John Fischer
Nov 12, 2008 Dec 14, 2009 762 2826
I am a supporter of the premier New Jersey Hockey Club. No, not the Jersey Rock Hoppers. I'm talking about Jersey's Team: The New Jersey Devils. I try to write with some optimism, hope, and some perspective about the trials and tribulations of the best team with a NJ in it. Often it means a lot of words, but that's how it goes sometimes.
website: In Lou We Trust
email:
a fan of
New York Giants
NY Red Bulls, Fulham, USMNT
New Jersey Devils
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
RSSUser Blog
What Do You Think the New Jersey Devils Should Do when Paul Martin Returns?
by John Fischer on Dec 14, 2009 6:21 PM EST
7 comments
An update on Paul Martin's status appeared yesterday on NJ.com's Devils Beat Reporters Blog and in today's Star Ledger: Rich Chere reported that the New Jersey Devils may see Martin back for Christmas. Martin was a very important player last season on defense and was well on his way to continuing his form prior to his left arm being fractured back on October 24. I expected much from Martin prior to this season and outside of his offensive production, I felt he was doing well in his own end on those 9 games he did play.
However, the Devils have thrived in spite of losing Martin (and so many others) to injury. As Rich Chere noted the Devils have put together a 16-5-1 record without their de facto #1 defenseman. While Martin was eventually going to return, who would have guessed that Andy Greene would step up in his spot and take on more minutes? Who would have guessed Mike Mottau would follow behind Greene in minutes? Sure, I said back after the injury that Colin White, Bryce Salvador, Mottau, and Greene would have to take more minutes; but I didn't think it would be to this degree. And I certainly wouldn't have thought the Devils would hold teams to less than 28 shots per game on average (currently at 27.1, third best in the league) without the two-way defensive force that is Paul Martin.
Now that Martin could be coming back in December, some thoughtful questions come to my mind, both with respect to the short term and long term situation. I'm not going to provide my personal opinion, instead I want to know what you think. Feel free to answer as many or as few of these in comments; but I honestly would like to get an idea on what you think about what the New Jersey Devils should do when Paul Martin returns.
7 comments | 0 recs |
NJ Devils & Atlantic Division Weekly Snapshot: 12/13 - 12/19
by John Fischer on Dec 13, 2009 2:53 PM EST
6 comments
The New Jersey Devils had a busy week and came out victoriously to still challenge the Pittsburgh Penguins for first in the Atlantic Division. Technically, they are in first now since they still have 2 games in hand on the Penguins. Nevertheless, despite the performances by the Devils in winning those games, the results are what ultimately matters. And their 10 points gap from last week has now increased to at least 14 over the third-place New York Islanders. The "rest" of the division all struggled last week and so the Islanders, New York Rangers, and Philadelphia Flyers fall further within the East.
6 comments | 0 recs |
Patrik Elias Scored 300th & 301st Career Goals in New Jersey Devils' Win over Philadelphia Flyers, 4-1
by John Fischer on Dec 13, 2009 12:12 AM EST
11 comments
The New Jersey Devils defeated their Second Most Hated Rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, for the first time this season 4-1 at the Rock tonight. The NHL.com recap is already up with all the stats that you'd like to see. Check out Broad Street Hockey for the Flyers' take, which contains a lot of frustration and or disappointment about the Flyers' performance.
The game changed from period to period. The first period was simply fantastic hockey by the Devils. They straight up dominated the Flyers in every aspect of the game, converted two power play goals, Patrik Elias tacked on a third which was his 300th career goal, and nearly put four past Brian Boucher. A part of me hopes that the Devils coaching staff has a tape of that first period so they can show the Devils exactly what they are capable of - and use it to prevent periods like, say, the second one in tonight's game.
The second was the exact opposite, it was almost as if the teams switched mentalities. The Flyers decided to show up for this one and the Devils decided to take it easy. I really have no answers as to why, but it happened. The Devils were pinned back, the Flyers had more possession and more shots, and Martin Brodeur had to come up huge in a few situations. Of course, he was not perfect. Claude Giroux scored on a bad-angle shot on a power play and gave the Flyers a lifeline. Thankfully for New Jersey, that lifeline was yanked out of it's cord when Patrik Elias put home a fantastic pass by Brian Rolston on a 2-on-1 in the final minute of the period.
The Flyers were surely deflated during the third period. While the Devils didn't look as good in the first, they kept the Flyers honest in their own end, they tried some good attempts on Boucher, and as time went on you can tell that the game was essentially over. The Flyers kept mishandling the puck and conceding possession, whereas the Devils slowed their pace a little bit. Not a bad effort, something I wouldn't have minded seeing from the Devils in the second period.
Read on after the jump for further thoughts on the game.
11 comments | 0 recs |
Game 31 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs. Philadelphia Flyers - 12/12/2009
by John Fischer on Dec 12, 2009 2:49 PM EST
0 comments
The Time: 7 PM EST
The Broadcasting Info: TV: MSG+2 (yep, commence complaining...elsewhere); Radio: 660 AM WFAN
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (21-8-1) vs. the Philadelphia Flyers (14-14-1)
The Last Devils Game: It was not a good game for the Devils. The Devils didn't give a 60 minute effort, but their opponents, the Florida Panthers, did and scored some fantastic goals. The winning streak was snapped at 4 with a 4-2 loss and I wasn't happy with the performance. But it could have been worse...
The Last Flyers Game: ...it could have been something like what Philly had against Ottawa on Thursday. The Senators held off Philadelphia and shut them out in spite of being on the road and being outworked, per this recap from Broad Street Hockey. The Flyers couldn't solve Brian Elliott and Travis Hughes - along with many other Flyers fans - is unhappy with how the team has performed.
The Last Devils-Flyers Game: In Philadelphia, the scoreboard was closer than the game that was on the ice. The Flyers outplayed the Devils and if it weren't for Martin Brodeur, the score would have been a rout in favor of the Flyers. The 3-2 loss by New Jersey snapped their road winning streak at 9 and then overall winning streak at 8. I recapped the game here; for the Flyers' side, Travis Hughes recapped the win over at Broad Street Hockey.
The Goal: Passing, passing, passing, PASSING. I want to see passes that hit their targets, that aren't straight giveaways to the other team, aren't leading their target into multiple opponents, and aren't easily read by defenders. You can easily tell when it's going to be a long night for the Devils and it's when they struggle moving the puck up ice in making those passes. It's not that the team doesn't have good ideas, an observer can see that if the passes got to where they needed to be, then the Devils' offense would be raking in the goals. And that's the problem - the execution isn't there and the team struggles to adjust. This was a problem yesterday and this was a problem in the last Devils-Flyers game. The Devils fans just have one simple request: a win over the hated Philadelphia Flyers. They're not going to do it unless their passing improves tonight.
Read on at Broad Street Hockey for the Flyers' point of view on tonight's game as well as a current state of their affairs. Continue after the jump for my further thoughts.
0 comments | 0 recs |
DiNardo Memorial Game: Jersey City PD vs. Devils Alumni at the Rock, 12/13 @ 3 PM, $20
Tomorrow, the Jersey City Police Department will take on the Devils Alumni (featuring Chico, Dano, Zelepukin, Dowd, Driver, Skrlac, Marshall, Boschman, Velischek, and Brickley) in the memorial game for Marc Anthony DiNardo.
Doors open at 2, Game starts at 3, and tickets are $20 and are available at the The Rock box office at the JCPD sub-station at Newport Mall. Sales and donations will benefit the Marc DiNardo Memorial Fund. Additional information can be had at the official site for the DiNardo memorial fund.
2 days ago
John Fischer
0 comments
0 recs
Reviewing My 2009-10 Expectations for New Jersey Devils Defensemen and Goaltenders
by John Fischer on Dec 12, 2009 11:14 AM EST
5 comments
Back in August, I wrote a series of posts basically coming up with expectations for each Devil on the roster. Not all of them were statisically based, a lot of them came arbitrarily. Still, I felt it was better to state what I wanted to see out of each player prior to the season. Now that the New Jersey Devils have played a third of the NHL season, it's a good time as any to see how my expectations are bearing out. Today, I will focus on the defensemen and goaltenders. If you're looking for the forwards; that went up earlier this week, you can find it here.
Now, for a lot of defensemen, I will likely state that the player has exceeded my expectations largely because of the injuries to Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya. In their absence, Andy Greene and Mike Mottau have played significantly more minutes than they otherwise would; and Colin White and Bryce Salvador took on additional responsibility as well. In retrospect, I was fortunate in my selection of the six defensemen for those posts as they are regulars. Cory Murphy isn't on the active roster; Matthew Corrente has been scratched upon Oduya's return; Tyler Eckford was only up for a few games; and Mark Fraser remains the only call up to stick around - and he'll likely be a scratch whenever Martin returns. I didn't expect those four to be up in New Jersey.
Lastly, I will say this prior to the jump. Please leave your thoughts on how the Devils defensemen and goaltenders have been playing so far in the comments, as well as any criticism for stupid-in-hindsight expectations or what I say below.
5 comments | 0 recs |
Florida Panthers Played 60 Minutes, Defeated a New Jersey Devils Team Who Did Not, 4-2
by John Fischer on Dec 11, 2009 11:11 PM EST
2 comments
What did I say in my preview for this game?
The Goal: 60 minutes will get you two points.
Ah, I was proven right tonight. The Florida Panthers played for the whole 60 minutes, the New Jersey Devils did not. There's your summary. Here's a link to the NHL.com recap complete with all your stats. For the Florida take, check out Litter Box Cats where the Panthers fans should be grinning from ear to ear for what they saw tonight. Credit the Panthers, they played far better than what their recent form and team stats indicated. The four game winning streak by the Devils is over, thanks for reading, and good night.
...
...
OK, OK, I'll put in more of a complete effort - something the home team did not do. Read on for my further thoughts.
2 comments | 0 recs |
Game 30 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs. Florida Panthers - 12/11/2009
by John Fischer on Dec 11, 2009 12:00 AM EST
7 comments
The Time: 7 PM EST
The Broadcasting Info: TV: MSG+ (IN HD); Radio: 660 AM WFAN
The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (21-7-1) vs. the Florida Panthers (11-14-6)
The Last Devils Game: The Devils started off well enough; but then for some inexplicable reason, the Devils let up on their defending, allowing the Canes to build momentum. Ultimately, they pulled within one from being down as most as 3-0, but the Devils held on to win 3-2. As I stated in my recap, it wasn't a great win, but it is a win.
The Last Panthers Game: Not much went right for the Panthers on Wednesday. The Columbus Blue Jackets hosted the Panthers and just torched them 3-0. As Whale4Ever noted today, the team is now 1-5-4, missed a chance to gain ground in the Southeast Division, and has a goal differential of -8 in their last 4 games.
The Last Devils-Panthers Game: So long ago, the Devils were a team that was 1-2 and had no regulation wins in the season. Then the Devils visited the Florida Panthers. It wasn't perfect. Mistakes were made by the Devils. But the power play converted twice, with David Clarkson scoring that all-important go-ahead goal with a tip late in the game. I recapped the Devils' first regulation win here; for the Florida side, DolPhanDave noted how frustrating the loss was for the Panthers faithful.
The Goal: 60 minutes will get you two points. This is actually a good goal for both teams. It's a bit odd to say that the goal for a team that has won four straight (the Devils) is the same for a team that has one win in their last ten games (the Panthers). However, the Devils haven't put in a good, solid, consistent performance in those four wins except for the win at Buffalo on Monday; and the Panthers just fell flat in losing to Columbus 3-0. Both teams should strive to put out a hard-working, smart effort and - this is especially crucial for the Devils - not let up until the game is truly out of doubt. And, no, being up by 2 goals after the first or second period doesn't count - especially considering the Devils have won games despite being down two goals. It may be a cliche, but that doesn't mean it is irrelevant.
For a Florida take, check out Litter Box Cats (a.k.a. The Litter Box) later on. Read on for my further thoughts.
7 comments | 0 recs |
Be Patient in Waiting for Martin Brodeur's 104th Shutout
by John Fischer on Dec 10, 2009 9:22 PM EST
3 comments
On Monday, Martin Brodeur accomplished a magnificent feat in shutting out the Buffalo Sabres, 3-0. The win was excellent for New Jersey all on it's own. But the shutout is what will make that game memorable. The shutout was Brodeur's 103rd career season shutout, tying him for the all-time record held by the legendary Terry Sawchuk. As you would expect, the milestone has garnered plenty of attention as well as articles putting Brodeur's shutout total into a larger context.
In my opinion, the two best pieces I've read related to this come from the SBN network. Gabe Desjardins, the owner and operator of Behind the Net, put up a statistical comparison to highlight how both Brodeur and Sawchuk went about earning those shutouts in comparison to an average NHL goaltender that played a similar amount of games. The comparison is very enlightening in that it proves that Brodeur hasn't declined at all in his 30s - he's been consistently great. Moreso than Sawchuk in his 30s.
The second piece is actually about Terry Sawchuk's life in hockey - a fantastic article by Bruce McCurdy at the Copper & Blue. How he was a "gamer" despite stopping pucks without regard to his uncovered face or his body. How he suffered in silence early in life, rose to prominence but was moved to other teams despite his dominance in net, and how he could "battle" in games but could never battle his demons which ultimately led to his demise. If you're into hockey history or you want to know more about Sawchuk, this is a must-read.
Given that Martin Brodeur is currently averaging a shutout every 9.96 games (103 in 1026 games), this record will eventually fall. And yet, if you allow me to go on a bit of a ranting editorial, I wonder where the patience is?
3 comments | 0 recs |
New Jersey Devils Manage to Hold on to Victory and Defeat Carolina Hurricanes, 4-2
by John Fischer on Dec 9, 2009 11:44 PM EST
9 comments
hile the big story may be that Martin Brodeur didn't get his 104th career shutout, I think the team's performance is worthy of more attention. Were I to be simplistic, I could say the New Jersey Devils went up 3-0 on the Carolina Hurricanes, conceded two in the second period, but managed to hold on and snag an empty net goal to win 4-2. Not completely unlike what the Hurricanes did to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night.
However, that wouldn't be honest with what happened on the ice. The Devils looked great in the first period, playing as if they were still in Buffalo. But the team declined in the second and third period, only waking up near the end to shut the door on Carolina's hopes of an equalizer. I hate to sound like someone with high expectations or a sore winner, but like the recent wins over Tampa Bay and Detroit, the 4-2 win over Carolina wasn't a great one for New Jersey. Sure, I'm glad they got the result without a shootout or a late tip-in goal; but I can't get past how the game actually went or how the Devils nearly gave up a 3 goal lead. One thing is for sure, Carolina certainly didn't play the whole game like the last place team in the NHL.
NHL.com has their recap up complete with links to the boxscore and other stats. For the opposition's perspective, check out Canes Country later for their recap. Read on for further thoughts about tonight's game.
9 comments | 0 recs |
Showing 1 - 10 of 761 Older
Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
