The season is just about over and the Devils hosted the Leafs in meaningless game.

* Palmeiri fooled everyone. At first thought, I didn't think it went in but everyone else seemed to act like it did, including Toronto, so I went with that. Just proves how much power the guy in charge of the goal horn has. is it a goal... BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR..oh yea i guess so GOAL!!!  After the first review, was easy to see crossbar, post, out...no goal.

* Kovalchuk wrister for his 30th, which is a lot better than what he was on pace for last season. If he's finally comfortable here, has finally won fans over then next year...WATCH OUT!!

* Marty with an awsome save on Bozak late in the 1st.

* Beauty of a goal by Tedenby. If a guy is cocked and ready and you give him that kind of time and give up that kind of passing lane to the assist man, you'll pay. I don't care who's between the pipes, you're not stopping it.

* Tallinder puts one home to make it 3-0. "Let's put the women and children to bed and go lookin' for dinner!"

* Surprisingly Reimer gets pulled... I don't know, I would have kept him in there.

* Kessel from Lupal put Toronto on the board. 3-1

* Bozak shorthanded breakaway.. SCORE. Wow, maybe the Devils did go looking for dinner because they certainly aren't out there playing any longer.

* Elias finishes it and the Devils manage to hang on 4-2

There is potential in the next game. The Devils head to MSG on Saturday to play the Rangers. The Rangers are currently 2 points ahead of 9th place Carolina with 2 games to play for each team. The Devils COULD play spoiler to the Rangers playoff hopes, especially if the Rangers lose to Atlanta tonight.

In other news from the night....

Zach Parise is done for the season. With only two games remaining on the schedule, and no playoffs for the Devils this season, the news of Parise shutting it down for the rest of the season isn't earth shattering. In fact, I feel a little silly trying "Zach Parise is done for the season"

I actually nevet thought it made sense to try and put Parise back in the lineup so late in the season. Parise did stress that his decision (well Lou's decision) to not return to the ice this season did NOT mean he re-injured his knee against the Canadiens. It comes down to having it not make sense to put him in the lineup at this point in time. Make sure he is 100% for next season.

Now, the focus for Parise becomes the off-season. We all know he's a valuable piece to the puzzle in NJ but we also know that our cap space is extremely tight. The Devils could file for team-elected arbitration, the deadline is the later date of June 15 or 48 hours after the final game of the Stanley Cup Finals, which would prevent Parise from fielding offer sheets from other teams on July 1.
By filing, the Devils would lock Parise into a one-year contract but we've seen in the past how well arbitration works out in the long run.

Parise is open to signing a long-term deal, but like the fan, doesn’t know at this point what the future holds.

In my opinion, if you feel that the knee injury isn't a big deal, then Lou has no excuses now. The Devils are out of the playoffs and the draft is not until the last week of June. Get a deal done and get Parise signed.

The Devils are just trying to end the season on a positive note, trying to give Jaques Lemaire a reason to stay. Sure, they didn't fair so well against the Canadiens over the weekend but the game against Philly was top notch. Despite the loss to the Penguins last night, give the Devils a little credit for hanging in there. The 4-2 victory is a little misleading because that 4th goal was a shorthanded, empty net goal.

* If the Devils didn't hand the Penguins 3 power plays in the first period, could things have been different? NJ did make it VERY easy for the refs to pull the whistle out of their pockets to open the game.

* Staal's first goal was a beauty. You kind of had a feeling it was coming as he was close to putting one moments before hand.

* Samela had a nice look at a scoring oppurtunity. Give Fluery credit on the save because Samela put everything he had into that shot.

* Fluery was certainly frustrating the Devils offense early and often. He looks ready for the post-season.

* Bad puck handling led to Pelley throwing the puck out in front of the net, which just happened to find Steckel, who was all by
himself. Can't miss from that distance, he doesn't. 1-1

* The difference between playoff teams and non-playoff teams, they know how to answer and that exactly what the Penguins do, answer right back after the Steckel goal.

* Kunitz makes the Devils look rediculous. I'm sorry, that is a TERRIBLE goal to give up.

* Give NJ credit though, they didn't give up once Kunitz put Pittsbugh up by 2. NJ wasn't ever able to tie the game but they made a game of it.

That's 2 losses in a row and the Devils are New Jersey 3-6-1 in their last 10. I feel like they are limping towards the finish line. Toronto up next, meaningless game as Toronto was eliminated from the playoff race last night.

So what did I learn about the Devils over the weekend?

* That Zach Parise is going to be just fine. The Devils need to find a way to sign him yet not handcuff the organization from making other moves we need to make.

* That I am disappointed this current Flyers team isn't the team we faced last season. Last year, they owned us, this year, that storyline is very different.

* That I don't like having my playoff hopes squashed by two former NJ Devils.

* On this coming Sunday, approx 6pm, I will have to start rooting for a different team if the Stanley Cup Playoffs are going to be entertaining at all.

TV: MSG PLUS (HD)  RADIO: WFAN 660 AM

Last 10 Games: Flyers 4-2-4; Devils 5-4-1 ??

Know Your Enemy:  Flyers Goal Scored By

What Flyers Goal Scored By is saying about the Flyers:

Last night was bad luck.  The Flyers came out strong and were snakebitten the whole night. Thankfully the Flyers won't have to stew over their defeat for long, as they head up to Newark one last time this season.

What we think of the Flyers:

If you visit our enemy site of the day and read back a few posts, you will see that they are talking about the 2000 Flyers team vs this 2011 Flyers team. Of course the 2000 Flyers will never leave the memory of Devils fans (lol 3-1!!) but I personally think the 2011 Flyers are a little more scarier than that 2000 team. Both are talented but I think the defense that the Flyers have now puts this team over the top. You also have to take in to account that the 1999 Flyers were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.  Last year, the Flyers lost the cup in 6 games and were an OT goal away from forcing a Game 7. That makes this team HUNGRY and far more dangerous. Only question I have about the Flyers is in between the pipes. Do they have the guy that can lead them to the promise land because you can have the most talented team in the world but if your goalie doesn't perform, you're not going anwywhere.

Season Series: Philly leads the season series 3-2. This is the final meeting between these two teams until next season.

Last Meeting: January 22, 2011 - Devils won 3-1

Tonight's Game: Keep on going with the attitude of finishing the year on a positive note. They came out with that attitude the other night and beat the Islanders even though they gave up a 2-0 lead in that game. Speaking of the Islanders game the other night, the Devils offense completely left the building once they got that 2-0 lead. In a game against a more powerful offense such as the Flyers, the Devils can't afford to react the same way. The Flyers are too deep and if you give them an opening, they will take it and they don't rely on just one line to do it.

The Devils will get their chances on the Powerplay and the Flyers are a team where succeeding on the PP is critical. Some teams you can get away with going 0-for on the man advantage all game but again, with a deep and talented team like Philly, you need take advantage of every oppurtunity given to you.

There are a couple of things I would like to see the Devils accomplish this season and they only have a few games left to do it. I would like to see Kovalchuk end up with at least 30 goals this season (currently leads the team with 28), Elias with 20 goals (currently has 16) and Zajac with 15 (currently at 13). Also, I'd like to see Elias crack 40 assists.

Hedberg gets the start tonight and believe it or not, that means Marty doesn't start any games against the Flyers this season. According to Elias Sports Bureau, Brodeur has started at least 4 games vs. Flyers every season from 1995-96 through 2009-10. Parise is still targeting tomorrow nights game for his return to the lineup, meaning you won't be seeing #9 tonight.

Playoff Race: We should write our obituary for the Devils 2010/2011 Playoff hopes.

I've gotten some heat about talking about the Devils as if they are out of the playoffs. That really does surprise me because the Devils can at best end up with 87 points, a total NY and Buffalo already have. Oh well, one more point by both those teams and the Devils are mathematically eliminated and those emails can stop flooding my inbox.

I just want NJ to play hard, finish strong and leave something to build on for next season. I think I got just that in the game against the Islanders.

* Kovalchuk, missed a chance at the 4:00 minute mark of the game but buried one later. How do you allow a guy like Kovalchuk to stand in front of the net like that? It took Palmieri and few seconds to get set in order to make the pass but there was Kovalchuk, just cocked back and waiting.

* That was Kovalchuk's 28th of the season. That's not horrible but combined with his 26 assists, I really thought he'd put up bigger numbers than that. My problem with Ilya is that he's more often been a - in his career than he's been a  +. This will be the 8th time he's finished with a - in the +/- category. It's a must for me that he breaks the 30 goal mark this season. For that kind of money, a MUST.

* Palmieri has been one of the bright spots for me this year. The kid plays hard and makes things happen. I am certainly excited about the future when it comes to this kid.

* Oh Tedenby, that was an awful mistake that led to the Islanders shorthanded goal. Its those little mistakes that you make that make me worry about you. At times, you can be brilliant and other times, you can be such a liability. Its not bad enough you didn't see Nielsen streaking up the ice but you didn't really make an effort to catch him, that's what really bothered me.

* Typical Devils to give up a late goal. Its something they've done for years, it's a problem they never seem to fix.

* Andy greene, where has THAT been all season? Nice way to put home the GWG. Over the pad, just below the blocker, how many ties has DiPietro seen that get by him??

* Two fights early, I thought this game was going to get a little out of hand. It's not like the Islanders don't have those kind of games!!

* Devils fininsh off the Islanders to win the season series 4 games to 2.

* And finally, I have to disagree with Doc, the Devils aren't putting any pressure on anyone. We hockey stops being played for NJ this season when the final whistles rings at the end of the Devils/Bruins game on April 10th.

Devils get ready for the Flyers tomorrow night.

TV: MSG PLUS (HD)  RADIO: WFAN 660 AM
 
Last 10 Games: New York 4-3-3; New Jersey 4-5-1
 
Know Your Enemy:  Islanders Hockey Blog
 
What we think of the Islanders:
 
What can we say about the Islanders? We're in the same spot as they are this season, on the outside looking in, its just that they are used to being in the position. The Islanders are a weird team for me because every year I wait for them to surprise us and put together a decent season, yet that never seems to come. They have some young talent and have had some injuries this season to that talent which hasn't helped them. What would a healthy year bring the team?  They've had an awful year between the pipes and looks like they are taking steps in the right direction giving Montoya another year in his contract. 
 
Season Series: New Jersey leads the season series 3-2. This is the final time these two teams will meet this season.
 
Last Meeting: March 12, 2011 - Devils won 3-2 in OT
 
Tonight's Game: Was initially thought that #9 Zach Parise might be making his return from knee surgery. A lot of people have questioned why Lou is "pushing" Parise to return this season given the Devils hopes at the playoffs are pretty much gone. The answer for me is that the Devils need to see how Zach is doing after his surgery. It's time to throw big money at him but this injury and surgery isn't the most routine. For example, Pavel Bure had the same injury (different knee yes), same surgery Parise had but wasn't ever really able to return to the ice in the form that everyone knew him. If you are NJ, you want Parise out there just so you can gauge his recovery and figure out how much to throw at him this summer. Anyway, Parise said he needs another practice or two before getting out there so the hopes of seeing him tonight are none and none as Parise has announced his target return is now Saturday vs Montreal.

As for tonight's game, go out, play hard and finish these last 7 games on a high note. The Devils had an amazing run after the break but have fallen to earth a bit lately, goin 4-5-1 in their last 10. Finish strong and if possible, play spoiler to the Rangers hopes in a few weeks.
 
Playoff Race: Here is all you need to know. Devils currently in 12th with 73 points, Buffalo in 8th with 85 points. NJ has the possibility of finishing the season with 87 points. You can see how improbable a post season birth is at this point.

News has started to surface that Jaques Lemaire is willing to consider remaining the coach in NJ next season. If you're a New Jersey Devils fan, that is the only news you want to hear. Well, that and maybe that you will make a playoff appearance this season but that appears to not be on the horizon for this team.

The Devils are famous for having a revolving door behind their bench. Each of their three Stanley Cups, all won within a 10-year period, was won with a different coach. Now, you can't blame all the changes on the Devils, as Lemaire did retire last spring and Pat Burns had to step down because of cancer. Some of the other coaches in recent history were just knuckleheads, yea you Kevin Constantine.

The Devils NEED Lemaire to come back, anyone with half a brain knows that. Lemaire took over a 9-22-2 team that had no chemistry, no promise and turned it into a 25-13-2 juggernaut. Lemaire commands the best from his players. When he arrived at Christmas, the Devils were very much out of shape. He's fixed that now and he's even got players scared to take penalties. Certainly John MacLean didn't own the locker room the way Lemaire does. I truly wonder if John MacLean will EVER get another coaching job in the NHL, maybe an assistant's job but I can't see another shot at head coach.

Getting Lemaire to stay for at least one more season would allow the Devils to easily transition from one season into another, without having to learn a new system, a new personality, and a new coaching philosophy. We all know how effective Jaques Lemaire is.

If you are Lou, you do everything possible to achieve two things this coming off-season. 1) Sign Zach Parise long term and 2) get Jaques Lemaire to stay. The Devils can’t afford to sacrifice another 33 games of a season to yet another new coach.

Improbable has turned to nearly impossible. Sure, the Devils are technically and mathematically still alive but having dropped 3 of the last 4 while trying to leapfrog over 3 teams isn't what you want to see from your team. The 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins combined with Buffalo’s victory over Montreal left the Devils nine points behind the eighth-place Sabres.

If the Devils win all nine of their remaining games for 18 points, the Devils would finish with 90 points. The Sabres would need 10 points over that same span for 91. Lets remember we see Boston again in those 9 games. Like I said, mathematically it is possible, but very unlikely.

I said going into last nights matchup in Boston that I didn't have good feelings about that game. Boston has taken it to us a number of times this season and seem to have a lot of depth. I look at Boston like I looked at Philadelphia last season, a team we don't matchup very well against.

The Devils came out and beat the Bruins up and down the ice, yet the first period ended 1-1. To outshoot Boston 16-3 at one point in the first and have Boston tie the game on only their 3rd shot was frustrating. The Devils tried hard  to tie the game in the third but it just couldn't be done. Give credit to Boston, they didn't look like the team I watch in Toronto on Saturday night. If that is how they respond when Julien works them hard, then they should be worked very hard in the coming weeks.

The remainder of the Devils schedule looks like this.

Fri Mar 25, 2011  Devils @ Penguins  
Sat Mar 26, 2011  Devils @ Sabres
Wed Mar 30, 2011  Islanders @ Devils
Fri Apr 1, 2011  Flyers @ Devils
Sat Apr 2, 2011  Canadiens @ Devils
Tue Apr 5, 2011  Devils @ Penguins
Wed Apr 6, 2011  Maple Leafs @ Devils
Sat Apr 9, 2011  Devils @ Rangers    
Sun Apr 10, 2011  Bruins @ Devils

Do you think they can win all 9 games?? Flyers,Canadiens, Bruins, Sabres and Rangers are all very tough games. Saturday's game in Buffalo is a very huge 4 point game and possibly the proverbial nail in the coffin kind of game.

First things first, the Devils must put the loss behind them and get ready for the Penguins.
 

TV: MSG PLUS (HD)  RADIO: WFAN 660 AM

Last 10 Games: New Jersey 7-3-0; Boston 4-3-3

Know Your Enemy:  Days of Yorr

What Days of Yorr is saying about the Bruins:

Bruins have looked like ass recently. Claude says the team seems "too comfortable" which makes us scratch our heads. How can a team feel comfortable when playing like shit and when the Habs are a point behind them? Absolutely mindblowing.

What we think of the Bruins:

If you were to ask me a few weeks back, I would have picked Boston as one of my front runners for the Cup. With the addition of Kaberle to their blue-line, I thought Boston was a team destined to many great things. After watching them Saturday night against the Leafs, I don't believe that anymore. The Bruins seem lost, nothing is really clicking expect maybe the Lucic/Krejci/Horton line but that's not enough. Their powerplay has turn to complete crap as has Kaberle's game. Tim Thomas didn't look comfortable Saturday night and apparently it wasn't right for Rask to get upset at his own player screening him. There just isn't a lot of positive things to say about Boston at this point. The whole team kind of reminds me of the Claude Julien Devils which ended with Julien being shown the door with 6 games to play in the season. With that said, Boston needs to change and somehow I believe that starts tonight.

Season Series: Boston leads the season series 2-0. Bruins have pushed the Devils around this season, outscoring them 7-1 so far.

Last Meeting: November 15, 2010 - Bruins won 3-0

Tonight's Game: The rest of the Devils games are so critical. After leaving 4 points on the table last week, the Devils need to basically win all their games from this point on. Boston, looking to redeem a terrible performance in Toronto on Saturday is going to make it tough for NJ.

While the Bruins haven't been doing that well as of late, they are an incredibly deep offensive team. I've already mentioned the Lucic/Krejci/Horton line but the other lines that the Bruins roll aren't easy to defend so the NJ blueliners are going to have to be on top of their game tonight. As a team, Boston puts up 33.1 shots per game, the fourth most in the league.

It's been a while since we've seen the Bruins so here are a few quick notes about the team.

• Tim Thomas has returned to the Vezina kind of goalie he was. He's had a lot of work this season and lately he's been struggling but I still consider him to be playing out of this world hockey.
• The team acquired forwards Chris Kelly and Rich Peverley as well as defenseman Tomas Kaberle. The Bruins front office means business and has given the coaching staff the tools neccessary to bring home the cup.
• The Bruins won a whole bunch of games this season but are battling for the Northeast Division title with their hated rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.
• Oh yea, did we mention Zdeno Chara literaly broke a guy in half?

I don't have a good feeling about this game. For one it is in Boston and they need to get ready for a big game on Thursday against Montreal. Head coach Claude Julien skated them hard in practice yesterday I wouldn't count on Boston taking this contest too easy.

Playoff Race: Devils currently sitting in 11th with 72 points. Toronto sits in 10th with 74 points, Carolina sits in 9th with 76 points and Buffalo in 8th with 79 points. All four teams are in action tonight so there could be a lot of movement in the playoff picture or a complete stand-still. However you look at it, the Devils must win tonight.

The Devils dropped their Friday night matchup, the one where they wore the old red and green jerseys, to the Washington Capitals, a very good Capitals team  I might add. Brodeur said after the game "It's a setback. We were doing well." It was the second loss in as many nights and the first time they dropped two in a row since the very beginning of January. What Brodeur said was an understatement. Basically, the way I see it, the Devils can afford 1 loss the rest of the season. They are still having trouble getting past 6 points out of 8th.

Thankfully, the Devils got back on track last night with a 3-0 win over the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets.? Tomorrow night the Devils head to Boston to take on a Bruins team that was embarrassed in Toronto and on Hockey Night in Canada so that one loss I feel the Devils can afford to lose, could come REALLY early.

You want to keep playing hockey in a few weeks, nows the time to dig down and show us what you are made of.