to be on guard and not let the start of the game get to them. After all, New Jersey has been winning this way for the past two weeks.

Read on for further thoughts about the game, a guess at lines, and some insight into the Flyers thanks to Travis Hughes of Broad Street Hockey.

Today, Jamie Langenbrunner, Bryce Salvador, Andy Greene, and David Clarkson didn't practice; but according to Jacques Lemaire via Tom Gulitti, they'll be expected to play. In that regard, I'm going to guess we're going to see the same lineup that the Rock saw on Saturday against the Capitals.

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Patrik Elias
Brian Rolston - Dainius Zubrus - Jamie Langenbrunner
Matt Halischuk - Tim Sestito - Niclas Bergfors
Andrew Peters - Rod Pelley - David Clarkson

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

Martin Brodeur
Yann Danis

Admittedly, I'm not feeling all four lines on paper but take comfort in that Lemaire will likely change them during the game. If not within the first period, then most likely after the first intermission. That's why this is a guess at the lineup as opposed to the expected lineup.

Also: I'm not a fan of fighting, but I would like to see Peters actually be the one to eat any fighting majors. The Flyers, on Dave Schultz Night, are a team that isn't at all averse to starting something on the ice. Given that Peters is best known for punching people in the face, it'd be better for him to do the fighting instead of a useful player like, say, Clarkson or Salvador. (And perhaps Mark Fraser too considering the last fight he was in with a Flyer didn't go so well. Per Gulitti, he won't be looking for one - which is good.) Maybe we'll see Leblond if Lemaire is thinking tonight could get out of hand with the physical stuff?

Now, just for kicks, let's take a moment to look at who the top shooters on the Devils as of now:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	PCT
Zach Parise	18	10	12	22	12	4	2	1	1	80	12.5
Brian Rolston	17	4	3	7	-2	2	2	0	1	57	7.0
Nicklas Bergfors	18	5	9	14	1	6	3	0	2	53	9.4
David Clarkson	18	6	8	14	3	31	2	0	2	48	12.5
Jamie Langenbrunner	18	4	11	15	6	0	1	1	1	46	8.7
Travis Zajac	18	6	12	18	9	8	2	0	0	46	13.0

Five of the Devils' top six shooters are the top five scorers on the team. I don't think that's coincidence. Yet, the exception is Brian Rolston. Now, let me be frank: I feel if he keeps up his shooting, the points will come. After all, it wasn't long ago that Bergfors was able to get shots but no points, much less goals. He kept doing what he was doing and now he's made the adjustments necessary to get goals. With that sweet pass to Matt Halischuk on Saturday night for his first goal, Bergfors is also improving in his awareness and in his confidence to make plays. While Rolston's not a rookie like Bergfors, confidence is still a key ingredient for success on the ice. That will come eventually as long as Rolston continues to put in a good effort on offense night in and night out.

Likewise, look at Clarkson's and Zajac's stat lines. It's interesting that all three have similar shooting percentages so far. While I'm not sure if they can keep up that rate, it does lead one to wonder. Do they just need to shoot more, or are both players more selective with their shots - leading to more accurate shots? I'd like to see them shoot more often if only to provide additional offensive pressure outside of Parise. In Clarkson's case, just staying out of the penalty box could lead to more shooting opportunities!

I highlight these 6 shooters because tonight's performance by the Devils will hinge on how well these guys do up against this man:

	GP	MIN	W	L	T	EGA	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
Ray Emery	15	912	10	4			34	2.24	431	397	.921	1

Yep, Emery has been fantastic to start this season. That sound you may hear is the grumblings of confused Ottawa fans. Parise & Co. will have their work cut out for them if they are able to get an open look at Emery. I think that if those six aren't able to put tough shots on net, then I'm not sure how the Devils will be able to come out of Philly with a win. I'm not saying that the Devils need to shoot every time they have the puck on their stick; setting up a shot is usually worth the wait if it's done right. But they would be wise to force Emery to stand on his head as often as possible. Though, I'm worried that Emery will do just that given how well he has played so far!

Speaking of the Flyers, I was fortunate to ask some questions to Travis Hughes of Broad Street Hockey to get some insight about Our Second Hated Rivals.

Question #1. The Flyers' winning streak has just been snapped, but they came awfully close to coming from behind against Buffalo. How do you think the Flyers will respond now that they have lost a game? Do you expect them to bounce back or do you think a loss was coming from their on-ice play and could be the start of something worse?

TH: The Flyers looked dead in the first part of the game against Buffalo. They were out-hit, out-worked, and out-played by the Sabres. Toward the end of the second period and for just about all of the third, however, they were the better team. A few bad bounces went against them and ultimately wound up costing them, and when you couple that with a less-than-complete performance, you're not going to win in the NHL. But like I said, the effort was there toward the end of the game and I'd expect them to come out firing against the Devils on Monday night. It's a division game, how could you not?

Question #2. The Flyers currently boast the best power play in the league with a 26.7% conversion rate. From what you have seen, why do you think the Flyers have been so successful on the power play?

TH: Chris Pronger [JF Aside: Statline below, please note he averages 27:01 of ice time per game].

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Chris Pronger	16	4	13	17	13	26	1	0	0	0	36	11.1

It's hard to believe one player can be so effective, but it's the trickle-down effect that he causes that makes this power play so good. With Pronger at the helm of one power play unit, Kimmo Timonen can run the other, giving them two extremely solid units that can beat anyone. When you've got two of the best PP point-men on your team, it's tough to be stopped.

Question #3. Turning to not-so-pleasant team statistics, the Flyers have averaged 16.9 PIM/game so far this season, the fourth highest in the league. Has this been an issue in Philadelphia, and if so, what do you think the team needs to do to cut down on their penalty minutes?

TH: I think we all look at it as progress, actually. They were the top team in the league last year and stupid penalties are probably what cost them a shot at the Cup last year. This year, while the number is still high, players like Dan Carcillo and Scott Hartnell have shown a lot more discipline. Carcillo, in fact, has probably drawn more penalties then he's taken so far this year. It's something the team as a whole still needs to work on, for sure, but it's getting better.

Question #4. While Devils fans are beginning to praise rookie winger Nicklas Bergfors more and more, the Flyers have an impressive rookie winger of their own: James van Riemsdyk. Based on what you have seen of him this season, what sticks out from his game that has made him so successful so far?

TH: He doesn't seem to be bothered by the fact that he's playing in the NHL. He's extremely poised on the ice for a rookie. He just goes out and plays his game like he's still at New Hampshire and he acts like he belongs on the team. For a guy that most thought would be in Adirondack this season, it's an impressive quality to have. At the same time, it doesn't hurt to have Jeff Carter and Danny Briere as his linemates. Those two are pretty good teachers.

Question #5. Lastly, what do you predict will happen in tonight's game?

TH: It's Dave Schultz Night at the Wachovia Center, so I'm going to say a 3-1 Flyer win with about four fights. Wouldn't be right, otherwise.

Big thanks to Travis of Broad Street Hockey for answering my questions for this preview. I, of course, disagree with his prediction. I'd like to point out that the Devils have spoiled home openers this season on the road as well as decisively beating teams who were then superior in the standings. A loss by the Flyers would be right with respect to the Devils' current road form.

But do take heed in Travis' responses. I, too, expect the Flyers to come out tonight to play with a purpose and avoid what they did wrong against Buffalo on Saturday night. This is a very talented team from Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, and the aforementioned van Reimsdyk at forward; to the noted Pronger, Matt Carle and Timonen leading their blueline; and behind all of that is Ray Emery. And they are trying to actually improve one of their trouble spots: penalties.

The Devils have a chance to tie a NHL record with 10 consecutive road wins and if they can do it tonight, it would be a big feat considering the quality of the opponent. Just beating Ray Emery will be a feat, considering how well he's played so far. If they stay vigilant on the ice and continue playing their game even if the start doesn't go well, then the Devils still have a chance to get the win - even from behind if necessary. They won at MSG, at the Verizon Center, at the TD Garden, and twice at the Igloo. The Devils know how to play rivals on their turf and the vigilance they displayed there will be required to win tonight in Philly.

Want to share your dislike for the Flyers or discuss how the Devils need to win tonight? Please leave all your thoughts, questions, concerns, and other words about tonight's game in the comments. Steve will take care of the GameThread. Expect a radio-based recap on my end as I don't have Versus thanks to the current DirecTV-Versus spat. It's been a while since I've listened to the radio feed so it will certainly be a different experience. Nonetheless, either by radio, TV, or by being there live, please support the right team in this game: Go Devils!