The New Jersey Devils traveled to Boston on Monday night, fresh off their first home win of the season. The Devils looked to beat the Bruins and uber-goalie Tim Thomas to start their first win streak of the season. The Bruins, however, wouldn’t allow the Devils the pleasure of winning on their home ice. Boston scored once each period and defeated the Devils, 3-0.

Photo Credit: Elsa/Getty Images

Thomas Stones The Devils

Entering tonight’s game, Thomas carried impressive season statistics. In ten games, the Bruins goalie was 8-1-0 with a 1.45 goals-against average and a .957 save percentage. And while he carried rather pedestrian numbers against the Devils (5-5-0-3, 2.43 GAA, .920 save %), Thomas played stellar hockey tonight. It was two desperation saves that kept the game scoreless in the opening minute and ultimately affected the tone of the game.

The Devils generated two great scoring chances only 40 seconds into the opening period. Patrik Elias broke in on a 2-on-1 with Mattias Tedenby, and held the puck as he cut across the slot. Thomas came out of the net, and Elias looked to have a wide-open chance. But Thomas kicked out the pad to make a save, and stoned Tedenby with the back of his knee on a rebound attempt.

If the Devils score, this game may have ended differently. But a hot goaltender will get lucky, and Thomas made one lucky save to keep his team even early. Thomas stopped 27 shots en route to his league-leading fourth shutout of the season.

“It’s unfortunate,” Devils coach John MacLean said. “We had a chance there early, but we couldn’t bury our chances. They got some chances and put them in. Our stars didn’t bury their chances.”

Checking In To The Sin Bin

The Devils spent 19 minutes in the penalty box tonight, and it seemed like the constant whistles helped stymie whatever momentum the Devils generated. Within those 19 minutes, the Devils faced a 5-on-3 and a double minor. With all those minutes in the box, the Bruins got several advantages, and Michael Ryder took full advantage to score the game-winning goal.

Matt Corrente and Adam Mair took penalties in the first period to give the Bruins a 5-on-3 opportunity. With both players in the box, Ryder received a pass from Patrice Bergeron near the goal line. The right-winger held the puck and fired a shot on Martin Brodeur. The puck snuck through a gap between the Devils goalie and the near post for Ryder’s sixth goal of the year.

The refs didn’t make the best of calls tonight, but the Devils should have found ways to avoid the box tonight. They couldn’t, and it severely hampered any offense they tried to muster.

Photo Credit: Elsa/Getty ImagesThese Bruins Are Lightning Quick

The Bruins struck quickly against Brodeur, opening the second and third periods with first minute goals to bury the Devils.

Nathan Horton scored 43 seconds into the third period to put the Bruins ahead, 2-0. Milan Lucic carried the puck into the neutral zone, and passed cross-ice to Horton. The right-winger carried the puck across the line and let go a wrist shot near the top of the circle. The puck beat Brodeur stick side for Horton’s eighth goal of the season.

In a bit of deja vu, Blake Wheeler scored 43 seconds into the third period to extend the Bruins lead to 3-0. With Henrik Tallinder pinching down the boards in the offensive zone,Mark Recchi created a turnover near the blue line. The veteran left-winger carried the puck through the neutral zone and fed Wheeler near the Devils’ blue line. Wheeler carried it to the circle and fired a wrist shot toward the net. The puck glanced off of Colin White’s stick and through the legs of Brodeur for Wheeler’s fourth goal of the season.

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Milan Lucic carried the puck into the neutral zone, and passed cross-ice to Horton. The right-winger carried the puck across the line and let go a wrist shot near the top of the circle. The puck beat Brodeur stick side for Horton's eighth goal of the season.

The Devils penalty killers have been busy tonight. In the first period, they faced a 5-on-3 chance, in which they allowed a goal. But down 2-0, the P.K. players killed off a four-minute double minor to Mattias Tedenby for high sticking. 

The Bruins led the first period in shots, 10-7.

Michael Ryder's powerplay tally at 15:26 of the first period put the Bruins ahead, 1-0.

With both Matt Corrente and Adam Mair in the box, Ryder received a pass from Patrice Bergeron near the goal line. The right-winger held the puck and fired a shot on Martin Brodeur. The puck snuck through a gap between the Devils goalie and the near post for Ryder's sixth goal of the year.

Both teams have had excellent scoring chances throughout the first few minutes of play. Patrik Elias gave the Devils a great opportunity within the first minute of play. Breaking in on a 2-on-1, Elias held the puck and cut across the slot. Tim Thomas came out of the net, and Elias looked to have a wide-open chance. But Thomas kicked out the pad to make a save, and stoned Mattias Tedenby with the back of his knee on a rebound attempt.

Martin Brodeur made his own great save, using a poke check to deny Daniel Paille on a breakaway opportunity.

While Paille broke in alone on Brodeur, Rod Pelley and Adam McQuaid dropped the gloves near center ice. Though Pelley dropped McQuaid immediately, the Bruins rookie got up and made it an even fight. Eventually Pelley dropped McQuaid to the ice for the win.

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Here were the starting lineups:

DEVILS

Patrik Elias - Jason Arnott - Mattias Tedenby; Colin White - Matt Taormina; Martin Brodeur

BRUINS

Jordan Caron - Blake Wheeler - Mark Recchi; Dennis Seidenberg - Mark Stuart; Tim Thomas

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The New Jersey Devils (5-10-2) travel to Boston to face off against the Boston Bruins (8-5-1) at TD Garden in Boston.

The Devils are looking to put together their first win streak of the season. After a win, New Jersey is 0-4-0 and has been outscored, 15-4.

Captain Jamie Langenbrunner and rookie defenseman Matt Taormina will miss tonight's game with injuries. Both players had a MRI taken Monday, but won't know the results until tomorrow.

Matt Corrente will step in for the injured Taormia. The rookie defenseman missed seven games with a non-displaced fracture of his right hand.

Martin Brodeur starts in net for the Devils. Tim Thomas will get the start for the Bruins.

Here were the line combinations during pre-game warmups:

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


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


Martin Brodeur 

The Matchup - The New Jersey Devils (5-10-2) face off against the Boston Bruins (8-5-1) in Boston. This is the second meeting between the two teams this season. The Bruins lead the season series, 1-0-0.

The Last Devils Game - The Devils defeated the Edmonton Oilers, 4-3, in overtime Friday night at the Prudential Center. The Devils overcame deficits of 2-0, 2-1 and 3-1 to tie the game in the third period. With the game in overtime, Ilya Kovalchuk drew a tripping penalty on Dustin Penner. The frustrated left-winger, who flubbed a shootout attempt on Wednesday night, blasted a slap shot by Oilers goalie Devan Dubnyk for the game-winning goal.

The Last Bruins Game - The Bruins were blanked by the Ottawa Senators, 2-0, on Saturday night in Ottawa. Erik Karlsson broke a scoreless tie in the second period, and Daniel Alfredsson added an insurance goal in the third period. Brian Elliott stopped 31 shots for the win.

The Last Devils - Bruins Game - The Bruins defeated the Devils, 4-1, on October 26 at the Prudential Center. Dainius Zubrus broke a scoreless tie at 3:45 of the second period, putting the Devils ahead, 1-0. But the Bruins would roar back, scoring four straight goals to jump ahead, 4-1. Tim Thomas stopped 31 shots for the win.

Tonight's Matchup - The Devils come in off a big win over the Oilers on Friday, overcoming three deficits to win the game in overtime. It wasn't the best game in the world, but the team continued to battle and fight back. It was one of the first times all season we've seen some resolve and life from this Devils team. A switch must have flipped, because they're 2-1-1 in their last four games, a reflection of the increased quality of play and the confidence of the team. If the Devils can win tonight, it'll be their first winning streak of the season.

Tonight's matchup won't be easy, as the Devils face one of the best goalies in the league. On the season, Thomas is 8-1-0 with a minuscule 1.45 goals-against average and a .957save percentage. He's been almost unbeatable, and he's looks like he regained his Vezina form from two years ago. In his career against the Devils, Thomas has rather pedestrian numbers. He's 5-5-0-3 with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.

Both teams are pretty even, and they're both dealing with injuries to key players. Like most games, the Devils need to jump on the Bruins early. Make Tim Thomas and that defense work. New Jersey needs to mirror that effort in their end as well. During Friday night's game, the defense allowed several great scoring opportunities, allowing Oilers forwards to drive the puck into the slot. The Devils need to be stronger in their own zone, because making a comeback against Thomas will be way more difficult then scoring on Dubnyk.

Both Jamie Langenbrunner (upper-body injury) and Matt Taormina (ankle) will miss tonight's game. 

For the opponents view of tonight's game, check out Something's Bruin. 

Gametime is 7:00 p.m., and you can catch all the action on MSG Plus. Here's a guess at tonight's possible line combinations, based on the past few days of practice:

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


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


Martin Brodeur
Johan Hedberg 

Coming into tonight’s game, the New Jersey Devils found themselves near the bottom of the league, somewhere completely unfamiliar to them. The Edmonton Oilers, a perennial loser, could have been a team the Devils used to jumpstart their floundering season. Losing through two periods, the Devils came back to tie the game in the third and win it in overtime, 4-3. It was their first home win of the season, and they ended their homestand on a good note.

Photo Credit: Paul Bereswill/Getty Image 

Ilya Kovalchuk Gets The Monkey Off His Back

Through the first sixteen games of the season, the Devils hadn’t seen the Kovalchuk they thought they were getting this summer. The left-winger couldn’t score and didn’t seem to gel with the players on the ice. He took some dumb penalties and looked lost on the ice. All of his frustrations culminated Wednesday night, when, breaking in on a shootout attempt, he lost the puck and didn’t get a shot on net. He left the ice to a chorus of boos.

The left-winger found redemption in a big way tonight in overtime. First, Kovalchuk drew a tripping penalty against Dustin Penner, putting the Devils on a 4-on-3 powerplay. But what he did next would turn Wednesday night’s boos into cheers.

With Penner in the box, Patrik Elias and Henrik Tallinder played catch at the point. Elias passed the puck to Tallinder, who sent it to Kovalchuk in the right circle. The left-winger one-timed the puck past Oilers goalie Devan Dubnyk for his second game-winning goal of the year.

After the goal, Kovalchuk skated to center ice, pumping his fist and looking like a new man. That goal was a HUGE relief for the left-winger, and we’ll see if it can loosen his play in the coming games.

The Kids Are Alright

With all the injuries this season, the Devils needed to pepper rookies throughout their lineup. Many of them played important roles during their time with the team, but none were more important than the goals scored by both Alexander Vasyunov and Mattias Tedenby.

Vasyunov’s first career goal at 15:43 of the first period put the Devils on the board, cutting the Oilers lead to 2-1. Both Vasyunov and Travis Zajac stayed out for a long shift as they moved into the Oilers defensive zone. Elias corralled a loose puck at the side boards and moved to the goal line. Elias then layed a pass to Zajac along the end boards, who passed the puck to the front of the net. Vasyunov skated into the slot and beat Oilers goalie Devan Dubynk for the goal.

Not to be outdone, Tedenby scored his first NHL goal at 11:00 of the third period to tie the game, 3-3. With Ales Hemsky in the box for high-sticking, the Devils won a faceoff in the Oilers zone. Andy Greene held the puck along the point, and sent a shot on net. Tedenby tipped the puck into the back of the net for the goal.

Colton Fraser Makes The Devils Pay

Coming into tonight’s game, Fraser had no goals in 14 games this year. The five-year pro would change that, doubling his total in the first ten minutes of the game.

Fraser opened the game’s scoring at 4:34 of the period, putting the Oilers ahead, 1-0. The Oilers forward drove the net and tried to stuff the puck past Martin Brodeur. The Devils goalie made two stops, but Fraser knocked in the third attempt for his goal of the season.

Fraser’s second goal at 9:50 of the period extended the Oilers lead to  2-0. Ryan Jones began the play in his own zone, flipping the puck high into the Devils zone. Olivier Magnan attempted to glove down the puck, but he missed and was knocked off the puck. Foster picked up the loose puck in the low slot and fired it past the stick of Brodeur for his second goal of the season.

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

The Matchup: The Edmonton Oilers (4-8-2) take on the New Jersey Devils (4-10-2) at the Prudential Center. This is their first and only meeting of the season.

The Last Oilers Game: The Detroit Red Wings blew out the Oilers, 6-2, last night at Joe Louis Arena. The Red Wings built a 5-0 lead through two periods, marking the second straight game the Oilers allowed five goals. Dustin Penner and Theo Peckham scored third period goals to break the shutout.

The Last Devils Game: The Buffalo Sabres stole one away from the Devils, 5-4, in a shootout Wednesday night at the Prudential Center. The Devils held three leads in the game, but let each slip away. Tyler Ennis scored in the third period to tie the game, and the teams remained scoreless through regulation and the overtime period. Thomas Vanek put the Sabres ahead in the shootout, but Jamie Langenbrunner answered right back. In the fourth round, with the teams tied at 1-1, Derek Roy beat Johan Hedberg to give the Sabres the 2-1 advantage. Ilya Kovalchuk had the chance to keep the Devils in the game, but he lost the puck on his attempt and never got a shot off on Jhonas Enroth.

The Last Oilers - Devils Game: The Oilers defeated the Devils, 2-0, last season in Edmonton. Gilbert Brule broke a scoreless tie at 1:23 of the second period, giving the Oilers a 1-0 lead. Marc Pouliot pushed the lead to 2-0 with a goal at 8:28 of the third period. Jeff Deslauriers stopped 22 shots for the shutout.

For a look at the overall matchup between the two franchises, including historical stats, check our season preview post.

Marty Returns! Martin Brodeur will start tonight's game after missing two and a half games due to an elbow injury. After what happened two years ago, I'm glad to see him coming back so quickly. Hedberg didn't do terribly in the relief appearances, but it's not the same without MB30 between the pipes.

Tonight's Matchup: The Devils had their offense rolling Wednesday night, but they forgot the defense. That led to those three blown leads and a shootout loss. The number one objective tonight needs to be putting together a solid defensive effort. If they can repeat the offensive output from Wednesday and play some better defense, then the Devils would set themselves up for a win. But we've been asking for a complete game from end-to-end all season, and we've only seen that happen four times. Every Devils mistake is becoming a goal right now, so the Devils need these complete games to get their game going.

The Oilers, like the Sabres, should provide a confidence boost and the opportunity for at least a point. In their past two games, Edmonton has been outscored 13-3 while looking absolutely terrible. They're last in the Western Conference, and while the Devils sit in the same position, I think New Jersey looks like the team more likely to break their skid. The Devils outrank the Oilers in almost every significant category, including goals against and shots for. The Devils need this win, especially on home ice, to inspire confidence and let them know that their offensive efforts are paying off.

New Jersey is still looking for their first home win as well. It's killing me that they're this terrible at The Rock. The fans are continuing to come out, and Wednesday night was a loud game. The Devils need to reward their fans and get something going on home ice. The Oilers are the perfect team to help get the Devils going in the right direction.

Jamie Langenbrunner will not play tonight with an upper body injury. Brian Rolston will return to the lineup.

For a view on the game from the Oilers point of view, check out Low On Oil.

Gametime is 7 p.m., and you can watch the game on MSG Plus or listen on WFAN 660 AM. Also, make sure to check out our live game thread, beginning at 6:45! Here's a guess at tonight's starting lineup:

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


Colin White - Henrik Tallinder
Andy Green - Anton Volchenkov
Olivier Magnan - Matt Taormina


Martin Brodeur
Johan Hedberg

It seemed like the New Jersey Devils finally woke up tonight. While the defensive play wasn’t great, the team created scoring chances and actually converted them. They scored four goals with a goalie in the net! But home effort would be for nothing. Ilya Kovalchuk‘s failed shootout attempt (more below) would epitomize the Devils season as the team dropped their second game in a row, losing to the Buffalo Sabres, 5-4, in a shootout tonight. The loss extended their home losing streak to seven games.

Photo Credit: Bill Kostroun/AP PhotoWho is this #17, and what have you done with the real Kovalchuk?

The Devils spent $100 million dollars and suffered through public humiliation just to re-sign Kovalchuk, who they believed could be a difference maker. But when push came to shove tonight, the left winger once again fell flat on his face.

Kovalchuk’s heard boos during the third period of tonight’s game, when he had the chance to be the hero. The left-winger broke in on a partial breakaway against Sabres third-string goalie Jhonas Enroth, but sent a shot high over the net. But coach John MacLean would give him a chance to redeem himself. With the Devils down, 2-1, in the shootout and facing a loss, MacLean called on Kovalchuk to keep the Devils in the game. With the game on the line, Kovalchuk lost the puck and didn’t even get a shot off on net

Just like that, Kovalchuk drew the ire of every Devils fan. Through sixteen games, Kovalchuk has three goals and eight points total. When asked if he was frustrated, Kovalchuk replied “I think we all are.”

Kovalchuk needs to find himself – and fast – to start helping this team win.

Derek Roy delivers a win

Roy skated to center ice for his shootout attempt in the fourth period after Jamie Langenbrunner put one past Enroth to knot it up. Calm and collected, Roy collected the puck and broke in on Hedberg. The forward made a beautiful move to bring the puck to his backhand. He fired it past the glove ofJohan Hedberg for the game-winning goal in the shootout.

The Sabres Never Say Die

The Sabres were behind the eight ball three times tonight, and each time they came back to tie the game. The best comeback of the night came in the second period, where the Sabres would take a 2-1 lead in 13 seconds.

Jason Pominville tied the game at one with a goal at 5:22 of the second period. Tim Connolly took a shot from the point that Hedberg stopped, but a rebound went to the slot. Pominville collected the rebound and beat the Devils’ goalie for his first goal of the season.

Roy gave the Sabres a 2-1 lead merely 13 seconds later. Roy received a pass from Thomas Vanekand skated the puck over the blue line. He blasted a slap shot from the low slot that beat Hedberg for Roy’s eighth goal of the season.

The Captain backs up his talk

Langenbrunner has been a subject of fan ire for most of the season. Several fans commented the captain could only talk about improvements and attitude, not display it on the ice. But tonight, Langenbrunner proved those doubters wrong. The Devils captain scored a goal in the second period, was taken out hard into the boards but came back to play, and kept the Devils alive in the shootout.

Not only that, but Langenbrunner showed his leadership after Kovalchuk flubbed his shootout attempt. He skated to Kovalchuk first and made sure he knew the team had his back. That may seem insignificant, but support like that in the locker room is huge. I thought it was a big step for Langenbrunner, and he should quiet the critics.

Continue reading the preview after the jump!

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