The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (7-13-2) face off against the New York Islanders (4-12-5) at Nassau Coliseum. It’s the first of six meetings between the two teams this season.

The Last Devils Game: The Devils defeated the Calgary Flames, 2-1, in a shootout Wednesday night at the Rock. David Clarkson deflected a puck past Henrik Karlsson to give the Devils’ a 1-0 lead. New Jersey wouldn’t hold it, as Rene Bourque tied the game, 1-1, in the third period. Ilya Kovalchuk tallied the only goal in the shootout to lead the Devils to victory. Johan Hedberg stopped 25 shots for the win.

The Last Islanders Game: The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Islanders, 4-3, Wednesday night on Long Island. The teams traded leads throughout two periods, and ended the middle frame tied, 3-3. Jakub Voracek played hero in overtime, scoring the game-winner at 2:31 of the period. The loss sent the Isles to their 14th straight loss.

The Last Devils – Islanders Game: The Devils and Isles faced off six times last season, with New Jersey winning the season series, 4-2-0. The Devils pounded the Islanders, 7-1, in their final meeting of the season to win the Atlantic Division.

Dainius Zubrus, Dean McAmmond and Zach Parise scored within a span of 4:54 to put the Devils ahead, 3-0, in the first period. Zubrus opened the scoring, giving the Devils a lead at 10:54 of the first period. Parise increased the lead to 2-0 at 14:18 of the period with an even-strength tally. McAmmond finished the first period scoring, extending the lead to 3-1 with an even-strength goal.

The Devils stretched the lead to 5-0 in the second period. Patrik Elias scored on the man-advantage at 11:16 of the second, increasing the lead to 4-0. Brian Rolston would answer with a powerplay tally, putting the Devils ahead, 5-0, at 19:11 of the period.

New Jersey continued the scoring in the third period. Kovalchuk continued the rout, netting an even-strength goal at 8:47 to increase the lead to 6-0. Matt Moulson ended the shutout, scoring a powerplay goal at 13:10 of the period to put the Islanders on the board. Elias capped the scoring, netting his second goal at 18:24 of the period.

Tonight’s Matchup: The Devils finally won two games in a row against the Flames, marking the first time this season the team won consecutive games. Now they head to Long Island, where the team will look to continue the good times.

It finally feels like the Devils have something going. The second line looks awesome, the defensive play improved, and Hedberg gives the Devils a solid option in net. The two games showed a marked improvement in all aspects of the Devils play. The Isles provide the opportunity to continue the recent success. Losers of 14 straight, the Islanders are clearly struggling. But it’s not a lack of effort that cost the team wins. Some bad breaks and bad luck have largely driven their skid. Therefore, the Devils can’t sleep on their Atlantic Division rivals.

New Jersey needs to come out with pressure from the drop of the puck. They didn’t effectively pressure Calgary, and while they still won, the Devils didn’t create many scoring chances. The Isles will come into this game hungry and firing on all cylinders. Pressuring in all three zones will slow their game and could discourage the Isles from taking chances. That’ll help the Devils take control of the game.

New Jersey also needs to improve on their offensive play. During Wednesday’s game, the team failed to connect on their passes and looked sloppy through the neutral zone. They continually struggled to set up the offense, which stopped the team from setting up many great scoring chances. That inability forced the shootout and allowed Calgary to hang around the entire game. With a struggling team, the Devils need to take advantage early. Offensive pressure in the Isles zone play could break down, leading to some early scoring chances for the Devils.

Gametime is 1 p.m., and you can check all the action on MSG Plus or WFAN 660 AM. Here are the projected starting lineups:

Ilya Kovalchuk - Dainius Zubrus - Alexander Vasyunov
 Patrik Elias - Jason Arnott - Mattias Tedenby
Brian Rolston - Travis Zajac - David Clarkson
Rod Pelley - Adam Mair - Stephen Gionta
 
Colin White - Henrik Tallinder
Andy Greene - Anton Volchenkov
Mark Fayne - Olivier Magnan

Johan Hedberg
Mike McKenna 

The Matchup - The Calgary Flames (8-11-1) face off against the New Jersey Devils (6-13-2) at the Prudential Center. It is the first and only meeting between the two teams this season.

The Last Flames Game - The New York Rangers defeated the Flames, 2-1, Monday night at MSG. In a game filled with hard hits and rough play, goals were tough to come by. The Flames gave the Rangers a golden opportunity to take the lead when Curtis Glencross went of for high-sticking in the second period. Dan Girardi made the Flames pay, scoring the game-winner on that powerplay chance at 12:14 of the period.

The Last Devils Game - The Devils dismantled the Washington Capitals, 5-0, Monday night at the Rock. Patrik Elias, Jason Arnott and Mattias Tedenby scored first period goals to put the Devils ahead, 3-0. They wouldn't look back, tallying two more in the first ten minutes of the middle period to take a 5-0 lead. Johan Hedberg finished with 30 saves for his 15th career shutout.

The Last Flames - Devils Game - The Flames defeated the Devils, 5-3, in Calgary. Zach Parise opened the game’s scoring at 13:37 of the first period, giving the Devils a 1-0 lead. It would stay that way until the second period, when the Flames came out red hot. Daymond Langkow evened the score, 1-1, at 1:43 of the second period. Glencross gave the Flames a lead, tallying a shorthanded goal at 5:41 of the period. Eric Nystrom continued the scoring, increasing the lead to two with a goal at 16:04 of the period.

The Flames weren’t done scoring. Matt Stajan continued the goal streak, increasing the lead to 4-1 at 9:29 of the third period. David Moss scored 33 seconds later to push the lead to 5-1. But the Devils wouldn’t go quietly into the night. Parise scored again, tallying a powerplay goal at 16:08 to bring the Devils within three goals, shrinking the Flames lead, 5-2. Ilya Kovalchuk brought the Devils to within two, scoring at 17:26 to shorten the Flames lead, 5-3.

But it would be too little too late, as the Devils couldn’t complete the comeback and defeat their former coach, Brent Sutter. Martin Brodeur stopped 20 shots in the loss. Mikka Kiprusoff made 22 saves for the win.

For a full recap, including historical data of the matchup, check our season preview post.

 Hello Old Friend - The Devils welcome back former coach Brent Sutter to the Rock. It's the first time Sutter has visited the Prudential Center since leaving the organization at the end of the 2008-2009 season. Sutter, who wanted to leave the Devils to be closer to his family and the Red Deer Rebels, took the Flames coaching job shortly after leaving the Devils. The contract dripped of conspiracy, but Sutter maintains that he wasn't looking for a coaching opportunity.

"Strictly put, I resigned here because of all the right reasons and if I wasn’t going to be coaching in Calgary, which was an opportunity because Lou gave them permission to talk to me, I wouldn’t have coached last year,” Sutter said to Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record. "I went home for the right reasons. I went home because it was the right thing to do because there are things bigger than the team. I made that decision based on that."

Even if he did it for the right reasons, he'll probably be booed tonight.

For the rest of the recap, read after the jump!

The Devils came into this short two-game homestand needing points. New Jersey, losers of their last three games, seemed to battle frustration and unlucky bounces during their terrible start. It wouldn’t get any easier tonight, as the Washington Capitals visited the Prudential Center. It seemed like yet another letdown in a season full of them. But by the end of the first period, the Devils showed they may have finally turned a corner. In a night where they honored Pat Burns, New Jersey destroyed the Capitals, 5-0, earning their second home win of the season.

Mattias Tedenby prepared for his penalty shot against Braden Holtby. The rookie right-winger beat the Caps goalie for his third goal of the season. Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images 

Jason Arnott Powers The Offense

Coming into tonight’s game, Arnott led the team in goals. Not Ilya Kovalchuk , but Arnott. He’s been the best offensive option, and he displayed those skills tonight, helping put the Capitals away.

Arnott extended the Devils lead to 2-0 at 16:15 of the period. The center started the play at the blue line, grabbing a loose puck at the blue line. He skated down the side boards, drawing two defenders to him. Capitals goalie Braden Holtby came out of the net to challenge Arnott, but the center simply went behind the net and deposited the puck into the empty net on a wraparound attempt for his seventh goal of the season.

Arnott scored his second of the night in the second period, extending the Devils lead to 4-0. Andy Greene threw the puck toward the net, and Patrik Elias deflected the puck on net. Holtby made the initial save, but left the rebound in the low slot. Arnott swept the puck between a defender’s legs and into the net for his eighth goal of the season.

Mattias Tedenby – Penalty Shot Magic

Ever since his callup, Tedenby provided excitement and, importantly, offensive firepower. The rookie once again showed his scoring prowess, converting on the first penalty shot at The Rock since 2009.

Tedenby drew the penalty shot after beating Jon Erskine for a short breakaway. The Caps defender pulled Tedenby down, and the referee signaled for the penalty shot immediately. Tedenby moved in slowly on Holtby, who came out to challenge the right-winger. As Holtby retreated toward his net, Tedenby pulled the puck to the backhand and put the shot on net. The puck deflected off of Holtby’s left arm and into the net for his third goal of the season.

Devils coach John MacLean was pleased with the rookie’s performance tonight.

“He’s a young guy,” MacLean told Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record. “He has great confidence with the puck. You’ve got to let his creativity come and he skates so well that he makes something happen each time he’s out there and you just have to hedge that with being responsible and he was tonight.”

Johan Hedberg stopped 30 shots for his 15th career shutout. Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty ImagesThe Moose Is On The Loose

Johan Hedberg wasn’t happy about being skipped over for Saturday’s start against St. Louis. He made that fact known during the pre-game skate, and came into tonight’s game with a chip on his shoulder. After his performance against the Capitals, we might get used to seeing Mike McKenna glued to the end of the bench.

The Devils needed Hedberg to be strong tonight, and the goalie stood up to the challenge. Hedberg stopped 30 shots tonight, blanking the Capitals for his 15th career shutout. They weren’t all cupcake saves either. Hedberg was in a zone, and it seemed like nothing could stop him.

His most impressive save came during the second period, with the Devils already ahead, 5-0.Alexander Semin carried the puck into the Devils zone, and made a beeline toward the slot. The left-winger fired a quick wrist shot on net, and Hedberg quickly flashed the glove and made the save.

“Heddy’s a veteran,” MacLean said to Gulitti. “He wasn’t happy that he wasn’t playing, but understood and he bounced back tremendously, which we expected him to do. It’s good for him because he works extremely hard.”

For the rest of the recap, continue reading after the jump!

The Matchup: The Washington Capitals (14-5-2) face off against the New Jersey Devils (5-13-2). This is the second of four meetings between the two teams this season. Washington currently leads the season series, 1-0-0.

The Last Capitals Game: The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Capitals, 5-4, in a shootout Saturday night in Philadelphia. Down 3-1 in the third period, the Capitals used two straight powerplay tallies to tie the game. The teams then traded goals, ending regulation in a 4-4 tie. Danny Briere scored the lone goal in the shootout to give the Flyers the win.

The Last Devils Game: The St. Louis Blues edged the Devils, 3-2, Saturday night in St. Louis. Tied 2-2 in the third period, Brad Winchester scored the game-winner, deflecting a point shot past Mike McKenna for the 3-2 lead. The Devils couldn't solve Jaroslav Halak, who stopped 35 shots for the win.

The Last Capitals - Devils Game: The Capitals blew out the Devils, 7-2, on October 9 at the Verizon Center. New Jersey held a 2-1 advantage at the end of the first period, but the wheels fell off in the second. The Capitals scored four straight goals in the middle period - highlighted by two goals in less than a minute - to take a 5-2 lead. Martin Brodeur was pulled after two periods of play.

Tonight's Matchup: This has the feeling of a David vs. Goliath matchup. The Capitals are their usual dominate selves, leading the entire league in points and looking like an unstoppable force. The Devils, meanwhile, haven't caught many breaks during the season. This has the feeling of a blowout in the making.

The Devils need to continue their solid play. Saturday night's game in St. Louis was disappointing because of the bad breaks against the Devils, not their overall play. They put 37 shots on net and played a relatively sound defensive game. But as its been all season, New Jersey couldn't catch a break. The puck wouldn't cooperate with the Devils, as it's been the entire season, and cost the Devils.

Tonight's important key will be the Devils' discipline. The Caps have scored at least one powerplay goal in eight of their last 11 games, going 14-for-38 (36.8%) during that stretch. Giving a talented offensive team powerplay chances won't bode well for the Devils, especially with their struggling penalty kill. I can't expect New Jersey to play a game without taking a penalty, but they can't be undisciplined. The team doesn't need to give Alex Ovechkin and his talented teammates more ice to work with.

The Devils need this win tonight. Beating the Caps would show the team still has the ability to slay the power teams in the the conference. It would also be a nice start to the next 10 game segment. The Devils can't continually lose points. They're in no position to be careless with points. The team needs a win badly, and it would be a nice to get it over the Caps.

For a view from the Caps' perspective, make sure you visit Rock The Red or Capitals Kremlin. 

Gametime is 7 p.m., and you can catch all the action on MSG Plus or WFAN AM. Here's a shot at the potential lineup for tonight's game:

Ilya Kovalchuk - Dainius Zubrus - Alexander Vasyunov
Patrik Elias - Jason Arnott - Mattias Tedenby
Brian Rolston - Travis Zajac - David Clarkson
Rod Pelley - Adam Mair - Stephen Gionta


Colin White - Henrik Tallinder
Andy Greene - Anton Volchenkov
Olivier Magnan - Matt Corrente


Johan Hedberg
Mike McKenna 

Many analysts, coaches and front office personnel believe in evaluating their teams in 10-game segments. The ten games give a broad enough spectrum to evaluate the team’s strengths and weaknesses.

Through the New Jersey Devils first 10 games, several disturbing trends arose. A lack of consistency and scoring were some of the team’s several issues. They stumbled out of the gate, playing to a 2-7-1 record.

We all know how the last ten games have went. The Devils played slightly better, going 3-6-1 over the last ten games. Not only that, but the play improved dramatically. The results, however, still aren’t there. The team sits near the bottom of the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference. They can’t afford many sub-.500 ten game segments from here on out.

There’s still several issues plaguing this team. Here are some of the main issues during the team’s recent 3-6-1 stretch:

1. Scoring

The Devils currently sit dead last in the NHL in goals for (36) and goals per game (1.8). New Jersey is the only team in the NHL averaging less than two goals per game. The scoring drought hit every single player, from Ilya Kovalchuk down to Adam Mair. Jason Arnott leaves all scorers with six goals, and Patrik Elias leads all scorers with 12 points. Those are abysmal numbers through twenty games. Most of these players are point-per game producers, but they haven’t reached those levels this season.

Despite the bleak scoring output, there have been abundant signs of offensive life. As a team, the Devils have put 628 shots on net. During these past 10 games, New Jersey produced more quality scoring chances. They’re putting quality shots on net, and they’ve been making opposing goalies work. The effort is there, but the results are not. The coaching staff can’t put the pucks in the back of the net. The team’s average goals per game increased (1.7 to 1.9) despite being shut out three times in the ten games. It’s not a great number, but it’s an increase nonetheless. The Devils look close to breaking out of their slump. Hopefully it’ll come soon.

2. The Power (less) Play

MacLean brought in assistant coach Adam Oates over the summer to improve the team’s offense. Oates was expected to improve the team’s powerplay and finally give the Devils man advantage a punch. Through 20 games, the powerplay can only be described as abysmal. The Devils’ powerplay is 6-for-59 this season, ranking it – you guessed it – last in the league. At first, I believed the struggles stemmed from struggles to adjust to a new system. But it’s now laughable, and the Devils powerplay scares no team.

The Devils powerplay began to look better, especially at home. But it’s not up to par, even by Devils’ standards. The team never had a great powerplay, but this is a joke. They’ve shown now creativity and a lack of ability to develop plays. The team flashes that ability, but those instances are few and far between. It’s been difficult to figure out exactly how the team can improve. The players are too tentative with the puck, leaving no passing or creativity with the man advantage. They’ve drilled it in practice and had their opportunities in games. Maybe it’ll click one game, but I’m not sure how the powerplay can improve.

For more analysis of the past ten games, read after the jump!

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (5-12-2) face off against the St. Louis Blues (10-5-3). It is the first and only matchup of the season between the two teams.

The Last Devils Game: The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Devils, 3-1, Thursday night at the Air Canada Centre. Mikhail Grabovski and Phil Kessel gave the Maple Leafs an early 2-0 lead in the second period. Dainius Zubrus brought the Devils to within 2-1, but the team couldn't solve Jonas Gustavsson. Kris Versteeg put the Devils away with a powerplay goal in the third period to put the Leafs ahead, 3-1. Gustavsson, who stopped 12 pucks in the third period, made 29 saves for the win.

The Last Blues Game: The Blues defeated the Ottawa Senators, 5-2, Friday night. The second period was the game's turning point, as the Blues scored three goals to bury the Sens.

The Last Devils - Blues Game: The Devils and Blues faced off once last season, which the Blues won, 1-0. Alex Steenwould score the game’s only goal at 19:47 of the first period. Steen found an open lane down the left side of the ice, where he received a pass from Barret Jackman. Steen rifled the shot past Martin Brodeur’s glove for the game-winning goal. Ty Conklin finished with 29 saves for the win. Brodeur stopped 19 shots in the loss.

For a full historical preview of the matchup with the St. Louis Blues, check our season preview post.

McKenna Gets The Call: Devils goalie Mike McKenna, called up as an emergency replacement for Brodeur, will make his first start of the season tonight. McKenna, whose from St. Louis, showed a contained excitement during today's morning skate.

"It’s exciting to come home, but this is a business trip," McKenna told Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record. "We really need to win some games. If we win the game, I’m going to have a lot of fun."

In 15 career NHL games, McKenna is 4-8-1 with one shutout and a 3.56 goals-against average. In seven games for the Albany Devils this season, McKenna went 2-4-0 with a 3.72 goals-against average and a .882 save percentage.

Tonight's Game: The injuries are continuing to mount for the Devils, as Brodeur will miss two weeks to allow his injured right elbow to fully heal. Devils coach John MacLean decided to make the headscratching decision of putting in McKenna tonight. The first key to tonight's game, therefore, is offense. The Devils need to get some goals on the board early. One look at McKenna's numbers shows that he's not a great goalie, and I question his ability to win the game for the Devils. But he is playing in his hometown, and sometimes that can bring out the best in a goalie. Just look at Brodeur's numbers in Montreal. Maybe (hopefully?) McKenna turns in a great performance.

New Jersey also needs to come out with a sense of urgency tonight. The team needs a win, plain and simple. There's no more "moral victories" or building block games. The only thing that matters now is wins and points. Failing to get one tonight may cause drastic moves by general manager Lou Lamoriello.

Special teams will once again be the focus of tonight's game. The Devils power-play is 1-for-36 on the road. That's a .03 percent completion rate. That's downright abysmal. The Devils need to make teams pay for making mistakes and taking penalties, but they've been unable to do that this season. If they get the opportunity tonight, the Devils need to make the Blues pay while shorthanded. If they can convert one or two of those chances, it would go a long way to restoring confidence in the powerplay and, hopefully, winning the game.

Gametime is 8 p.m., and you can catch all the action on MSG Plus. Here are the potential starting lineups for tonight's game:

Ilya Kovalchuk - Dainius Zubrus - Alexander Vasyunov
Patrik Elias - Jason Arnott - Mattias Tedenby
Brian Rolston - Travis Zajac - David Clarkson
Rod Pelley - Adam Mair - Stephen Gionta

Colin White - Henrik Tallinder
Andy Greene - Anton Volchenkov
Olivier Magnan - Matt Corrente

Mike McKenna
Johan Hedberg 

As the New Jersey Devils approach the 20-game mark, the team’s struggles fall under greater scrutiny as valuable points fall by the wayside. The Devils traveled north of the border to face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who won one of their last nine games. But like so many times this season, the Devils couldn’t take advantage of the situation. New Jersey dropped yet another game, losing to the Maple Leafs, 3-1, continuing their horrid start to the season.

Photo Credit: Abelimages/Getty Images

Phil Kessel Sinks The Devils

From the drop of the puck, Kessel showed that he would be a force the entire night. He generated some of the better scoring chances, and narrowly missed converting on a powerplay opportunity when he put a puck off the post. But when it mattered most, the former Boston Bruin would bury his opportunity and help defeat the Devils.

The Maple Leafs, who controlled the puck for most of the second period, began a possession in the Devils zone. Rookie Nazem Kadri held the puck along the right point, and found a wide-open Kessel across the ice. The rookie passed the puck through the entire defense and to Kessel at the left circle, who had all the time in the world to pick his spot. The right-winger fired a shot past the pads of Martin Brodeur for his ninth goal of the season and the game-winning goal.

Jonas Gustavsson – No Goals For You!

The Devils faced a golden opportunity tonight, facing an inconsistent Gustavsson instead of Jean-Sebastian Gigure. But the opportunity quickly turned sour, as the Leafs’ goalie came to play tonight. Gustavsson stopped several quality shots tonight, including denying all 12 of the Devils chances in the third period. New Jersey continually tried to bang the puck low on Gustavsson, but the goalie met every challenge with his pads.

Gustavsson finished with 29 saves, allowing one (fluke) goal in the second period. He earned first star honors from the press, and he’s the reason the Maple Leafs controlled the game.

Brodeur and Another Injury Scare

Brodeur, who started his third straight game, was in the zone tonight. The Devils goalie made several great saves, and got beat on some good chances. But as the third period began, a new goalie skated to net for the Devils. Johan Hedberg began the third, and Brodeur took a seat on the bench. Since it wasn’t ineffective play, it had to be an injury. Just like that, the fears of several New Jersey fans spiked from little concern to nervous sweating.

It looked like Brodeur re-injured his elbow during a second period save on Toronto right-winger Mike Brown. After a turnover along the side boards, Mitchell broke in on net. He tried to cut across the front for a stuff attempt, but Brodeur went down to the ice and knocked the puck off of Mitchell’s stick. But as he went down, Brodeur let go of his stick and spun into a curled position. When he got back up to his feet, he slowly picked up the stick. Replays show Brodeur gingerly held the stick and favored his right elbow throughout the rest of the period.

Continue after the jump for the rest of the recap.

Kris Versteeg's powerplay goal at 13:17 of the third period extended the Maple Leafs lead to 3-1 in the third period of tonight's game at the Air Canada Centre.

With Matt Corrente in the box for hooking, the Maple Leafs set up inside the Devils zone. Nazem Kari found the right-winger alone in the right faceoff dot, and Versteeg one-timed the puck past Hedberg's shoulder for his fifth goal of the season.

Johan Hedberg will begin the third period in net. Martin Brodeur looked like he tweaked something in his elbow after colliding with John Mitchell while making a save. In his last relief appearance, Hedberg stopped 21 shots in the Devils' 5-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on November 3.

Toronto has outshot the Devils, 20-18, through two periods. The Devils will have 46 seconds of powerplay time left on the cross-checking minor to Luke Schenn.

That isn't a recipe for success, however. The Devils' powerplay is a hapless 1-for-35 on the road.

Martin Brodeur held the score at 2-1 with a diving save on Mitchell. After a turnover along the side boards, Mitchell broke in on net. He tried to cut across the front for a stuff attempt, but Brodeur went down to the ice and knocked the puck off of Mitchell's stick.

Dainius Zubrus' goal at 10:14 of the second period cut the Maple Leafs lead to 2-1. 

Ilya Kovalchuk began the play, holding the puck at the blue line. The left-winger found Alexander Vasyunov along the end boards with a pass, and the rookie threw the puck toward the front of the net. Zubrus crashed the net and swiped at the puck, missing with his stick. The puck deflected off of the center's skate and past Jonas Gustavsson for his second goal of the season.

Phil Kessel's goal at 7:29 of the second period extended the Maple Leafs lead to 2-0.

Kadri held the puck at the right point, and sent a pass through the Devils defense to Kessel down in the bottom of the left circle. Kessel, who was left alone, took the puck and fired it by Brodeur for his ninth goal of the season.

That was a complete defensive breakdown by the Devils, who all followed the puck instead of sticking with their assignments.

Mikhail Grabovski's powerplay goal at 1:42 of the second period put the Maple Leafs ahead, 1-0.

With Brian Rolston in the box for hooking, Clarke McArthur sent a pass from his defensive zone to Nikolai Kulemin at center ice. The forward carried it on the wing and fired a shot on Brodeur. The Devils goalie left a rebound in the slot, and no Devil could reach the puck. Grabovski crashed the slot and fired a shot through a screen and into the back of the net for his fifth goal of the year.

The Maple Leafs outshot the Devils, 9-6, in the first period. Many of those nine shots were great scoring chances, and Brodeur needed to be sharp against the Toronto scorers.

Kessel hit the post on a shot attempt during the Maple Leafs' first powerplay opportunity. With Anton Volchenkov in the box for hooking, Kessel carried the puck along the side boards. He fired a shot on net that beat Brodeur low. The puck caromed off the post and back into the Devils' defensive zone.

Brodeur made a great save on a loose puck in the crease to keep the game scoreless at the ten minute mark of the first period. Kessel fired a one-timer on net, and Brodeur blocked the attempt with his pad. The puck skipped over the equipment, but the Devils goalie corralled the puck with his stick and put his glove on top of it to freeze play.

**********
Here were tonight's starters:

DEVILS

Brian Rolston - Travis Zajac - David Clarkson; Colin White - Matt Corrente; Martin Brodeur

MAPLE LEAFS

Clark McArthur - Mikhail Grabovski-Nikolai Kulemin; Luke Schenn-Tomas Kaberle; Jonas Gustavsson

**********
The New Jersey Devils head to Toronto to face off against the Maple Leafs tonight at the Air Canada Centre.

The Devils and Maple Leafs both sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. New Jersey sits in 14th place, while Toronto sits in the 13th position.

This is the second game of a three game swing for the Devils. The team lost to the Boston Bruins, 3-0, on Monday night. They wrap up their trip Saturday in St. Louis.

Martin Brodeur will start his third straight game for the Devils. Last season, Brodeur didn't start any of the games in Toronto. Jonas Gustavsson gets the start for the Maple Leafs, replacing injured goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

Here were the line combinations during pre-game warmups:

Ilya Kovalchuk - Dainius Zubrus - Alexander Vasyunov
Patrik Elias - Jason Arnott - Mattias Tedenby
Brian Rolston - Travis Zajac - David Clarkson
Rod Pelley - Adam Mair - Stephen Gionta


Colin White - Henrik Tallinder
Andy Greene - Anton Volchenkov
Olivier Magnan - Matt Corrente


Martin Brodeur
Johan Hedberg 

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (5-11-2) face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs (6-8-3). It's the first meeting between the two teams this season.

The Last Devils Game: The Boston Bruins blanked the Devils, 3-0, Monday night in Boston. It was the Tim Thomas show, as the Boston goalie stopped 27 shots for his fourth shutout of the season. Michael Ryder, Nathan Horton and Blake Wheeler scored goals for the Bruins.

The Last Maple Leafs Game: Toronto defeated the Nashville Predators, 5-4, Tuesday night. Down 4-1 in the second period, the Maple Leafs rallied to score four straight goals and take the lead. The win came with a price, as Jean-Sebastien Giguere left the game with a minor groin strain.

The Last Devils - Maple Leafs Game: The Devils split their season series with the Maple Leafs last season, going 2-1-1 against their Canadian opponent. The Maple Leafs won the final game of the season series, 2-1, in a shootout on March 18. Phil Kessel struck first, scoring a goal at 18:54 of the first period. David Clarkson tied the game at 15:46 of the second period. The Maple Leafs solved Yann Danis in the shootout, scoring in all three rounds to defeat the Devils, 2-1.

For a full recap of the matchup, check out our season preview post. 

Tonight's Matchup: Both of these teams enter the game tonight struggling. The Devils, as we know, have been stuck in a rut since the beginning of the season. The Leafs came out of the gate blazing hot, but they've fallen on hard times, winning twice in their last seven games.

The Devils, thankfully, won't have to face Giguere tonight. Instead, Maple Leafs' coach Ron Wilson announced Jonas Gustavsson will man the pipes for Toronto tonight. On the season, Gustavsson is 1-3-1 with a 2.85 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. In two career appearances against the Devils, the Toronto goalie is 0-1-0 with a 4.60 goals-against average and a .851 save percentage.

The strategy needs to remain the same for the Devils - pressure the Maple Leafs, early and often. The Devils did that against the Bruins, but a couple of early saves by Thomas frustrated the Devils. Which leads me to my next point...

The Devils need to avoid frustration. It crept into their game early Monday night, and continued throughout the game. The mounting penalties and lack of pressure showed that frustration, and failing to score at the end of the game didn't really help the cause. When the team is frustrated, nothing works well. It's going to be difficult, but the Devils need to avoid allowing frustration creep into their play. If they do, it'll be another long night.

Finally, the defense needs to play better. They're not making good passes or smart decisions in the offensive zone. The defense needs to move the puck quickly and present some kind of threat in the offensive zone. I'd like to see Andy Greene step up and show the offensive skill we all know he has. If the defense can make something happen in the offensive zone, it'll force the Maple Leafs to cover the points, and maybe open up some scoring down low.

Gametime is 7 p.m., and you can catch all the action on MSG Plus or WFAN 660 AM. Here's a guess at the potential line combinations for tonight's game:

Ilya Kovalchuk - Dainius Zubrus - Alexander Vasyunov
Patrik Elias - Jason Arnott - Mattias Tedenby
Brian Rolston - Travis Zajac - David Clarkson
Rod Pelley - Adam Mair - Stephen Gionta

Colin White - Henrik Tallinder
Andy Greene - Anton Volchenkov
Olivier Magnan - Matt Corrente

Martin Brodeur
Johan Hedberg 

To call Ilya Kovalchuk's start to this season unexpected would be an understatement.

The talented Russian left-winger, who scored 338 goals over eight seasons, lost his scoring touch. Kovalchuk currently has four - yes, four - goals on the season. He hasn't been the explosive force the Devils expected when they inked him to a monster 15-year, $100 million dollar contract. Kovalchuk seems to be stuck in neutral, and his decision process suffers because of this. The left-winger passes up too many opportunities, opting to dish the puck to Travis Zajac or Alexander Vasyunov when he should put the puck on net. When he charges into the offensive zone and three defenders collapse around him, Kovalchuk holds on to the puck instead of passing it. He's pressing, hoping to get other teammates involved while finding his own game.

But all hope isn't lost. Kovalchuk can fix his problem with one simple, easy solution:

SHOOT THE DAMN PUCK!

Photo Credit: Getty ImagesThrough 17 games, Kovalchuk put 47 shots on net, good for 2.8 shots per game. In the past three games, Kovalchuk put six total shots on net. A player who scored 50+ goals twice in his career should not average two shots a game. Hockey players are creature of habit, and each individual needs to find their rhythm. Three shots a game will never allow Kovalchuk to find a rhythm on the ice. He needs to up that number and average four of five shots a game. If Kovalchuk continued on this pace, he'd put 229 shots on net, his lowest total since his rookie season in 2001-02.

Defenses will continue to collapse toward Kovalchuk, and putting shots on net won't come easily to the left-winger. But the only way to break his scoring funk is to shoot the puck. Kovalchuk can't score goals if he doesn't put the pucks on net, and he's not going to score putting a measly 2.8 shots on net. He'd have to convert almost 33% of his opportunities in a game just for one goal. A shooting percentage that good is unheard of in the NHL, and while Kovalchuk has exceptional talent, no scorer is that good.

In Atlanta, Kovalchuk had free reign of the ice, with the team running their offense through him. But in New Jersey, where other talented players surround him, there are options on every line. Kovalchuk needs to find that happy balance between getting teammates involved and being selfish with the puck. One place he should look to is Washington, where Alexander Ovechkin has found a near perfect balance of scoring and facilitating. Ovie has yet to record a season where he puts less than 400 shots on net, an astronomical number. But despite the heavy shot total, Ovechkin finds ways to involve his teammates. As a matter of fact, Ovechkin has 279 career goals and 275 career assists. Though he's an exceptional talent, Ovechkin has found ways to bring teammates into the fold while still taking care of his end of the offense.

With Zach Parise out, Kovalchuk is this team's best scoring option. He needs to embrace this role and step up to its challenges. I wouldn't mind seeing Kovalchuk be a little more selfish with the puck. The Devils signed the left-winger for his 50-goal potential. Kovalchuk won't even sniff that plateau if he doesn't shoot the puck.

To break his slump, Kovalchuk simply needs to shoot the damn puck. Increase the shots, and hopefully the rest falls into place.