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Top 10 New Jersey Devils Moments of the Decade: Part 3, Numbers 5-1

Steve Lepore — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:00:18 -0000

It's been an eventful decade here in the Garden State when it comes to hockey. Two Stanley Cups, three Prince of Wales trophies, five Atlantic Division titles, seven 100-point seasons. Oh, and the Devils' goalie cemented his name in the conversations of "Greatest to ever play the game". Over the next week, I will countdown the 10 best moments since 2000. The countdown wraps up today, with numbers five through one.

(NOTE: Before reading this, check out SI.com's Top Franchises of the Decade list, which includes Jersey's Team.)

A moment to reflect before we go on. This has been a difficult and all-encompassing task, writing these little essays on everyone here's favorite hockey team, yet, it has been equally enthralling and ultimately joyous experience. A good cleaning out of the ol' memory banks is just what you need this time of year. I'm sure Fischer will say it later to all of you, but I wish you a merry Christmas, happy New Year, and another decade of memories for us to overanalyze, discuss, and pass the time with. It'll be another wonderful ride. On with the countdown...

5. Grant Marshall Scores Double Overtime Winner in Game 5 as the Devils Defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Semifinals (May 2, 2003)

Little was thought of the Devils acquisition of Grant Marshall at the trade deadline of the 2002-03 season. A gritty, checking forward who'd never scored more than 15 goals in a season (He was 8-20-28 with the Blue Jackets when the trade occurred), Marshall was meant to give the Devils some added grit at the wings, and most of fill another role in the Devil lineup with Stanley Cup-winning experience (Marshall won with the Dallas Stars in 1998-99)

Instead, they got much more. Though he only tallied once in the remaining 10 games of the regular season, Marshall scored six times for Jersey in the ensuing postseason, tied for third on the team, and set up Jeff Friesen's game-winning goal in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final to send the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final, but it wasn't a pass that has etched the name and image of Grant Marshall into the hearts and minds of Devil fans forever.

After manhandling the Boston Bruins in five games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal, the Devils were set for an intriguing Tampa Bay Lightning team. Mostly a young group, but captained by former Devil and the still in search of a championship Dave Andreychuk, the Lightning were considered somewhat of a surprise to even be there. They won the still disrespected Southeast Division by one point over Washington with 93, and drew the Jaromir Jagr-led Caps in Round One. After losing the first two games at home, Tampa rattled off four straight over D.C., including an epic triple-OT Game 6 that sent the Bolts off to New Jersey.

The Devils had little trouble with the Lightning in Game 1, as Jamie Langenbrunner, John Madden and Turner Stevenson cashed in, and Marty Brodeur only needed to stop 15 pucks to get his third shutout of the postseason, 3-0. In Game 2, the Lightning attempted to assert themselves as a threat, leading for a while until a 3rd period goal by Brian Rafalski tied the game and sent it to OT. Langenbrunner continued the insane playoff year he was having, winning the game at 2:09 of the fourth period, and the series shifted to Tampa, where an interesting Devils subplot would develop that would carry into the next season.

This series is more understatedly known for being something of the beginning of the end for legendary Devils defenseman Scott Stevens. Game 3 saw Stevens get hit with a Pavel Kubina slapshot in the head, causing him to leave the game, which the Devils lost 4-3. Stevens would come back and score in Game 4, on the road to a 3-1 Devils win, but post-concussion syndrome stemming back to that moment would cause Stevens to miss most of the 2003-04 season, and eventually cause him to retire.

Anyway, the Devils had a 3-1 lead in the series and were headed back to the Meadowlands for Game 5. Tampa scored first on a goal by Nikita Alexeev mid-way through the first. A mere couple of minutes later, however, New Jersey and Scott Niedermayer cashed in on the power play to tie the game. And then we waited... and waited... and waited... and waited... and waited some more. An Overtime, another Overtime, and then half of a third Overtime. Something, to use a cliche, had to give.

After a long scramble in front of Brodeur, the Devils rushed ahead in a 3-on-2. The Patrik Elias shot that came from it went wide, and the puck sent to the point, where Colin White passed it across to Niedermayer. Niedermayer flung a shot toward the net in hopes of a rebound. He got one, or Grant Marshall got one more specifically. Out of the scrum in front, Marshall found the puck and put it past Nikolai Khabibulin to win the game and the series, and put the Devils halfway there. What did we send to the Blue Jackets in return for all this? A conditional draft pick, that turned out to be a fourth rounder, that Columbus traded to Calgary for a guy who never played. Sometimes Lou just makes you marvel at what he can accomplish.

4. Martin Brodeur Breaks NHL All-Time Regular Season Wins Record, and Patrik Elias Breaks the Devils All-Time Scoring Record, on the Same Night Against the Chicago Blackhawks (March 17, 2008)

Incidentally, one of the only two moments on this list that I attended in person, (Though I sure hope one of you has all of them checked off, even that draft!) and boy is it weird that when I describe all the Stanley Cups, all the great goals and overtime winners and amazing players... this is the one I'll always say I felt most connected to. Because it's so fresh, you all know the story (the injury, the return, the whole chase in general) of Marty Brodeur's run to the record, as well as Patty's chase of his own marks, so let me instead tell you my story of that fantastic day.

"We have to go to this game", I told my friend Jim on the Sunday morning after Marty had tied the record. "We'll kill ourselves for not doing it". The Devils were playing the Blackhawks that Tuesday, and we were off on Spring Break (just letting you in on a little insight into how riveting our social lives are, that spending the day waiting for hockey tickets was the highlight) so it was decided that this is something that needed to be done.

We planned out the trip pretty meticulously. We would park in Harrsion by the PATH station at one of the secret spots uncovered by the meters, and then take the PATH into Newark, go through Gateway Center, and be waiting in line by around 11-11:30 AM. Everything went pretty smoothly and according to plan, so we were about 10th in waiting for the tickets to be released at 5-5:30 PM.

Time passed. Reporters came and went, asking for our opinions on Marty and the record and on Devils fandom in general. We took shifts getting lunch, or maybe we'd had some ordered already. We took turns taking a walk around the beautiful new building and to the Gateway Center, which has a great sporting apparel store inside that sells the only Johnny Oduya t-shirts known to man.

Devils play-by-play man and all around good guy Mike "Doc" Emrick came at some point during the day with coffee from Dunkin Donuts and popcorn from inside the Gateway Center that many of us shared. There was as big a line as I'd seen for the storied $10 ticket line, maybe even longer than for the first game and some of the Ranger games. By the time 5:00 rolled around, they let us in and we got our seats in the top row.

The game is almost a blur to me now, but an amazing blur. It's filled with chants of "Marty! Marty!" and "Pat-rick Elias!" and for some reason, the ol' "Marty's Better" chant. Better than who? Patrick Roy? Whoever was tending goal for the Hawks that night? We'll never know. I still maintain that it's the best memory the young Prudential Center has, and the loudest it's ever been. It was a celebration of all things Devils, from Marty hilariously cutting down the nets, to Elias' appearance during the three stars, doffing a plastic green, St. Patrick's Day hat. It was an atypical night for us. The celebration of something individuals had accomplished, yet we all seemed no less united behind one team.

3. Devils Win Game Seven of the 2003 Stanley Cup Final Over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (June 9, 2003)

I'll gladly take the heat for this not being #2 or #1 with what moments occupy those spots. It's only lower because, honestly, we never should've been here in the first place.

The New Jersey Devils were an overwhelming favorite headed into the 2003 Stanley Cup Final. They were coming off a high of winning a well-fought series over the Ottawa Senators, and had an opponent with enough time off from their Western Conference Final to have their goaltender appear on The Tonight Show. It was also a familiar role the Devils had played in their history of success: the spoiler to the great, media hyped story. The 2001 East Final with Lemieux's comeback, the 2001 Stanley Cup Final with Bourque's attempt to win the Cup. Denying Dave Andreychuk another shot in Round 2 vs. Tampa. This time, it wasn't who hadn't won it yet (Though Steve Thomas and Adam Oates had waited) but merely who was standing in the way.

The Anaheim Mighty Ducks took the hockey world by storm in the spring of 2003. A seventh seed out of the Pacific Division, the Ducks started their playoffs by shocking the defending champion Detroit Red Wings, sweeping them out of the postseason in four games. The formula seemed shockingly familiar: a firey coach, good defense, tight checking, and an insanely hot goalie in Jean-Sebastian Giguere. It revived Will Smith's residuals for "Getting Jiggy with It" for one fateful spring.

The Mighty Ducks continued their Hollywood story with a six game defeat of the top seed in the conference, the Dallas Stars. Anaheim took momentum from a five-overtime thriller in Game 1, and another OT in Game 2 to carry the momentum of the series. The Ducks advanced to the Conference Final for the first time, where fellow final for neophytes the Minnesota Wild were ready and waiting to be swept. Anaheim was in the Final for the first time, and had lost only twice to do it.

Aside from the Senators series to make it to Round 4, the Devils had relative ease in the first two rounds, and were here considered an overwhelming favorite to end the Ducks season quickly. That theory seemed written in Walk of Fame-style cement after the Devils posted back-to-back 3-0 shutouts in Games 1 & 2 at the Meadowlands, sending the Ducks home with as many defeats in the last few nights as they'd had in the entire playoff run, and two more losses from extinction. But the team based on a movie still had a few more Hollywood style twists up its' sleeves.

The Ducks took a 1-0 lead in the second period of Game 3 on a Marc Chouinard goal, but a bad line change by Anaheim late in the frame left Patrik Elias wide open on a break-in to tie it up. Then, I fell on my head and went unconscious or something (or our goalie dropped his stick) and the Mighty Ducks took a 2-1 lead less than a minute later. The Devils got it back and tied it again in the 3rd with Scott Gomez causing traffic off a Grant Marshall shot, and it'd be Overtime again.

Seven minutes into the extra session, the Ducks found the winner. The faceoff was won right to defenseman Ruslan (One Horse Open) Salei, who ripped a wicked wrister by Martin Brodeur to win the game by a score of 3-2. An even tighter Game 4 was won in OT by former Devil Steve Thomas, who had waited 19 years to get to the finals, and the series was a best-of-three, with two of them being held in The Swamp.

Game 5 would be the wildest finals game the Devils have played out of the 24 that have happened in their history. The Ducks took the lead on a Petr Sykora goal at 41 seconds of the first. Pascal Reahume tipped a Turner Stevenson shot to tie it three minutes later, and we were off and running. Elias cashed in on a fantastic pass from Brian Rafalski to make it 2-1, Steve Rucchin broke through the Devil defense to tie it at 2, all before the first horn sounded to end the opening period.

With things back even, the Devils seemed poised to grab it by the horns. Brian Gionta centered to John Madden who willed it by Giguere to give the Devils a 3-2 lead. The Ducks weren't quite done yet, with Sammy Pahlsson tying it at 3-3 only three minutes later. Then, a puck went off Jay Pandolfo's skate and in the net. It was reviewed seemingly forever, but the goal counted, and New Jersey never looked back. Jamie Langenbrunner hit paydirt twice in the third to give the Devs a 6-3 win, and a 3-2 series lead.

The Devils failed on the road again, however, in Game 6, with Anaheim dominating, and getting a huge lift from Paul Kariya coming back from a seemingly paralyzing hit from Scott Stevens in the same game. He came back and beat Brodeur on one of the most thrilling plays in hockey history, but for the Devils, it meant another 3-2 series lead squandered, and a Game 7 for the second straight time in the finals for Jersey, but this time, it'd be on New Jersey ice.

Enter Mike Rupp, someone who hadn't face the awful defeat to the Colorado Avalanche two Junes ago. In fact, he'd never even played a Stanley Cup Playoff game before earlier in the series. Spending the 02-03 season between Albany and Jersey, he'd gotten into 26 games, with eight points. But here he was, in the Stanley Cup Final, and scoring the first goal in Game 7 to give the Devils a 1-0 lead. It'd be all they'd need, but lets not forget Jeff Friesen's two goals, to cap off an incredible playoff year. His celebration after the third Devil goal is one of pure hockey joy.

Rupp wasn't the only lineup change for Game 7. 20-year Devil veteran Ken Daneyko was given his first chance to play in the series by head coach Pat Burns. Before the 2003 playoffs, he'd never missed a Devils postseason game in franchise history. Burns was looking for any sort of lift he could get, and figured Daneyko would get the crowd into it emotionally. He would take the final shift of his NHL career as the last seconds ticked down on a third 3-0 victory for Brodeur and the Devils, to win their third Stanley Cup. It is perhaps the sentimental favorite of the three Cups for this reason, but not the best moment of our decade.

2. Devils Comeback From 3-1 Down to Defeat Philadelphia Flyers in 2000 Eastern Conference Final (May 26, 2000)

The Devils road to the Eastern Conference Final in 2000 was far from difficult. Though Toronto had been pesky and won Game 1 of their Semifinal series, the Devils would come to the point of almost chokeholding them by the time their Game 6 series clincher happened. The Devils had also swept the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal. All this was pretty impressive for a team with a coach who had been installed with seven games left in the season in Larry Robinson.

The Flyers path had not been that difficult either, defeating the Buffalo Sabres in five games and the Pittsburgh Penguins in six, though one of them lasted five OT's. Still, these were considered the cream of the crop in the East. Two fierce rivals, half-by location, half-by intensity of play, set to duke it out for the right to play for the Stanley Cup for the second time, first since the Devils six-game win over Philly in '95.

It looked a little too good to be true for the Devils from the start. Scott Niedermayer scored 55 seconds in, and Bobby Holik and Petr Sykora combined to score within 26 seconds of one another late in the same period, and the Devils went on to win 4-1 in Philly to boot. The Devils had a 3-1 lead with five minutes to go in Game 2 as well. They were 25 minutes away from a 2-0 series lead headed back to Jersey. Then, well, things kind of went to hell.

The Flyers scored three unanswered goals to win Game 2, 4-3. Everything's fine, right? The Flyers controlled the Devils in Game 3 at home and won Game 3, 4-2. We've still got one more at home, boys! The Flyers were even better in Game 4 and beat New Jersey at it's own game, winning 3-1, and leading the series by the same score, with Game 5 in Philly. Ruh-roh.

Larry Robinson sensed the same thing, and after Game 4, went on a tirade behind closed doors in the Devils locker room that remains legendary to this day. The Devils, almost stunned as Robinson had been played off as a sort of "good cop" in comparison to former coach Robbie Ftorek, responded to the garbage can kicking outburst, thoroughly dominating Game 5 and winning 4-1. The Flyers sensed a renewed Devils sense of purpose, and felt they needed an extra boost. How's Eric Lindros returning from injury for a boost?

Though Lindros scored in Game 6, Alexander Mogilny got the winning goal in a classic, 2-1 Devils victory. It would set the stage for one more epic battle between New Jersey and Philadelphia to decide who goes on to the Stanley Cup. With Lindros at their disposal and the home crowd behind them, the Flyers figured to be the favorite. Scott Stevens took care of both. After Patrik Elias scored to make it 1-0, Lindros made a rush through the middle of the ice, head down. You don't do that with #4 on the ice, or you'll end up part of it. That's what happened. Lindros went down, never returned, and was never the same player again. The crowd was stunned.

They gained their mojo back for a while when the Flyers tied the game in the second. The game was immensely tight from their, neither team wanting to make a mistake. Stuck on the ice at the end of a shift, Patrik Elias was left all alone in front of the Philly net with two minutes left to rebound a Jason Arnott shot into the net to give the Devils a 2-1 lead with a couple minutes to go. A lead they would not relinquish, the end to a thrilling comeback, and a series that set the Flyers back a few years. Boy, was it sweet, it didn't seem like there was anything better than that. Until...

1. Jason Arnott Wins the Devils 2nd Stanley Cup in Double-Overtime of Game 6, 2000 Stanley Cup Final (June 10, 2000)

Let the moment speak for itself, there are no words I can write that'll do it justice:

A Christmas Poem

David Driscoll-Carignan — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:42:19 -0000

'Twas the night before Christmas
But you'll see no stars
No teams are in action
And that includes ours

The league is shut down
Today and tomorrow
We'll be back in two days
To pick on B. Morrow

The Avs have given us
A nice Christmas lift
Third place in the West?
What a beautiful gift!

Who saw that coming?
Certainly not I
I'm glad I was wrong
And that isn't a lie

Thanks to Wolski, Andy,
Hejduk, Stats and the rest
of our surprising team
perched atop the Northwest

So rest up there, fellas
in your time off from the rink
You've earned a little vacation
But when you come back: don't stink

There's lot of time left
In this marathon season
And we'd really love to see
That you haven't been teasin'

We desperately want to know
that you guys are for real
Could we make the playoffs?
Is that really the deal?

So thank you, dear Avs
It's been lots of fun
But what we REALLY desire
Is a postseason run!

From all of us here at Mile High Hockey,
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

Game 39 Recap: Ducks 4, Avalanche 2

David Driscoll-Carignan — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:45:08 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

2 days ago: Anaheim Ducks right winger Corey Perry, left, works the puck past Colorado Avalanche defenseman Scott Hannan in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Denver on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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Congratulations to Brandon Yip on his first NHL goal, Matt Hendricks on his first NHL assist...and, uh, whatever happened in the game after I went to bed.

ADDENDUM: Joe here.

What a complete and total bed-crapping. After 53 minutes of regulation play, the Avs had a 2-0 lead. In the last seven minutes of the game, they gave up four goals, including two in the final thirty seconds.

Craig Anderson probably shouldn't have played this game, having beat the Wild the night before, but it wasn't just his fault the team lost. He stopped 39 shots and got the first star.

The Avs were out-shot 43-17. Why bother even showing up at all? A forfeit would have been less embarrassing.

By the way, the new third jerseys should all be burned and never worn again.

Happy holidays.

Ducks Gameday -- Kyle Calder, top line neutralizer

Earl Sleek — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:30:14 -0000

Anaheim Ducks (14-14-7, t-12th in west) at Colorado Avalanche (21-11-6, 3rd in west), 7 pm
We're going caroling! First stops are Anaheim Calling and Mile High Hockey.

Rudy Kelly, Oct. 2008:

The Kings are putting Kyle Calder on the top line in place of Matt Moulson Friday night.

You know that scene in The Happening where the blonde chick just stares forward while she slowly inserts a knitting needle into her neck? I'm pretty sure the Kings are doing that right now.

So now that Calder has become a top-line staple for the Ducks, I suppose Anaheim has become that fellow later on in the movie who lays down in front of a lawn mower. For the last five games, Calder has been inserted with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry on the top line, and while it has enabled Bobby Ryan to help kickstart the Sex Offender's career on the second line, Getzlaf and Perry's even-strength results have been pretty terrible in the meantime.

In the last five games, Getzlaf and Perry are a combined -7 and have 1 even-strength point. In the five games prior to that, before Calder was anywhere near Anaheim's top line, Getzlaf and Perry were a combined +4 and had 10 even-strength points.

Nothing like a holiday cartoon to drive the point home.

I don't think the Ducks can afford to wait until Joffrey Lupul or Teemu Selanne's return from injury to get even-strength production from their top two forwards -- either Calder's going to need to step up and be useful or Coach Carlyle will have to find another fill-in. I'm still partial to trying out either Nokelainen or Beleskey personally -- both seem fundamentally sound -- and Arthur and Daniel discuss more top-line possibilities at Anaheim Calling, topic of the day, I guess.

I should stress -- it's not that Calder is useless; the game that Rudy and I went to against Chicago he could have been a legitimate third star of the game playing on a line with Todd Marchant. But that seems the key -- Calder needs to be on a line where puck possession isn't terribly important, and Getzlaf and Perry need a linemate that can better handle the fundamentals of controlled cycling.

But I can't fully complain; the Ducks still only have one regulation loss in their last eight, and team success (especially this season) allows all players a bit more leeway -- at the very least, they still are drawing top defenders away from Koivu and Ryan. That's still a contribution, and I thought they generated better chances towards the end of the last Phoenix game.

* * *

The Ducks have beaten the Avalanche in 8 of their last 9 meetings, outscoring them 30-15, with the only flaw being a 1-0 Jose Theodore shutout. Let's hope the one-sidedness continues.

Prediction: Fat Santa Calder proves me wrong and contributes. Ducks 3, Avs 2. Goals by Santa and his reindeer.

Go Ducks.

Game 39 Preview: Ducks at Avalanche

David Driscoll-Carignan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:00:23 -0000


Anaheim Ducks	8 MT / 10 ET / 3 GMT	Colorado Avalanche
14-14-7	December 22nd, 2009	21-15-3
35 pts	Pepsi Center	48 pts
t-12th in West	Denver, CO	3rd in West

I know for most of you, the Wild own the dumbest name in hockey. For my money, it's the Ducks. The Ducks? Seriously? Am I supposed to be intimidated by a duck?

Anyway, for reasons I'm not sure I understand, tonight's game starts at 10pm here in the east coast even though the game is being played in Denver. The Avalanche have a 4 point lead on the Calgary Flames, so regardless of the outcome, the Avalanche will spend their Christmas break in the top 3.

The Avs haven't had a 3-game winning streak since October 28th. Three times since they've had 2 straight wins, only to follow that up with a dreadful game (the 5-3 loss to Edmonton, the 1-0 shutout by Minnesota and the 6-1 win by Washington). Tonight is attempt #4, and I think we're looking at a W. Why? Since 2000, the Avs are 6-1-1 in their last day before the Christmas break with the sole loss coming in 2005 (to the Wild). The Avalanche haven't gotten everything right in the last few years, but they sure know how to give us a happy holiday.

What, you thought I was going to do two negative previews in a row?

Ducks vs Avalanche coverage

Anaheim Calling

Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche: Game Recap

nathaneide — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:47:17 -0000

More photos » by Jim Mone - AP

3 days ago: Colorado Avalanche's John-Michael Liles, right, blocks Minnesota Wild's Derek Boogaard's attempt to score on goalie Craig Anderson in the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Dec. 21, 2009 in St. Paul. Minn. The Avalanche won 4-3. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

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Minnesota Wild 3-4 Colorado Avalanche

Well, that got interesting at the end. Kinda makes you wonder what would've happened had they not had a couple massive mental mistakes, like a turnover at the blue line and giving up another shorty.

The Wild fought off a horrible second period marked by bad power play chances, poor goaltending, sloppy defensive mistakes and a seemingly apathetic effort by bouncing back in the third with goals from Owen Nolan and Martin Havlat, but it wasn't enough as Matt Hendricks' shorthanded marker in the second period gave the Avalanche a 4-1 lead and it was just too much for the Wild.

This game was going to be a bit of a test for the club. There was enough time since the fire on Friday to get more comfortable with replacement gear, they were back in the friendly confines of the Xcel Energy Center and in front of the Team of 18,000 and were playing a team they had beaten once in regulation in the past 15 games.

Even so, the hole in the second period was too big to overcome, though the Wild gave a valiant effort in the third, outshooting the Avalanche 13-4 and putting together possibly their best period of the season.

Let's hope Backstrom and the defense pick it up against the Oilers on the 23rd.

Please read the game recap over at Mile High Hockey

Hockey Wilderness Three Stars

Martin Havlat (1 G)
Owen Nolan (1 G)
Cal Clutterbuck (1 G)

Questions to Answer

Will Niklas Backstrom look more confident in game two of "Operation break-in the new gear"? Well, as I learned, it's not new equipment, but he just doesn't look comfortable out there. Maybe Josh Harding needs to come in and give Backstrom a spell.
How will Owen Nolan look in his first game back with the club? Great to see Nolan get a goal. This team needs to to play well and provide leadership on the ice.
Can Martin Havlat continue to build his game? Another game, another goal. Havlat's on a roll. Looks like he finally has his feet underneath him.
Does Jon DiSalvatore get to keep the frequent flier miles he accumulated today since he didn't get to actually play? I'm still not sure he even got on the plane!
Why do the Wild hate me? I get an HDTV and none of the games have been in HD!!! Seriously, this is uncool. I'm having shoulder surgery tomorrow, and if the rest of the games this week aren't in HD, there's going to be hell to pay!

Game 38 Recap: Avalanche 4 - Wild 3

David Driscoll-Carignan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:28:14 -0000

More photos » by Jim Mone - AP

3 days ago: Colorado Avalanche's Kyle Quincey, right, keeps Minnesota Wild's Antti Miettinen, center, of Finland, away from the net and goalie Craig Anderson during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Dec. 21, 2009, in St. Paul. Minn. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

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Final - 12.21.2009	1	2	3	Total
Colorado Avalanche	1	3	0	4
Minnesota Wild	0	1	2	3

Complete Coverage >

(It really shouldn't have been this close, but by popular request, I'll be in shiny, happy mode for this recap).

The Avalanche showed they belong at the top of the standings as they held off a talented Wild team in a big 4-3 win in Minnesota. The Avs beat the Wild for the first time this year (after, you know, losing 4 games to a couple of really bad breaks and stuff) and guaranteed that they'll spend Christmas atop the NW division. They actually would have had a shot at first overall in the Western Conference, but the Sharks win over Dallas put the kibosh on that.

Even going all Altitude for this one, I can't say the Avalanche exactly came out flying in this one. In fact, I think both teams kind of looked like they were breaking in new equipment or something. Both teams had a, well, less-than-inspiring powerplay opportunity in the first. The Avs got a second opportunity late in the period when Owen Nolan dropped the gloves to challenge Kyle Quincey (after he put he put a legal hit on Antti Miettinen, shown above) and landed his grizzly ass in the box. The Avs didn't quite score on that PP, but did get the puck in just after the penalty expired with Matt Duchene banging home the rebound for his 23rd point of the year.

Chris Stewart made it 2-0 early in the 2nd period when his smoldering one-timer (set up by a slick pass by Paul Stastny) blew past Nik Backstrom into the top, far corner. On the replay, it looked like the Avs may have caught a break on that play, as it looked like Stastny clipped a Minnesota player with his stick on the play, but I called Curtis Glencross for his opinion after the game and he said that clearly the Wild player was diving.

Milan Hejduk made it 3-0 midway through the 2nd. He and T.J. Galiardi busted out on a breakaway. Hejduk, with the puck, wanted to pass but didn't have a lane so he wristed a beaut above Backstrom's blocker. Pretty, pretty play.

The Avs got a bit sloppy with that 3-goal lead...er, I mean they got a tough break. You know, the tough break like when you're on the powerplay and give up a 3-1 break to the other team and that team scores a shorthanded goal? Yeah, that kind of tough break. That goal was scored by Carl Clutterbuck who is really damn annoying.

The Avalanche returned the shorthanded favor not long after, when the Wild delivered an early Christmas present. Matt Hendricks and Cody McLeod grabbed the puck in the neutral zone and dumped the puck into the Wild zone...and then watched wide-eyed as every Minnesota player left the ice for a line change. That left the two on a 2-on-0 break. Those aren't the two most gifted scorers in the league, but even those guys can convert on a 2-on-0. Hendricks ended up with the goal after some fancy give and go passing. It was a crazy goal, especially as it would turn out to be the game winner.

As you all know, Owen Nolan is contractually obligated to score a goal every time he faces the Avalanche. I didn't have our team of fact-checkers research that, but I'm going to assume it's true. That dude always seems to score on us. Sure enough, he scored at the 11:37 mark of the 3rd. That goal was notable because it made it 4-2, but also because it was John-Michael Liles' final shift of the game. (Message or just a change to a more defensive focus?)

The Avalanche got another one of them bad breaks two minutes later when Martin Havlat found himself all alone behind Avalanche defensemen Brett Clark and Ryan Wilson and beat Craig Anderson for a deflating goal. This was Brett Clark's final shift of the game as well, his second straight shift that ended in a goal against, but at least he was in the picture when the goal was scored. Wilson was still at the red line, coasting back after getting caught pinching deep in a 4-2 hockey game.

But we're not being negative. Clearly, that was just a bad break, and the Avs were in control the rest of the way. Craig Anderson made some big stops and Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly had some big defensive shifts (not sure if Duchene's sliding save to block a puck headed for an open net made the highlight reel, but it was a big play). It wasn't as pretty as it could have been (and there was a couple of ugly boarding plays by the Wild including one where Derek Boogaard forced Kyle Quincey's head into the boards, knocking Quincey out of the game for a few shifts), but it was a win.

One thing that is pretty? All that facial hair the Avs are sporting right now. Not sure what the occasion is, but I dig it. Especially Chris Durno, whose beard gave him an odd resemblance to Peter Forsberg (from the waste up, I presume).

Game 38 Preview: Avalanche at Wild

David Driscoll-Carignan — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:00:35 -0000


Colorado Avalanche	6 MT / 8 ET / 1 GMT	Minnesota Wild
20-11-6	December 21st, 2009	17-15-3
46 pts	Xcel Center	37 pts
3rd in West	St Paul, MN	11th in West

Here's an interesting question. The Avalanche are once again atop the NW division and currently sit in 3rd place in the Western Conference. After 37 games last year, the Avs were in 8th place in the conference, just a point ahead of, coincidentally enough, the Blue Jackets and the Wild. Clearly, they are greatly improved this year, right?

Are they? The Avs record through 37 games last year was 19-17-1 - this year's version has just one more win than last year's ticking time bomb had at this point. The biggest difference is that the Avs managed to get the stupid loser point 5 more times than last year's club. Essentially, if this league wasn't run by idiots, the Avs would basically be on the same pace as last year.

To this point, the Avs have 109 goals for and 107 goals against. Last year? 103 and 107. For all the talk of improvement, the Avs net change this year is 6 more goals scored. Goals against is exactly the same (no shock there: Anderson's 2.65 / .917 stats aren't all that different than Budaj's 2.74 / .903 through 37 games in '08).

The reality is, even with that white-hot October and an extended stay in the upper stratosphere of the standings, the Avs may not be all that much better than they were a year ago. This time last year they weren't a terrible team; they were a team struggling to find consistency, kind of like the '09 version that hasn't put 3 straight wins together since October 28th. There have certainly been some sparks, just as there some high points last fall.

In a recent game, Peter McNab guaranteed that the Avalanche would not have the 3rd overall pick again next year. That's not a sure thing yet, though, as improbable as it may sound. No one thought the Avalanche would be a lottery team at this point last year, but a 13-25-4 record over the final 45 games made it happen.

Where am I going with all this? The Avalanche are 0-2-2 against the Wild this year. The Wild sputtered out of the starting blocks this year, and the Avs gave away points that they shouldn't have given away. Now, Minnesota is gathering momentum (7-3-0 in the last 10). Minnesota has already clinched the season series against Colorado, which becomes critical in the not-as-unlikely-as-you-think event that these two finish the season tied in the standings.

On Saturday, the Avalanche may have been as close to the elusive 60-minute effort as they've been all year and are generally playing solid hockey with 5 wins in the last 7 games. Unfortunately, the two losses were stinkers against Capitals and, yes, the Wild. If the Avalanche are going to be serious about making a run at the playoffs this year, the Avs will need to eliminate those kinds of deep valleys from the itinerary. Plus, a win tonight guarantees that the Avalanche will stay in first in the NW through Christmas.

Avalanche vs Wild coverage

Hockey Wilderness

Today in Colorado Avalanche History: December 21st, 2007. David Jones makes his NHL debut against the New York Rangers.

Top 10 New Jersey Devils Moments of the Decade: Part 1, Honorable Mention

Steve Lepore — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:00:18 -0000

It's been an eventful decade here in the Garden State when it comes to hockey. Two Stanley Cups, three Prince of Wales trophies, five Atlantic Division titles, seven 100-point seasons. Oh, and the Devils' goalie cemented his name in the conversations of "Greatest to ever play the game". Starting this Tuesday, I will countdown the 10 best moments since 2000, but first, a look at some of the things that didn't make the cut.

Devils Hire Larry Robinson as Head Coach... The First Time (March 23, 2000)

The Devils gave then-future Hockey Hall of Famer Larry Robinson his first shot in the coaching ranks, when former Montreal Canadiens teammate Jacques Lemaire brought him as an assistant coach when he took over the Devils in 1993. Robinson, blessed with a defensive unit that included another future Hall of Famer in Scott Stevens as well as veterans Ken Daneyko and Bruce Driver, helped bring along a budding All-Star in young Scott Niedermayer, and meshed together a defensive unit that helped New Jersey win it's first Stanley Cup in 1995.

From there, Robinson got his first head coaching job with the Los Angeles Kings in the summer of that year. After only four playoff games in the next four years, Robinson left the franchise, only to return to the Devils as an assistant for then coach Robbie Ftorek. Everything seemed to be headed in the right direction for New Jersey toward another playoff run. From December 26, 1999 to February 15, 2000, the Devils went a mind-blowing 17-3-3. But then things took a turn for the downright bizarre.

Starting with a 5-5 tie against the Colorado Avalanche on February 17th, the Devils went 5-10-2, culminating in a 5-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Devils GM Lou Lamoriello clearly saw Ftorek as losing the team (no, the bench-throwing thing isn't on this list) and leading it toward another first-round playoff exist (the Devils had exited in Conference Quarterfinals the last two seasons). He fired Ftorek on March 23, 2000, in favor of the assistant Robinson. Larry lead the Devils to an 8-2 win over the Isles and a 4-4 record the rest of the way. However, it'd be the post-season where Robinson would prove why he was fit to run this team.

Devils Trade Brendan Morrison and Denis Pederson to Vancouver for Alexander Mogilny (March 14, 2000)

Looking for some added scoring touch to support the budding A-line of Patrik Elias, Petr Sykora and Jason Arnott, Lou did what was seen as unprecedented at that time in Devils circles: he brought in a bona fide offensive talent during what you'd call arguably the prime of his career (Mogilny was 31 when acquired by New Jersey). The addition of Mogilny did something that no one previously had: He made the Devils a team you feared offensively every night.

Mogilny has also long been credited with making then-rookie centerman Scott Gomez into the player that later bolted for the Rangers, though that can be argued, as Gomez had fewer points in the full season AlMo spent with Jersey (2000-01) than in his 70-point rookie season. That said, despite a sub-par post-season in 1999-00, Mogilny put up points in that 2000-01 season that were almost unheard of previously for a New Jersey team, with 43 goals and 40 assists, second behind Elias' 96 points, giving the Devs unheard of scoring depth.

Despite chipping in 16 points in the post-season, the Devils would go on to lose the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals to the Colorado Avalanche in seven games. Mogilny signed with Toronto that off-season, only to return for an aborted, half-season stay with New Jersey in 2005-06. He was sent to Albany to make room for Elias' return from Hepatitis, and for all intents and purposes, never heard from again. Devils fans will always remember Mogilny, however, for once and for all proving that the Devils were no mere defensive juggernaut.

Patrik Elias Signs Seven-Year Contract with Devils (July 2, 2006)

Before the lockout, Patrik Elias was well on his way to becoming the offensive version of Martin Brodeur for New Jersey: putting up terrific numbers every year, but largely being taken for granted by a fanbase that wants to win the Stanley Cup every year, rather than see another 40-goal season. The young winger from the Czech Republic had put up his third 35-goal plus season in 2003-04 (38-43-81) and was one of the few Devils that showed any life in New Jersey's five-game playoff defeat to Philadelphia (3-2-5 in the series).

It was the time during the lockout that gave everyone a scare. While having a good season Mettalurg Magnitigorsk in Russia, Elias contracted Hepatitis A from food eaten in the country. The disease, chronicled largely in an NHL Network special that primarily focused on Elias' UNICEF ambassadorship, severely weakened the then 28-year old forward and kept him out of hockey for a while.

Elias didn't return to the game until January 3, 2006, with the Devils playing the Florida Panthers. Put on a line with Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta (The "Egg" Line), Elias looked as if he hadn't missed a beat. He scored eight points in his first four games, 45 points in 38 games that season, and led the Devils to an unheard of 15-game winning streak, combining the last 11 games of the season and first four of the playoffs, to lead New Jersey to a shocking Atlantic Division title on the campaign's final night in Montreal.

Elias continued a torrid pace in the playoffs. He had two goals and four assists in Game 1 of the Devils series with the New York Rangers, and went on to score 16 points in nine games that post-season. It made people notice Elias as an elite forward in this league. It also certainly drew attention to the fact that his contract was up that summer.

There were a lot of fears in Devils-land the Patrik would sign with another team. The Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks were reported to have made serious offers. Though the real fear was that he'd sign with the Rangers. Elias alleviated those fears by agreeing to a 7-year, $42 million deal with the Devs the day after the UFA period began in 2006. He's worth every penny, and put up another 30-goal season just this past campaign. Elias will likely be a Devil for life, and hopefully never taken for granted again.

Brian Gionta Breaks the Devil Record For Goals in a Season, Devils Culminate 11-game Win Streak and Division Title With Shocking, Comeback Victory Over Montreal on the Season's Final Night (April 18, 2006)

Coupled with the 1999-00 season, the 2005-06 campaign has got to go down as one of the strangest of the decade. Head coach Larry Robinson said so himself. Robinson, re-hired by the Devils after it was announced that Pat Burns could no longer continue, had to step down after 32 games (14-13-5) when he told Lou Lamoriello at the team's annual Christmas party that the club was making him ill. Happy holidays, for sure.

More changes still were announced after a December 17, 2005 loss to Carolina. All three of the Devils major acquisitions over the off-season (Alexander Mogilny, Dan McGillis and Vladimir Malakhov) were either sent down to AHL Albany, or "retired" under mysterious circumstances. The Devils were, to put it lightly, kind of a mess. They were still figuring out how to make do with life minus Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer and Ken Daneyko on the backline, so this was sort of the beginning of a "new generation" of Devils, if you will.

After Robinson quit at the halfway point, longtime GM Lou Lamoriello took over as coach. A week or so later, forward Patrik Elias returned from Hepatitis A, and the team caught fire. A nine-game winning streak to start the new year let everyone know that the Devils would not suffer in the post-lockout NHL. It was an 11-game winning streak to end the season, however, that made the Devils onto every hockey writer's shortlist for Stanley Cup contenders.

A young forward named Brian Gionta emerged as the team's top scorer that season with Elias out. A small winger, known mostly up to that point for his willingness to go to the front of the net and personal rivalry with gargantuan and polar opposite on the height scale Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, Gionta broke out in 2005-06, his style tailor made for the "New NHL". On March 28, 2006, he became the first Devil to hit 40 goals in a season since Elias and Mogilny in 2001. Going into the NHL and the Devils season's final night, he was tied with Pat Verbeek's all-time single-season goal scoring record of 46.

Now, the Devils were in Montreal that night, and could to the surprise of almost everyone, win the division title after struggling so much for the first half of the season. Everything worked out in their favor, as the Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers both lost shortly before. Two points and the Devils get the division over the Flyers (who would have the same amount of points, 101) by virtue of having more wins, as well as #3 seed in the Eastern Conference. The only problem was... well, the Devils didn't show up for the first 40 minutes of that game. The Habs had a 3-0 lead on the Devils at home with three minutes to go in the second period, and only Brodeur keeping things from getting out of hand.

Then, with 2:42 to go, Gionta scored a goal that would personify the type of player he was. A Scott Gomez shot popped high off of Montreal goaltender Cristobal Huet. Gionta gloved the puck out of the air, down onto his stick, and put the puck home to break Verbeek's record, and give the Devils hope going into the third period. Of course, neither the Devils nor Gio were done yet.

Not much was going on early in the third, but nine minutes to go, the Habs took a penalty and the Devils went on the power play. Some slick passing and a Brian Rafalski shot gave Gionta another close-in rebound and a 48th goal that season, just for some distance. All that, and the Devils were within a shot of tying it. Three minutes later, Patrik Elias scored a georgeous goal off a pass from Gomez, who'd made a brilliant rush up the eyes, to tie the game with five minutes left.

With 2:30 to go, Habs forward Alex Kovalev took a shot that Marty Brodeur kicked away, right to a Devil defender, who passed it to Jamie Langenbrunner. He raced it in on a three-on-one against the Canadiens and Huet. Langenbrunner looked over the options, called his own number and ripped a shot by Huet to give the Devils a 4-3 lead. New Jersey hung on and won the division. It was one of the best regular season nights for Jersey's team I've ever seen, and it didn't even make the top 10 list. Ill be back on Monday with part one of that. Meanwhile, leave your own thoughts in the comments and your suggestions for my Top 10.

Basement Blues Come To Garage To Test Canucks' Character

Sean Zandberg — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:21:42 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

He's got the whole game in his hand

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BLUES (14-14-5) VS CANUCKS (20-15-0)

GAME TIME: 7:00 PM

TV: Sportsnet Pacific

The Enemy: St. Louis Game Time

UPDATE (2:58 PM): Did Blues' GM Larry Pleau rip into the players after their 6-3 loss to the Lightning? Well, only if you believe this guy.

UPDATE (2:02 PM): No Mathieu Schneider at practice today. He was absent due to personal reasons. Remember what I said a couple of days ago... Also, tonight is Fan Appreciation night. That means the "Jersey's Off Our Backs" ceremony will happen post game. Hopefully Rypien's jersey is stained with Blues' blood. Wouldn't that be a keeper? Hell yeah!

UPDATE (1:55 PM):

Asked if the Canucks had to guard against a letdown, which occurred on the last road trip after impressive wins in New Jersey and Philadelphia, Kesler replied: "The world is filled with such negative thinking. There is a positive bubble in this room and we have to not let this negative thinking creep into this bubble we have.”

-The Vancouver Sun

UPDATE (11:49 AM): The Blues have lost 5 of their last 6 at GM Place. -Sports Network

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I've seen this story before. The Canucks play well and beat a superb team and then play a basement dweller and show lack of intensity and lose. Is it about to happen again? Do the Canucks want to be in a playoff spot or not? They can do just that if they win tonight.

More after the jump...

This will be the first game of a 4-game road trip for St. Louis. They hold an impressive 8-3-3 record away from home. They last played on Friday, a 6-3 loss to the Lightning. They are 4-4 in December, 4-5-1 in their last 10, and have lost 2 in a row.

Which Blues are "rolling" over their past 5 games?

-David Backes: 3 goals and 5 points

-Brad Boyes: 1 goal and 4 assists

-TJ Oshie: 3 goals and 1 assist

-Andy McDonald: 1 goal and 3 assists

-Paul Kariya: 4 assists

COMPARATIVE STATS

GOALS PER GAME: Canucks 4th, Blues 30th

GOALS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 10th, Blues 15th

5 on 5: Canucks 5th, Blues 21st

POWER PLAY: Canucks 4th, Blues 30th. Wow.

PENALTY KILL: Blues 4th, Canucks 18th. Draw your own conclusions.

SHOTS PER GAME: Canucks 11th, Blues 16th

SHOTS AGAINST PER GAME: Canucks 10th, Blues 23rd

WINNING % WHEN LEADING AFTER 2 PERIODS: Canucks 8th, Blues 27th

FACEOFF %: Canucks 11th, Blues 19th

Another intriguing stat: The Canucks have scored more goals on home ice than any other team in the NHL. The Blues are 26th overall in goals scored on the road.

Statistically, the Canucks have the Blues dominated. They need to put these guys away and get into the playoff picture. 6 points separate the Canucks from the Northwest Division-leading Colorado Avalanche.

The last time these 2 teams played was on November 10. The Blues destroyed the Canucks 6-1 in a penalty-filled game.

The Blues have started Chris Mason 23 games this season, and Ty Conklin 11. Conklin has better stats. Not sure which one plays against the Canucks tonight.

Tanner Glass scrapped Cam Janssen in a marathon match last game. Let's see Rypien and Janssen go at it!