SB Nation - Jay Leach

Sharks Gameday: I'll shoot myself if it goes to the shootout.

That'll Cheech You — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 11:00:41 -0000

	@ 5:00 PST
19-7-7, 45 points		18-11-2, 28 points
1st in Western Conference		7th in Western Conference

Television	CSN-CA
Radio	98.5 KFOX, Sjsharks.com
Antagonists	Five For Howling

In the Sharks last seven games, they've been to the shootout three times. Now, we can bitch and moan about the shootout as much as we want, but fact of the matter is that it's a part of the game. No if's and's or but's about it. It's unavoidable.

What should have been avoidable, though, is going to the shootout. The fact that the Sharks have led late in the third period in both of the shootout losses is troubling. Aside from the miraculous comeback in Edmonton, the Sharks have shat the bed twice and had to settle the score in the crapshoot. Blech. (I can also bitch because I was at the Tank live earlier this year to watch the Sharks do practically the same thing against the Stars. Deja vu... terrible feeling, terrible TV show, terrible movie.)

Like Plank said yesterday, it is really to early to start to worry about the team. Every squad hits a lull here or there, it's just what happens in an 82 game season. But ever since that stomping against Chicago on November 27th, the Sharks just haven't looked the same. Before, they were playing like they knew they were the best team in the NHL. When the Blackhawks hung seven on them, well, that was a blow to the ego.

The Sharks will get their swagger back, but it's going to take some hard work and improved skating to do that. In the last two games, the Sharks have taken two hooking penalties and three tripping penalties. That's more than two penalties per game stemming from a lack of hustle. You just can't have that. In addition to those five calls, the Sharks have been shorthanded five more time, and the Kings and Stars happily cashed in at a clip of 30%. In that same span, San Jose is one for nine with the man advantage.

Two poor games does not a season make, but I haven't been happy with what I've seen the last week or so. The Sharks need to realize that it's up to them to force the opposition to play their game for 60 minutes. They played well in the first 20 last night, and then let the Stars dictate the game. From here on out, it should be an end to end battle.

Last night wasn't all bad though. We got our first look at Jay Leach, who in my opinion, looked like a solid pickup for a team in need of defense. He shouldn't be a top pairing guy if Murray is healthy (Murray shouldn't either, but that's another story), but I thought that he played well, facilitated the breakout, and adjusted quickly to the Sharks game plan. He was much better than Huskins last night, and I wouldn't be opposed to seeing Leach get some starts over Ken in the coming weeks. That won't make us any better on the offensive side, but he looked good doing what we needed him to do: make some hits, don't make mistakes, and don't slow the team down. He's not the end all be all fix on the team, but he could be a nice surprise going forward.

Thank God the Sharks are on the road again, since that's the only place they seem to win games as of late. I have to be honest... I never thought December (a month in which we play four games on the road) would the month where we would have the most trouble thus far. I guess that's why I'm laying in bed eating a hot pocket instead of sitting next to Brett Hedican. Oh, to be Brodie Braz... never mind, I think I'll just stick to my hot pocket.

Prediction: Sharks win 4-3. Goals by Setoguchi (2), McGinn, and Marleau. Thomas Greiss makes some erratic movements either on the bench or between the pipes. Shane Doan scores a goal, celebrates, then wonders if selling his soul for special powers against the Sharks was worth it.

Go Sharks.

Sharks Gameday: Home Stand City

Mr. Plank — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:00:27 -0000

	@ 7:30 PST
10-10-5, 25 points		19-6-4, 42 points
12th in Western Conference		1st in Western Conference

Television	CSN-CA (HD)
Radio	98.5 KFOX, Sjsharks.com
Antagonists	St. Louis Game Time

After two straight months of a heavy road schedule, San Jose returned to The Tank on Wednesday night for 64 days of some serious home cooking. Seven road games, with the longest trip being two game stints in Dallas/Chicago and Los Angeles/Phoenix respectively. The other three are quick one game flights to Phoenix and Los Angeles.

As if they haven't loaded up on points already, the next two months are a great opportunity to avoid the rigors of the road, stay healthy, and cash in on standings points that will allow them to ease the burden off the players who end up going to the Olympic games once they return. It's a far cry from do or die of course, but the potential to really do some points damage is ripe for the taking. Should be an exciting stretch to see.

David Pollak of Working The Corners had a very informative article yesterday on two points of note-- an unspecified injury to Jed Ortmeyer that puts him in the doubtful category for tonight's game against St. Louis, and some more information on what to expect out of Jay Leach. I'll touch on the Ortmeyer situation in a few, but here's some thoughts on the Leach move:

First, the plan is to keep him in San Jose in a role similar to the one Alexei Semenov played, a seventh defenseman for spot duty. Leach will be wearing No. 28 once he gets here, which is supposed to be sometime tonight.

Second, the out-of-pocket cost is minimal.

Pollak goes on to crunch the numbers, but essentially San Jose will be on the hook for roughly $158,000 against the salary cap if Leach remains on the roster for the rest of the season. With all of the cap finagling Doug Wilson has been doing in running the Worcester shuttle, it may mean that Brad Staubitz will be exposed to waivers sometime in the near future to clear the team of a second healthy scratch. Carrying two players in this role will make it a little bit tougher for Wilson to make a move at the deadline, and if he ends up stashing Staubitz in the minors it's a net gain from a cap standpoint. At this point in the year it may not be worth the risk considering teams are looking for bodies and would likely jump at the opportunity to pick up an average fourth liner, but it's still something to consider due to the fact that Wilson has made no attempt to hide the fact that he's juggling salary. I've asserted all season that the blueline could stand to improve, but Jay Leach isn't the answer here-- a short term call up of Demers/Moore/Callahan will likely yield the same level of competence in this area, if not a bit more. Hell, Staubitz was the backup plan on defense when the Sharks were rolling six.

That being said, I'm not adverse to the acquisition. Having a spare part that can slide in to spell a starter is always a good thing to have around. It just seems strange considering Wilson's approach to cap management the first two months of the year, and raises a pint-sized red flag that something may be brewing.

As for the Ortmeyer "tune-up" or whatever the appropriate coaching euphemism for injury is nowadays, McLellan didn't state who the organization would call up but I assume Couture is getting the nod, with Ferriero the dark horse to fill a wing as the Sharks have four centers on the roster right now. I wouldn't move Malhotra off the second line considering he has gelled with Clowe (eighteen points in eighteen games, including a seven game point streak-- talk about earning your spot) and Pavelski the last couple games. McGinn and Nichol have also established some chemistry in the cycle, but I throw that to the wayside and go with something like this on the bottom six:

McGinn-Couture-Setoguchi

McLaren-Nichol-Mitchell

In all honesty, those lines are sicker than SARS. Does McLellan pull the trigger on it? Hard to say considering he's been a big believer in earning your way up the lineup this season. We may see Nichol skating alongside McGinn and Setoguchi because of that fact, but there's two reasons I like the way this is set up.

For one, Torrey Mitchell has been getting bodied off the puck an awful lot since coming back from his 108 regular season game vacation. It's to be expected to some degree, but at this point in the year he's better suited to play with two guys who are able to throw the body around and not be expected to score at a consistent rate. Concurrently, this gives Couture an opportunity to showcase his playmaking skills with a first line forward (Setoguchi) and teammate who he's had a long history with (McGinn)-- he also can manage the low cycle with excellent body positioning on the glass, which will open up the ice for the aforementioned shooters. I really can't find any noteworthy reason not to go this route other than "he hasn't earned it." I understand that thought process to some degree, but even with all of the intangibles it emphasizes in the locker room, you probably have a better chance to win the game tonight with this lineup.

One George Zimmer guarantee says Zalewski gets the call-up today and makes this whole exercise moot.

[Update]: Vesce gets the call up, and will play on the fourth line-- Nichol centers McGinn and Setoguchi. George Zimmer has failed me twice now.

*****

A mini Off The Post session ends us here today-- the ol' email account has been getting a little backed up, and I'm loathe to fire off seventeen Fanposts in a row (more like three). At any rate, here's the goods.

Alex Stalock is auctioning off a game used helmet that commemorates six Worcester firefighters who lost their lives during a prolonged five alarm fire ten years ago. A worthy cause, and a classy act by our minor league affiliate to acknowledge the service of these brave men.
Fear The Fin is in the running for best Sharks blog at The NHL Arena, along with other notable Sharks blogs that can be found in our left hand sidebar. There's a few avid commenters who have a blogging horse in the running as well, so get over there, sign up, and vote for your five favorites (no idea how they missed Chen-- that's a questionable omission). While you're at it, give Sleek some love too.
Dan Boyle has a new post that deals with being asked the question, "Are the Sharks peaking too early?", as well as giving a nod to the role players that have contributed to the team's current success.
In case you missed them yesterday-- a look at which San Jose Sharks may be included on various Olympic rosters can be found here. Official selections come at the end of this month.
Everyone is slowly getting on board the McGinn bandwagon, but let it be known that I'm driving this thing. Yes, I'm aware I don't own his cheering rights, and sure, I'm being childish. But I don't care. He's been my guy since day one and you can't have him. We're going to run away together and get married. He told me so.

Prediction: Sharks win 4-2. Goals by Setoguchi, Thornton, Vlasic, and McGinn, who also scores a nice restraining order following the game.

Go Sharks.

New Jersey Devils Morning News, Dec 2

TibbsBeastoftheEast — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:33:29 -0000

Gulitti: Devils' dilemma is their delight - (The Bergen Record)
Martin Brodeur waves the U.S. flag - (The Bergen Record)

Politi: He may be Canadian hockey royalty, but he's an American now - (The Star Ledger)
Matchup vs. Roberto Luongo won't decide Olympic starter, says NJ Devils goalie Martin Brodeur - (The Star Ledger)
Former NJ Devils forward Janne Ojanen becomes Finnish Elite League's all-time scoring leader - (The Star Ledger)
Johnny Oduya won't play; Jamie Langenbrunner questionable for NJ Devils - (The Star Ledger)
Johnny Oduya practices with NJ Devils; Colin White back but Jamie Langenbrunner is missing - (The Star Ledger)
Stand-up citizen: Marty passes test - (The New York Post)
Cangy: Devs Back on the Grind - (Msgnetwork)
Canucks-Devils Preview - (FOXSports.com)
NHL Standings - (Yahoo NHL)
Devils' players stats - (Yahoo NHL)
Devils Team Report - (Yahoo NHL)
Who's No. 1? It's Luongo vs. Brodeur in Devil's lair - (Vancouver Sun)
Goaltending battle of Olympic proportions - (Canada.com)
Devils goalie Martin Brodeur now a US citizen — don't panic, Canada - (Vancouver Sun)
Canucks Report - Rough Road Record - (NHL.com)
Luongo-Brodeur showdown a big deal only in Canada - (Canada.com)
Wherein IPB Is Relieved To Discover It Can Retain Its US Citizenship - (Interchangeable Parts)

LOWELL DEVILS
Trenton Devils' Stoesz And Cormier Reassigned - (OurSports Central)

TRENTON DEVILS
Stoesz and Cormier Reassigned - (TrentonDevils.com)

AROUND THE NHL
Power Rankings: On the prowl - (The Hockey News) Devils in 2nd position

MISCELLANEOUS
Plenty to be said for stay-at-home - (Kelowna.com). Ex-Devil Mitchell
Canucks Notebook: Mitchell had a Devil of a start to career - (Vancouver Sun)
Sharks acquire defenseman Jay Leach - (Sharkspage)
Sharks claim Leach on waivers from Habs - (NHL.com)

Game 23 Preview: Jackets limp into Montreal to face the Habs

Mike MacLean — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:48:40 -0000

Boy do the Jackets need to bounce back. After getting thoroughly trounced in New York last night, they hopped on a plane for Montreal, where they will take on the Canadiens tonight. The Rangers were a team that struggled to score, and the Jackets managed to change that. The Habs are another team that struggles to score-lightning can't strike twice can it? I sure hope not. The Jackets absolutely need to win this one, if nothing more than to keep pace in the tough Central Division.

Mathieu Garon will get the start, returning to Montreal to face the team that drafted him. Expect Kris Russell to get the start tonight. Props to fellow twitterer (?) @seventyeight for this tweet she posted last night:

OKAY. When Russell plays: 10-4-2, 3.125 goals/game /// When he does not: 2-3-1, 5.8 goals/game. Quit making him your scapegoat.

The numbers don't lie- the team has played better with Russ in the lineup. I'd like to see him more often-his skills with the puck, while they haven't exactly led to him putting up major points, are a major boost. I don't want to see Commie out on the powerplay again tonight. I'm thinking Russ goes in for Methot, who looked just awful last night. To be fair though, the whole team looked like crap outside of Boller.

The Habs still possess the talent to break out of their funk at any time, so I am not going to use the low-scoring excuse here. The Jackets need to use their size and physicality advantage to dominate the boards and the down-low play. With Georges Laraque out of the lineup, this should be easy to do.

Fearless Prediction- I'm never going to predict a shutout again-that's a promise. I will however predict that Garon will have a strong game in his return to his home province.

Game Time: 7:00pm ET

Opponent's Blog: Habs Eyes On The Prize

Game Page: Blue Jackets vs Canadiens Coverage

TSN Preview: Blue Jackets vs Canadiens Preview

TV: FSN Ohio

Radio: WBNS-AM (1460); WWCD-FM (101.1)

More after the jump...

From the Columbus Dispatch:

The Blue Jackets were to arrive in Montreal early this morning after playing last night in New York. They are expected to start Mathieu Garon in goal and perhaps insert defenseman Kris Russell. The injury-riddled Canadiens are struggling to score. They entered yesterday's action ranked 27th in goals, averaging 2.30.

Jackets Links:

Columbus Blue Jackets / Columbus Blue Jackets Schedule

Columbus Blue Jackets Roster / Columbus Blue Jackets Stats

Here are the lineups for tonight's tilt:

Columbus Blue Jackets

Kristian Huselius	Antoine Vermette	Rick Nash
R.J. Umberger	Derick Brassard	Jakub Voracek
Jason Chimera	Samuel Pahlsson	Michael Blunden
Raffi Torres	Derek MacKenzie	Jared Boll

Fedor Tyutin	Anton Stralman
Rostislav Klesla	Jan Hejda
Kris Russell	Mike Commodore

Mathieu Garon

Steve Mason

EXTRA: Marc Methot, Tom Sestito

INJURED: Fredrik Modin, Andrew Murray, Derek Dorsett

Montreal Canadiens

Michael Cammalleri	Scott Gomez	Glen Metropolit
Andrei Kostitsyn	Tomas Plekanec	Max Pacioretty
Travis Moen	Maxim Lapierre	Benoit Pouliot
Kyle Chipchura	Tom Pyatt	Ryan White

Jaroslav Spacek	Roman Hamrlik
Josh Gorges	Paul Mara
Marc-Andre Bergeron	Jay Leach

Carey Price

Jaroslav Halak

New Jersey Devils Morning News, Nov 7

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

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

Game 14 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs. New York Islanders - 11/6/2009

John Fischer — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:33 -0000

by Rich Schultz - AP

The Devils had much to celebrate as they defeated the Washington Capitals. Can they make it two straight wins at home against the Islanders? (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

View full size photo »

The Time: 7 PM EST

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

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (9-5-0) vs. the New York Islanders (5-5-5)

The Last Devils Game: Despite my spaced out, pressure-filled feeling, the Devils actually scored two power play goals to defeat the Washington Capitals 3-2. Big thanks to Steve for taking care of things while I am (still) under the weather.

The Last Islanders Game: After rolling off four straight wins, the Buffalo Sabres brought the Islanders a big bag of misery as they out-shot and out-played the Isles 3-0. Dominik of Lighthouse Hockey recapped the affair and came up with two theories as to why things fell apart on Wednesday.

The Goal: Do not underestimate the opponent. The perception may be that the Islanders are a poor team, an awful squad, a prime candidate in the Taylor Hall 2010 Sweepstakes, etc. But this is a team that has grinded out points earlier in the season and put up some wins. Thinking this game or the next game will be easy for New Jersey is simply foolish. The Islanders' recent run of wins is evidence that anyone can get up for a game and earn themselves a win - especially if their opposition doesn't take them seriously. The Devils need to go into this game as they did against the Capitals on Wednesday if they want to earn their third win at the Rock.

Read on for a guess at lines, a caution against taking the Islanders' lightly, and some insight from Dominik of Lighthouse Hockey about the Islanders.

The list of injuries for the Devils just keeps getting longer and longer. According to Tom Gulitti, Rob Niedemayer will not play against the Islanders or the Senators on Saturday due to an "upper-body injury." He joins Jay Pandolfo, Paul Martin, and Johnny Oduya among the unavailable players. With respect to Oduya, the Devils have placed Jay Leach on re-entry waivers on Thursday per Gulitti. If he passes, he can (and likely will be) called up for additional depth on defense.

One Devil who may actually be getting healthy is Patrik Elias. He practiced at center, and with Niedermayer out, he fills in that spot in perfectly. But the decision is up to him and he'll make that on Friday according to Gulitti. If he decides to sit this one out - understandable as he's still just coming back to practice - then who replaces Niedermayer? Do the Devils move a winger to center for these two games? Do they call someone up from Lowell? This is contingent on Elias' decision. Ideally, I'd like the Devils to call someone up; but in the short term, they may be forced to have a winger play center for that third line.

With respect to guessing the Devils' lines for Friday's game, I'm going guess that Elias actually will make his season debut. I could be dead wrong, of course, but in replacing Niedermayer, he'll be limited to 14-17 minutes at most and others can cover for him on special teams. He won't be expected to make a difference against the Islanders (or the Senators), so him coming back at this point makes some sense.

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Nicklas Bergfors
Matt Halischuk - Patrik Elias - Jamie Langenbrunner
Brian Rolston - Dainius Zubrus - David Clarkson
Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond - Rod Pelley - Ilkka Pikkarainen

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

Yann Danis
Martin Brodeur

If Elias isn't playing, then I'm going to guess that if the Devils don't call up a center from Lowell, then Lemaire may try Brian Rolston as a make-shift center. In that case, I'd expect Pikkarainen to move up and Andrew Peters to be slotted in as the team's 12th forward. Expect big minutes out of Greene, Mottau, Salvador, and White. Lastly, no, your eyes are not deceiving you. Yann Danis will get the start against his former team according to Gulitti.

Regardless, the goal for the Devils remains the same. Taking the Islanders lightly would be a big mistake. Need I remind you all of the 7-3 loss against the Islanders in March of last season? Or the 4-0 shutout orchestrated by Yann Danis back in February? Those are examples of what happens if you try to sleepwalk through a game against a supposedly "inferior" opponent.

Speaking of the opponent, I was fortunate to ask Dominik of Lighthouse Hockey some questions about the Islanders. I think you'll enjoy reading what he has to say about the now formerly-hot Long Island squad.

Question #1. The Islanders are coming off a big, eye-opening loss to the Sabres after a glorious winning streak. How do you think the Islanders will respond for tonight's game? Will the Devils fans see the dreaded "Overspeed" or will the Islanders take a more methodical approach to the game?

Dominik: Your guess is as good as mine. They are young, a bit inconsistent, and with a thin margin of error. The loss in Buffalo -- jolting as it was after four wins -- wasn't shocking because the Sabres essentially had four days to prepare for a rematch, while the Isles had to deal with the Oilers. As much as the Sabres adjusted their play, the Islanders just plain looked lethargic.

As long as Gordon is in charge, though you're going to see the Islanders attempt an aggressive forecheck (technically, "overspeed" was a once-used term referring to the pace he instills in practice in order to train for a more intense forecheck). When it works, it's beautiful and hilarious to see other teams cough the puck up. When it doesn't, we're reminded that we have a lot of average players.

Question #2. John Tavares is the big "name" on the Islanders this season. That said, let's talk about another impressive Islander: Matt Moulson. What does he bring to the table for the Islanders?

Dominik: Moulson is a family friend of Tavares -- Tavares played youth hockey with Moulson's younger brother -- so the first thing he brought to the table was familiarity and chemistry with the #1 pick. As luck would have it, he's also a tireless skater, strong on the puck, and possesses a deceptive shot. Plus, he doesn't fear the front of the net, which helps occupy opponents while Tavares or Kyle Okposo have the puck.

Question #3. Let's talk goaltenders. Martin Biron got a ton of work on Wednesday against the Sabres. Do you expect him to get the start in an attempt for him to bounce back, or should the Isles start Dwayne Roloson instead?

Dominik: Gordon has been alternating the two pretty regularly, and their performing closer to expectations was the first ingredient in that four-game win streak. I'd bet on Roloson, unless Gordon sees a matchup he likes.

Question #4. While Brendan Witt scoring more than one goal in a game is certainly something to celebrate, the Islanders' blueline giving up an average of 33.1 shots against per game is not. Given that the Devils are shot-happy as of late, what do you think the Isles can do to cut that down?

Dominik: Get better defensemen? To my dismay, Garth Snow stuck with the blueline he had over the summer. I think he's just riding out contracts (Sutton is a UFA this summer, Witt and Radek Martinek will be in 2011), because if he actually thinks this is an adequate blueline rather than a bridge to when the team will be more competitive, we've got problems. The high shots allowed is going to continue until the personnel changes. Aside from a few clunkers, most Islanders games these days are around a 30-30 shot matchup. These Gordon games can be wild. Given their blueline caliber, the best the Islanders can do is what Gordon wants: Control the puck more than the other guys, apply pressure, draw penalties.

Question #5. Lastly, do you have a prediction for tonight's game? Keep in mind, Yann Danis will start for the Devils.

Dominik: Danis does change my hopes a bit. But he showed last year that he can sometimes be stellar -- and when better than against the team that told you "thanks, but no thanks"? While the Islanders stunned the Devils twice late last season, I look at when the Isles last played a Lemaire squad, also late in March: Ironically, the conservative Wild had a banner offensive night -- a 6-2 win -- at the expense of Danis, who had an awful night.

Given Lemaire's well-noted trapist history and general ability to stifle teams from doing what they want, I wouldn't be surprised if the Devils frustrate the Islanders the same way the Sabres did. I know you guys say the 2009 Lemaire isn't a trapper anymore, but that doesn't mean he'd shy away from luring a young, aggressive coach into one.

That said, these two teams' special teams and 5-on-5 performance aren't too far off yet. Whoever earns the power plays and converts, wins.

Big thanks to Dominik for responding to my questions.

I'm serious about Matt Moulson; he is the straw that stirs the drink for his linemates John Tavares and Kyle Okposo. The Devils will have to be aware of the Islanders' emphasis on speed and quick passes while looking to work over the Islanders' defense - regardless of who is in net. I feel that if the Devils are able to set up in the Islanders' end and get cycles going, then they'll have the offensive pressure necessary to break through their defense. Unlike Dominik, I don't think power plays will decide the game - while they scored two against the Capitals, I'm not confident enough in the Devils' power play to rely on them for a win. I'd like to see them build on the goals they scored on Wednesday, but I think even strength play will carry the day for the eventual winner.

Steve will have the GameThread up later. I'm still sick, but I may be more active in terms of things happening here tomorrow. All the same, thanks for reading, leave your thoughts about tonight's game in the comments, and Go Devils!

New Jersey Devils Defeat New York Islanders 4-2, End Preseason at 4-0-1

John Fischer — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:33:26 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Rob Niedermayer (#21) seen here doing something dumb, taking a penalty on a penalty kill by wrapping up Matt Moulson with his stick. An example of one of the negatives in New Jersey's 4-2 win over the Islanders. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Browse more photos »

The New Jersey Devils wrapped up preseason with a 4-2 win over the New York Islanders at the Rock. The game was filled with fights, goals, and players looking to make a lasting impression. NHL.com has their recap up; Dominik has a recap up from the Islanders perspective; and so let's go over the game. But first, two aside:

First, as reported by Gulitti prior to the game, the Devils made cuts earlier today by sending Jay Leach, Rob Davison, and Tim Setito down to Lowell. They will be subject to waiver claims first; if they pass, they'll be in the AHL. The Devils also placed Mark Fraser and Patrik Elias on IR, so the Devils have one more cut to make. And Gulitti's pretty sure it'll be between Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, Ilkka Pikkarainen, and - the most likely candidate as he would not be subject to waivers if sent down - Matt Halischuk. I agree with Gulitti and I imagine we'll find out tomorrow.

Second, I called in during the first intermission to Blueshirt Banter Radio as part of a Atlantic Division Roundtable. That show is archived, so you can hear me talk a little trash, talk a little Devils, and forget who Ray Emery's backup is in Philadelphia at your lesiure.

With respect to tonight's game, while the Devils won to go 4-0-1, the performance itself was quite mixed. For every positive to take out of it, there is a glaring negative that cannot be ignored. Given that Jacques Lemaire wasn't happy with the 1-0 win over Philadelphia, I can't imagine that he's pleased with tonight's win. And according to Gulitti, he isn't.

Let's start out with the positives. First, the ZZ Pops line is now in full effect. After a few preseason games, skating and roaming in the offensive zone but only to finish the game pointless, they were productive with two goals. Not only did each player on that line get a point, the two goals came from well set-up plays. Zach Parise got the Devils' first goal in the second period; but the goal was a team effort. Parise tossed it from the boards to Travis Zajac, who set up Jamie Langenbrunner across the slot for a seemingly sure-fire goal. The shot was somehow stopped by Dwayne Roloson, but he never smothered it. Parise swooped in, tapped it in behind the line and there we go.

The second goal sealed off a great night for Parise and Zajac. Parise had it behind the net, saw a streaking Zajac and fed him in the slot. Zajac knew what he had to do and this time it beat Roloson cleanly over his glove for the third goal of the game. The whole sequence of events before was the result of excellent work by Zajac to keep possession in the zone. I think this line will be perfectly fine for Saturday's game against Philadelphia.

The other two goals the Devils scored are worth noting as well. Brian Rolston, he who has to have a great season, scored a slick power play goal in the second period. While Cory Murphy got the puck to him up-ice on the rush, Rolston passed the puck off the boards to himself, took a stride, and fired one either right through Roloson's legs or right past them on his right. Either way, it was a big power play goal that tied up the game at the time.

The fourth goal was one of the few Devils highlights in the third period. Brendan Shanahan may be in his 40s, he's not as fast as he once was, not as strong as he once was, but two parts of his game hasn't diminished at all. First, his intelligence. When the Devils won possession, he knew full well to get to the blueline, turn his body properly, get his stick set up for a pass, and be ready to shoot. Sure enough, heading up ice, Dainius Zubrus saw Nicklas Bergfors skating into space and fed him the puck. Bergfors, wide on the end boards carried it over, noticed Shanahan right across him to his left with the lone defender standing by. Poor defender, the play was too high for him to committ without being hung up! Bergfors fed Shanahan perfectly and this leads to the part of his game that hasn't weakened: his shot. Shanahan just unloaded a wicked one-timer for the Devils' fourth goal and pleased all the fans.

So the goals, they were good goals. Rolston got one, which is good for his confidence. Bergfors setting up Shanahan was great. ZZ Pops getting points. Those are positives.

What wasn't was the team's puck control. Lemaire focused on the team's intensity waivering, and I don't think he's wrong. In my opinion, that lack of intensity led to some really sloppy passing and some lazy giveaways. In the first period, the Devils relied too much on the long pass through the neutral zone. This led to a lot of passes going awry due to a deflection, a bad bounce, hitting a body part instead of the stick, and so forth. It didn't bother the Devils all that much as the Islanders were just as bad, but it hurt them from getting some offensive pressure going. Don't get me wrong, they got some solid shifts of their own in the first. But some of those dump-ins and passes off the boards prevented more of those offensive zone set-ups from occurring that they could have had.

The second period was all right in that regard, and so the Devils enjoyed many shifts where they really dictated play and, hey, got 3 goals. But the third period, wow, it was bad. The Devils only had 3 shots that period and a lot of that manifested from the Devils not being able to string a few good passes together. OK, down 4-2, the opposition is going to be more aggressive - but seriously, the Devils made some poor clearances and just plain misread what their linemates were doing with some of these passes. I even saw a Devil drop-pass to no one in particular in his own zone, allowing the Islanders to continue moving the puck around looking for a shot. If you're having trouble getting the puck out, then you're simply not going to be able to move it up ice in the hopes of setting something up.

In my opinion, that puck control is indicative of why Lemaire is not happy about tonight's game, criticizing the team's lack of consistency in their intensity.

Let's move onto another negative: Penalties. The Devils penalty kill got burned for two power play goals against. The first one, Martin Brodeur really should have had Jack Hillen's shot. Then again, the Islanders got that power play when the Devils got caught with too many men on the ice - an always dumb penalty. That's on Lemaire, in my opinion. The Islanders' second goal came from Mark Streit's laser of a slapshot on a 5-on-3. Brodeur had no chance on the goal, as he was screened by Bryce Salvador; but again, did the Devils really have to take two penalties? Johnny Oduya got tagged for cross checking as the Islanders were making an offensive push down low. OK. Then about 30 seconds into it, new Devils signing Rob Niedermayer is on the PK, he's looking to get the puck up ice, and he practically hugs an Islander (Matt Moulson) with his stick in open ice (see picture). Oh, Rob, you had an OK game otherwise, and I know it's your first preseason game - but that was just plain stupid. And the Devils paid for it by eating Streit's strike.

So the penalties and the subsequent PK was a negative. A positive about the Devils performance were the faceoffs. A big positive as all who took faceoffs for the Devils tonight won at least 50% of their draws. Zajac was a monster at the dot, winning 16 out of 21 faceoffs. Zubrus was equally good with 8 out of 11 won, another reason why he should remain as a center. Niedermayer won 8 out of 14, a good debut back in his old center position. Rod Pelley went 2 for 4, but that's still 50% and I feel that's fine for the fourth line. Shanahan, thanks to some centers being thrown out, got 6 faceoffs to take and won 4, which helped as well. Great night for Devils in faceoffs, especially after a poor showing against Philly on Sunday.

I will say that a negative about tonight's game was, well, the fighting. I'm not a fan of fighting, but it was certainly noticeable. The Devils fought 5 times, with Andrew Peters getting 2 bouts, Leblond getting one, Salvador engaging once, and David Clarkson battling Brendan Witt. The game itself was intense and - here's the negative - Joel Rechlicz made a name for himself by A) dropping his gloves to no one in particular in the first; B) skating across the zone to go after Leblond because Leblond was throwing legal hits and we can't have that in a hockey game; and C) fighting Peters, shoving Colin White down as he was escorted to the bench, and (likely) yelled a lot of choice words feeling he was in the right some how.

Yes, Rechlicz was a negative in the game in general, drawing the ire of the Devils faithful for needlessly and shamefully shoving down White - who literally was just standing around! He didn't deserve that!

If Rechlicz makes the Islanders, at least the Devils fans have a new player to hate. It's bad when the fans are calling you an orifice in a preseason game. Peters is particularly unhappy with Richlicz, according this postgame post by Gulitti. Strategically, I don't know if I can support guys sitting 5 minutes at a time for 5 times in a game; but the Devils didn't escalate the violence too much - they just fought, it was done with it, and they didn't start much of it (despite what the instigator on Peters says, Rechlicz went over to Peters).

Let's end on a positive note. The play of the players who, thanks to the cuts, have likely made the team was pretty good. Bergfors was moved between a line with Rolston & Zubrus and Shanahan & Niedermayer. He looked primed and ready for NHL action and earned a solid assist on Shanahan's goal. A great way to end a great camp. He's pretty much a lock to make the team now. Cory Murphy didn't look so bad on defense, earning a solid 18:20 of ice time. Only one shot and a few adventures jumping into the offensive zone; but he did get an assist on Rolston's power play goal and looked fine in his own end. Rod Pelley matched the energy of his linemates and earned some time on the PK. Lemaire praised Leblond for not being a liability out there; I agree as that fourth line was really only in over their heads on defense once all game. Good showing overall for the Devils who could become new regulars this season.

With respect to the overall performance, the win is nice; but the Devils have plenty to improve upon before the season opener against Philadelphia. Fortunately for the Devils, pretty much every team in the league has something to work on as they start the season. Going 4-0-1 in preseason may be meaningless, but the team and coaching staff, I think, can be confident that they got the job done regardless of the rosters. Hopefully, they can use that confidence to get it together faster than their opponents.

New Jersey Devils Evening News, Sept 29

TibbsBeastoftheEast — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:45:57 -0000

Devils place Leach, Davison and Sestito on waivers; Elias and Fraser on IR - (Fire & Ice)
Rob Niedermayer ready for his first preseason game with the Devils - (Fire & Ice)

Mottau to play tonight vs, Islanders; Greene, Leach to sit - (Fire & Ice)
Optional morning skate today for tonight's preseason game vs. Islanders - (Fire & Ice)
Jay Leach, Rob Davison and Tim Sestito put on waivers by NJ Devils - (The Star Ledger)
Mike Mottau will play in NJ Devils' last tuneup before regular season; Andy Greene to sit - (The Star Ledger)
Cangy: Typical Signing - (Msgnetwork)
Halischuk gets a number change - (NewJerseyDevils.com)
Devils place three on waivers - (NewJerseyDevils.com)
Devils wrap up preseason vs. Isles tonight - (NewJerseyDevils.com)

AROUND THE NHL
Experts weigh in on upcoming season - (NHL.com)

New Jersey Devils vs. New York Islanders - Preseason Game #5 Preview

John Fischer — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:00:26 -0000

The Date: September 29, 2009

The Time: 7 PM EST

The Place: The Prudential Center a.k.a. The Rock

The Broadcast: No TV - WFAN.com streaming audio only (660 AM gets you the Mets not the Devils)

What Happened Last Time: The New Jersey Devils won at Nassau, 4-2.

The Goal: For the veterans, this is the final "dress rehearsal;" while for the prospects and fringe players, this is their last audition. Starting Saturday, the games start to count. The results begin to matter. The expectations will be risen and the tolerance for stupid mistakes drop even further.

Per Gulitti's report on Monday, he has this preliminary lineup.

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Jamie Langenbrunner
Brian Rolston - Dainius Zubrus - David Clarkson
Brendan Shanahan - Rob Niedermayer - Nicklas Bergfors
Andrew Peters - Rod Pelley - Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond

Paul Martin - Johnny Oduya
Pick 4 out of these 5: Colin White, Bryce Salvador, Andy Greene, Cory Murphy, Jay Leach

Martin Brodeur
Yann Danis

Notice how it has 7 defenseman, Mike Mottau is out but will obviously be on the team. One of them will sit. But who? I'm actually a little surprised Jay Leach is still in consideration, maybe it'll be him? It'll be real interesting if both Murphy and Greene get to play. Murphy will have to continue putting up points, and Greene would do well to, well, put up at least something in the game.

In terms of forwards, notice how there really isn't a checking line. Three lines of scoring range and "tough guy" line. Um, interesting. Moreso when Lemaire told Gulitti after Saturday's game that he didn't think the Rolston-Zubrus-Clarkson line had good chemistry.y. Hmm. This is provisional, but maybe Lemaire wants to give them another chance? Read on for further thoughts in advance of tonight's game. Remember, as usual, breaking news may render some of this completely moot. Keep that in mind.

First glance at this tells me that it's definitely not good news for Matt Halischuk fans in New Jersey. That he's not selected ahead of Jay Pandolfo - who will not play tonight - may mean he could be gone on Wednesday. Surprisingly, Ilkka Pikkarainen isn't in this as well. If Leblond is getting another look, why doesn't Pikkarainen get one instead of, say, playing Peters for a fourth straight game?

Moving onward, Rod Pelley getting the nod over Tim Sestito in the last preseason game has to be a sign of confidence. We'll see how he handles centering two "enforcer" wingers. If he can match their energy and physical play and generally have a good game, that could seal a spot on the New Jersey roster. As for Nicklas Bergfors, who has done well all throughout preseason, all I think he has to do is keep playing well. If he continues to do so, then he's in for at least the start of the the season.

Unsurprisingly, Rob Niedermayer will play his first preseason game with the team. In the same report by Gulitti and confirmed by this post by Chere, Niedermayer's conditioning doesn't seem to be too much of an issue. We'll see how it goes in a game, but it's good that he didn't arrive out of shape. He'll be worked though, as Lemaire may have the Devils press forward often. Lemaire commented to Gulitti today that the Devils "sat back" in a 1-2-2 in the second period against Philadelphia, but not at all in the third - and Lemaire wants the Devils to replicate that third period performance. Jeff Klein at the NY Times seems to get it, will anyone else in the media want to throw away their assumptions for the truth? Who knows.

Martin Brodeur is expected to play the whole game, which is just fine. Anything to get into the groove for two home games against rivals to start the season.

As far as tonight's opponents, they are basically in the same boat. It's the Islanders' last preseason game and Dominik at Lighthouse Hockey is pretty sure their final cuts will come after the game. Dominik highlights who was lined up in practice yesterday and it could give some insight as to who will play tonight for the Islanders. Per the Isles Files, Kyle Okposo, Doug Weight, and Calvin de Haan are injured and so they won't play tonight. Check out Lighthouse Hockey later on for Dom's perspective on tonight's game.

As far as tonight's game, I'll be at my usual seat in Section 1, Row 16, Seat 5. I wish all the Devils the best of luck in tonight's game. Steve will take care of the GameThread tonight; check out Gulitti and Chere for up-to-date news. Feel free to use this comments thread to discuss the game in advance. Talk about the latest news, who you think needs to have a good game tonight, what you'd like the Devils to do in tonight's game, and whatever else related to tonight's game.

Who Will Remain on the New Jersey Devils Roster by Opening Night?

John Fischer — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:00:24 -0000

After today's cuts - which I gave an overview here - the Devils have 28 on their current roster with player #29, Rob Niedermayer, coming soon. The Devils have one more preseason game to play, they will host the Islanders on Tuesday. With the Devils season opening this coming Saturday against Philadelphia, the Devils will have to cut 6 to 9 players in this week. It could happen tomorrow. It could happen in stages. It could happen on Wednesday after Tuesday's game. You and I just don't know, really. So why not consider the question ourselves?

Here's the roster of who's remaining on the New Jersey Devils:

Goaltenders (2): Martin Brodeur, Yann Danis

Defensemen (10): Paul Martin, Johnny Oduya, Colin White, Mike Mottau, Bryce Salvador, Andy Greene, Cory Murphy, Jay Leach, Rob Davison, Mark Fraser

Left Wings (5) : Zach Parise, Brian Rolston, Jay Pandolfo, Andrew Peters, Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond

Centers (6): Travis Zajac, Patrik Elias, Dainius Zubrus, Rob Niedermayer, Rod Pelley, Tim Sestito

Right Wings (6): Jamie Langenbrunner, David Clarkson, Brendan Shanahan, Nicklas Bergfors, Matt Halischuk, Ilkka Pikkarainen

Those in bold are those who are definitely going to be on the roster come opening night. Well, Elias won't, he's injured; but he's definitely going to be on the team. That's 16 players. Let's discuss who has the best chance to make the team as it currently stands.

Virtual Locks for the New Jersey Lineup:

Rob Niedermayer, center/winger. Rob Niedermayer was signed to a 1 year, $1 million one-way contract earlier this past Friday, with the intention of lining up as a center for New Jersey. Given the team's lack of depth prior to the signing, I'd think it's safe to say he'll be with New Jersey. The only question mark is his conditioning as he'll be joining up with the Devils just as preseason is ending. Still, he's a lock for all intents and purposes.

Nicklas Bergfors, right wing. I said that Bergfors had his best chance of making the team this fall - and I think he has risen to the task. Involved in every preseason game so far this season, he's looked very good in all four with his hustle and workrate. He's been productive with a goal and 3 assists, including time on the power play. You really couldn't have asked him to for much more from the young winger and I'd honestly be shocked if he's cut at this point.

Andy Greene, defenseman. Greene really hasn't impressed in two preseason games so far, but there's only one defenseman really fighting for his spot as the team's #6 defenseman. While I think Murphy has done well this month, I don't think he's done enough to truly unseat Greene's spot on the team. Even so, Lemaire will likely keep at least one spare defenseman; the worst case scenario is that Greene starts off as the extra defender. Just as he did at the start of last season. He'll be around, one way or another.

Very Likely to Be in New Jersey:

Andrew Peters, left wing. While the big bruising enforcer hasn't enforced anything in preseason so far, he's been getting minutes in the last three games in a fourth line role. Still, he's done well enough to earn a two-year, one-way contract with the Devils. I doubt he'll be sent down at this point.

Cory Murphy, defenseman. Murphy has played big minutes in the three preseason games that he got to play in and picked up 3 assists in the process. After the Rangers game, Lemaire initially questioned his size and said he needed to put up points to still be considered for the Devils. Yet, despite questions, Murphy got points in the next two games as well as over 20 minutes of ice time: 21:13 in the Islanders game and 25:38 in the Philadelphia game. Has he done enough? I think he'll be on the roster to start, but it's not a lock at this point.

A Battle for Center:

Rod Pelley & Tim Sestito, centers. With Patrik Elias out for some length in October, one of these two centers will almost definitely make the team to start if only to give the Devils four centers. Pelley has played in all four preseason games so far; but he hasn't really done much better than Sestito in preseason. Neither has been great on faceoffs, but neither has been so poor that it has hurt the team. I'm pretty sure both are on two-way deals, so the contract may not but if I'm wrong, please let me know.) I think this decision will come down to Tuesday night.

A Battle for an Extra Forward Spot - Assuming There Will Be One:

Ilkka Pikkarainen, right wing. Pikkarainen played in the team's first preseason game and I didn't think he played well. However, he unfortunately got sick this past week, so that has been the only look in preseason he got. Now that Peters and Niedermayer are signed, his chances of sticking with New Jersey just got smaller. He's now healthy after not being able to eat for three days, but is it too late? If he does play on Tuesday, he's going to have one heck of a game to stay in New Jersey. His saving grace could be his one-way contract, per CapGeek; but who knows whether that'll be enough.

Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, left wing. The signing of Andrew Peters really hurt his chances. Leblond seems to be accepting his fate according to this post by Gulitti. Lemaire admits he'd like another look at the player, but given that Leblond wasn't sick or hurt, it's a bit telling that he hasn't been in any other preseason games after that first one. On Friday, I said that the Peters signing makes Leblond somewhat unnecessary and CapGeek already has him off the New Jersey roster on their charts. His last chance to justify himself (and his re-signing) is Tuesday's game. If he doesn't have a great game, or even named to the roster, then I see him going back to Lowell.

Matt Halischuk, wing. Halischuk, like Zharkov, has done fairly well in preseason - only he has played in all four preseason games so far. When Jay Pandolfo was found to be sore, Halischuk replaced him for last night's game. That said, he's caught in a numbers game. Six wingers are definitely on the team; considering that I'm tipping three more forwards to make the team including two wingers; one of Pelley and Setito will be up in New Jersey, and so out of the extra spots left he's got competition. I think out of Leblond, Pikkarainen, and Halischuk, Halischuk has been the better player. Out of these three, I would think Halischuk starts up in New Jersey. Unfortunately, he's got a two-way contract and so can be sent down without a problem - like Zharkov.

Lowell Awaits:

Mark Fraser, defenseman. Two-way contract, unimpressive preseason, and low on the depth chart means Fraser is likely back to Lowell. In Chere's report on the Devils' cuts today, he noted that "injured defenseman Mark Fraser cannot be cut because he is injured." I'm taking that to mean he would have been cut today otherwise.

Rob Davison, defenseman. Two-way contract, played one game, and I don't think he looked good in that one against the Islanders. Combined with the logjam the Devils have at defense for bottom pairing defenseman, this all makes him a prime candidate for going down to Lowell.

Jay Leach, defenseman. I feel like I'm repeating myself, but it's true: two-way contract and unimpressive games mean that Lowell really does await. He's more of a defensive defenseman than Greene and Murphy, but is he necessary? I don't think he made his case well enough preseason. His past NHL experience may lead him to be a call-up.

Overall Possible New Jersey Devils Roster of 23 Players:

Goaltenders (2): Martin Brodeur, Yann Danis

Defensemen (7): Paul Martin, Johnny Oduya, Colin White, Mike Mottau, Bryce Salvador, Andy Greene, Cory Murphy (extra)

Left Wings (4) : Zach Parise, Brian Rolston, Jay Pandolfo, Andrew Peters

Centers (5): Travis Zajac, Patrik Elias, Dainius Zubrus, Rob Niedermayer, Rod Pelley (extra)

Right Wings (5): Jamie Langenbrunner, David Clarkson, Brendan Shanahan, Nicklas Bergfors, Matt Halischuk (extra)

Cut: Jay Leach, Rob Davison, Mark Fraser, Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, Tim Sestito, Ilkka Pikkarainen

Now, this roster is based on all of what I said earlier. Given that Elias will be injured for the first few weeks of the season, it's my understanding that the Devils can elect to keep an extra player should they put Elias on long-term injured reserve. I don't know whether they'll do just that, but if they do, then Leblond, Pikkarainen, and Sestito all have a new hope of making the team.

Now it's time to have your say. Do you agree that Bergfors will make the New Jersey Devils? Do you think Murphy will be the only extra defender on the roster? Do you think the Devils will go to the maximum on the active roster and keep 23? If not, who else do you think would be cut? Please leave all your thoughts about the potential starting roster for the New Jersey Devils in the comments.

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