Game 4 Preview: Homecoming For Tallinder, Mair As Devils Face Buffalo

Written by AJ Manderichio on Oct 13, 2010 16:57.

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (0-2-1) face off against the Buffalo Sabres (1-2-0) in Buffalo. This is the first meeting between the two teams this season.

The Last Sabres Game: The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Sabres, 4-3, on Monday in Buffalo. The Sabres jumped out to an early lead, with Drew Stafford scoring 14 seconds into the game to put Buffalo ahead, 1-0. Derek Roy extended the lead to 2-0 at 2:43 of the first with his second goal of the season. Buffalo couldn't hold the lead, as the Blackhawks scored four goals over the three periods to take a 4-2 lead. Tim Connolly's even-strength goal at 5:24 of the final period brought the Sabres to within a goal, but Buffalo couldn't complete the comeback. The game also featured this hit on Jason Pominville, which concussed him and earned Niklas Hjalmarsson a two game suspension.

The Last Devils Game: The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Devils, 3-1, Monday afternoon at The Rock. It was the return of former Devil Paul Martin, who was booed every time he touched the puck. Alex Goligoski opened the scoring, giving the Penguins a 1-0 lead with 1:04 left in the first period. Mark Letetsu extended the lead to 2-0 with a powerplay goal at 2:32 of the second period. Patrik Elias tallied the Devils' first goal, pulling the Devils to within one at 8:26 of the third period. But Brent Johnson held steady, making 13 saves in the final frame. To make matters worse, Martin iced the victory with an empty net goal at 19:46 of the period.

The Last Devils - Sabres Game: The Devils won the final game of the season against the Sabres to earn a split of the season series. After a scoreless first period, Thomas Vanek and Travis Zajac scored second period goals to tie the game at one. In the third period, after Buffalo pulled goalie Patrick Lalime, Devils’ captain Jamie Langenbrunner fired home an empty-net, powerplay goal to give the Devils the win. That victory clinched the number two seed in the Eastern Conference for the Devils last season. For a full historical recap of the matchup between these two teams, click here.

Welcome Back! Both Henrik Tallinder and Adam Mair return back to Buffalo for tonight's game. Mair played seven seasons for the Sabres before joining the Devils on a tryout contract. Tallinder, a second-round draft choice of the Sabres in 1997, played nine seasons before signing with the Devils.

Tallinder said the Sabres offered him a contract, but didn't pursue him once he became a free agent. But he feels no ill will toward the organization, and doesn't know what to anticipate tonight.

"They might (boo) sometimes," he said. "I have no idea what they’re going to do. They might cheer. No, they won’t. What ever happens, happens."

Tonight's Matchup: The objective is clear - win a game. It's not time to hit the panic button yet, but the Devils need to come out aggressive and make things happen tonight. Once again, the team will be shorthanded, only dressing 16 skaters for tonight's game. But those are extenuating circumstances beyond the player's control. They need to put the past three games out of their minds and focus in on beating one of the best goalies in the game.

The Devils did some good things in Monday's loss. Even though they allowed 30 shots, the team played better defense. It looked like some of the pairings were building chemistry, and the team seemed more responsible in their own end. They were also victims on some bad penalty calls, but did a great job on the kill. If not for an unfortunate bounce, the Devils wouldn't have allowed Letetsu's powerplay goal.

I'm looking for whether or not the team can give a complete, 60 minute effort tonight. They haven't done that yet, and it's an issue that plagued the team last season. They weren't showing effort during the morning skate, where coach John MacLean stopped practice to rip into the team for being listless and sloppy during drill s. If that's an indication of things to come, then tonight may be a long night.

Game time is 7 p.m., and you can catch all the action on MSG Plus. Join us here on Running With The Devils for a live game blog, beginning at 6:45 p.m.

Here are the expected lines, based off of this morning's skate:

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Ilya Kovalchuk

Patrik Elias - Jason Arnott - Jamie Langenbrunner

Dainius Zubrus - Adam Mair - David Clarkson

Rod Pelley

Henrik Tallinder - Andy Greene

Colin White - Matt Taormina

Alexander Urbom - Mark Fraser

Martin Brodeur

Johan Hedberg

Leblond Clears, Mair Signs, Volchenkov and Rolston Out

Written by Darren S on Oct 12, 2010 22:59.

PLx3 has been sent down to Albany as he cleared waivers today at noon (surprised nobody picked him up!!). Lou says it has nothing to do with the other night and the Devils have finally signed Adam Mair, giving the Devils 16 skaters for tomorrow's game against the Sabres. Volchenkov's out for at least the week as he is suffering from a broken nose and a stiff neck, and Brian Rolston is seeing a specialist about a suspected sports hernia. Could Rolston end up on the LTIR list?? This season just keeps getting more and more interesting!!

Devils Face Another Possible Investigation

Written by AJ Manderichio on Oct 12, 2010 17:24.

What has already been a trying year for the Devils organizations and fans may get even worse.

According to Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet in Canada, the NHLPA Executive Director in waiting, Donald Fehr, will conduct an internal review of the collective bargaining to see if - surprise, surprise - the Devils' violated the CBA by dressing only 15 skaters for yesterday's game.

Elias vs. Pittsburgh Oct 11

The CBA explicitly states instances where teams can play below the minimum of 18 skaters and two goalies. Article 16.4 states:

"Except in the case of emergency, there shall be no reduction of the required minimum Playing Rosters of the clubs, below eighteen (18) skaters and two (2) goalies."

Yesterday counted as one of those emergency situations. The Devils were without Anton Volchenkov and Brian Rolston because of injury, and Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, who was serving a game suspension for instigating a fight in the last five minutes of a game on Saturday night. The team, already playing without Bryce Salvador and Anssi Salmela and lacking the cap space to make a move, had to play with 15 skaters.

Before anyone throws their hands in the air and screams "CIRCUMVENTION! CIRCUMVENTION!", there needs to be a look at the past history of these moves happening:

1. The Calgary Flames played with 15 players at least three times near the end of last season due to injuries and cap restrictions. There was no investigation from the league or the NHLPA.

2. The Devils themselves dressed less than 18 skaters for six games in 2006-2007, and there was no investigation.

Yes, it's a small sample, but the fact of the matter remains that this has happened in the past. But only now, for some reason, the NHL and NHLPA are deciding to take a stand against these moves. But, in an emergency situation, as yesterday was, the idea of penalizing the Devils is ridiculous.

This situation, for most fans, brings right back to the middle of the summer, where the Devils followed the letter of an unwritten, established rule and faced the harsh recourse of the league. Now, it seems like it's happening all over again. The Devils did nothing wrong by skating only 20 healthy players to begin the season, and because of injuries and a foolish suspension, the Devils had to only dress 15 skaters yesterday. Did their current cap situation contribute to the problem? Of course it did. But it wasn't the main factor behind the decision.

At least the Devils have attempted to operate under their own mess. The Rangers, like several other teams, have routinely stashed big contracts in the AHL, which is more direct cap circumvention than the shorthanded lineup the Devils used yesterday.

But, once again, the Devils feel the sharp light of the spotlight, and must prepare for another potential battle with the management of the league.

Photo Credit: Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images

Game 3 Recap: Martin Gets Last Laugh As Pens Beat Devils, 3-1

Written by AJ Manderichio on Oct 12, 2010 03:21.

The Devils and Penguins, Atlantic Division rivals, met for the first time this season today. Both teams played hard, but Pittsburgh came out ready to play, and in the end, the Devils mistakes ended up costing them. The Penguins defeated the Devils, 3-1, for their first win of the season, leaving the Devils’ winless on the 2010-2011 season.

Paul Martin Makes The Devils Pay

Martin returned to the Rock, and made his former team pay. His first point of the night came on the eventual game-winning goal. With Patrik Elias in the box for tripping, the Penguins worked the puck in the Devils zone, and gave it to Martin a the point. Martin sent the puck cross-ice to Kris Letang, who put a shot on net. The puck deflected off of Mark Letestu and Henrik Tallinder, and found its way to the back of the net, giving the Penguins a 2-0 lead at 2:32 of the second period.

But the ex-Devil wasn’t done. Down 2-1 in the third period, and with their goalie out for the extra skater, the Devils were applying pressure in the Penguins zone. But Martin found a way to get the puck past the defense, and as the loose puck rolled into the Devils zone, he picked it up and put it in the net for his first goal of the year.

Martin said he felt bad not setting up teammate Craig Adams for the goal.

“I felt bad after when selfishly I put it in instead of sliding it across,” Martin said to Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record. “The puck was rolling, but I still should have flipped it across. to Adams. I think I just got caught up in wanting to make sure I put it in. But I felt bad afterward.”

Martin was booed – loudly – and I don’t blame the crowd for doing so. But he got the last laugh today, and I think that hurts more than him signing somewhere else.

Brent Johnson Stands On His Head

No one expected this type of performance from the Penguin’s backup goalie. Johnson stopped 30 shots – including 14 in the third period – to backstop Pittsburgh to a win. He made great saves tonight, and helped to shut the Devils offense down. His stops, especially on the powerplay, frustrated the Devils all evening long.

The “A-Line Part 2″ Keeps Going Strong

Throughout the first three games, the Devils offense has looked good, especially the top two lines. That continued tonight, with the “A-Line Part 2″ accounting for the only Devils’ goal. If there’s something positive to take out of an 0-2-1 start, it’s that this line has shown they can provide the secondary scoring needed. If this line can continue to build on their early chemistry, coach John MacLean will have some great offensive options.

Miscellaneous

I attended the game today, and was a little embarrassed at all the empty seats. With a matinee-ish start time and a game against their division rivals, I figured there would be more families at the game. But it was quite empty, and the Penguins fans were out-yelling Devils’ fans at points throughout the game.

Sometimes Ilya Kovalchuk attempts to do too much with the puck, and that happened tonight. With the Devils changing lines, the team only needed a dump into Pittsburgh’s zone. But he held it along the boards in the neutral zone, and he ended up turning the puck over. That led to Pittsburgh’s first goal, and immediately drew the ire of fans. I understand he wants to make the play, but sometimes the smart play is to dump and chase.

For as much flak that Rod Pelley catches from fans, he had a solid start tonight. I think he received a little too much ice time in the third period, but he earned it with his play tonight.

Next Game

The Devils travel to Buffalo Wednesday to take on the Sabres, still searching for their first win. It’ll be a homecoming for Tallinder, who left Buffalo for New Jersey during the offseason.

Photo Credits: William Pearlman/The Star-Ledger

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Game 3: Pittsburgh Penguins at Devils, 10/11/10

Written by AJ Manderichio on Oct 11, 2010 17:55.

The Matchup – The Pittsburgh Penguins (0-2-0) face off against the New Jersey Devils (0-1-1) in an afternoon matchup at the Prudential Center. This is the first meeting between the two teams this season.

The Last Penguins Game – The Penguins lost to the Montreal Canadiens, 2-1, Saturday night at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh. The Penguins held a 2-1 lead late in the third period, but Michael Cammalleri‘s second goal tied the game with 3:12 left in the period. Scott Gomez completed the comeback, beating Marc-Andre Fleury with 1:48 left in the period to put the Canadiens ahead, 3-2.

The Last Devils Game – The Devils were blown out by the Capitals, 7-2, at the Verizon Center Saturday. The Devils led, 2-1, after one period on goals from Jason Arnott and Henrik Tallinder. But the wheels would fall off in the second period, as the Capitals tallied four unanswered goal – including three in less than five minutes – to move ahead 5-2. Martin Brodeur was pulled after the second period.

Last Season’s Matchup – The Devils swept all six meetings from the Penguins last season. The Devils won the most recent matchup, 5-2, on March 17. After Chris Kunitz gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead at 4:01 of the first period, the Devils scored four unanswered goals – including Paul Martin’s first goal of the season – to take the lead, 4-1. Ruslan Fedotenko made it a two goal game at 5:23 of the third period, but the Devils held off the Penguins. Rob Niedermayer added an empty-netter for insurance in the win. For an in-depth look at the rivalry, click here.

The Return of Martin – Martin visits the Rock for the first time as a Pittsburgh Penguin. During the offseason, Martin signed with the Penguins after realizing the Devils were focused solely on Ilya Kovalchuk. The defenseman told Rich Chere of the Star-Ledger that he never received an offer from the Devils, deciding to go with Pittsburgh over several other teams. I’d expect him to be booed, especially since he stayed within the division.

Today’s Matchup – I think it’s obvious what the Devils need to do. The team has played awful defense, giving up quality scoring chances left and right. Both the Stars and the Capitals made the Devils pay for their mistakes, and the Penguins are another team that can score in bunches. I know the team wants to get going on offense, but they need to be responsible defensively. If the Devils continue to play sloppy in their own zone, I think we can expect another disappointing result.

This game against Pittsburgh, while early in the season, still means something to both teams. By the end of the season, both of these teams should be near the top of the conference and division. Over the past few years, they’ve battled it out for conference seeding and division crowns. The rivalry is intense, and with both teams without a win, expect a hard-fought game. I wouldn’t expect the Devils to come out flat for this one.

The Devils will be without Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond because of a suspension. Anton Volchenkov and Brian Rolston are also questionable for this game.

Game time is 4 p.m. today, and you can catch the action on MSG Plus and WFAN 660.

Monday Morning Thoughts: Devils Had A Tough Weekend!!

Written by Darren S on Oct 11, 2010 15:22.

Wow...so many people hitting the panic button already. Haven't we been here before? No, wait, actually last season was worse because we walked away from the first two games without a point., this year we at least have one point.

OK, so it appeared after the game against the Stars that the Devils are suffering from the same issues as last season, which is not playing a full 60 minutes, making stupid mistakes and coughing up a win. If you go back and read the analysis from a lot of the games last season, you'll see that I mention the full 60 minute thing A LOT but honestly, I know it happens, I just hope MacLean can minimize the amount of times it does. I was annoyed at the mistakes made Friday night but at least they got a point out of the game.

Saturday is a completely different story. Lets start with the end of the game. If Leblond (PLx3) is going to conduct himself like he did and shorthand the team, please tell us now. Instigating a fight in the final 5 minutes of a blowout is NEVER a good idea. Then, not to have any regrets about what had happened on the ice when he knew the rules and knew a suspension is likely....COME ON!!

So, on to the Caps game. I'll be honest, I didn't expect a win. It was the second night of hockey and they were playing a Caps team that lost the night before. It was the Caps home opener and lets be honest, the Caps are a VERY good hockey team. While the thrashing that the Devils received was an downer and left a bad feeling inside, there is a bigger issue to discuss. I'm not really touching on the Kovalchuk fighting thing because we all know how bad an idea that is.

The 20-man roster isn't going to work. I never thought it would but I didn't think it would take 2 games into the season to prove that. We know PLx3 is suspended for this afternoon's game but the we don't know if Vochenkov and Rolston will be available. If they aren't we are left with 15 skaters.. REALLY?? That is NOT going to work. Injuries happen, stupid penalties resulting in suspensions happen, its part of the game. You can't expect to play an entire season with a 20 man roster. Moves need to happen, they need to happen NOW so just make them and allow the team to create chemistry. It's October, its a LONG season but the sooner this happens, the better.

I am certainly not hitting the panic button. 2 games, 1 point and 1 pounding. You can't put too much emphasis on games played in October. Like I said, last season it was 2 games and no points and the Devils went on to have a decent season. Same can be said about Marty, you can't get on him too much about what happened over the weekend. If anything, this weekend says to me that Lou has to fix the cap issues for good. Players will get injured and there has to be room to deal with that. Lou, like the rest of the team has some work to do.

I will say this, Jason Arnott was THE shining poing of the weekend. 2 games and 2 goals, that is exactly what we traded for. Kovalchuk on the other hand....pick it up Kovy!!

Game 2 Preview: Devils at Washington Capitals, 10/9/10

Written by AJ Manderichio on Oct 09, 2010 18:08.

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The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils (0-0-1) face off against the Washington Capitals (0-1-0). This is the first of four meetings between the two teams this season.

The Last Capitals Game: The Atlanta Thrashers defeated the Capitals, 4-2, last night in Atlanta. Ondrej Pavelec, the Thrashers starting goalie, collapsed only 2:25 into the first period, immediately silencing an excited crowd. Pavelec was taken off on a stretcher, and play resumed. Atlanta took the lead, 2-1, at 15:43 of the second period when newcomer Andrew Ladd beat goalie Michal Neuvirth. Evander Kane scored the eventual game-winner on a penalty shot.

The Last Devils Game: The Dallas Stars defeated the Devils, 4-3, in overtime last night. The Devils ZIP Line got the Devils started early, with Travis Zajac and Zach Parise giving New Jersey an early 2-0 lead. But the Stars would respond, tying the game on a Loui Eriksson goal at 3:02 of the second period. Jason Arnott put the Devils ahead in the third period, but the Stars once again tied the game. Eriksson scored the game-winner at 1:36 of the overtime period for the win.

Last Season’s Matchup: For a full recap of last season’s matchup, check this post here. The Devils won three of four meetings last season. The Capitals won the most recent meeting, 4-1, on December 26. Alexander Ovechkin recorded a goal and two assists in that game.

Tonight’s Matchup: The Devils and Caps are both coming into tonight’s game disappointed with their season openers. The Devils had flashes of great play last night, but they cut their nose to spite their face. The team applied pressure offensively, but they didn’t play good defense. The defenders made several mistakes, giving the Stars great chances.

Both of these teams expect to be near the top of their divisions and the conference. It’s only the second game of the season, but both teams will want to bring their “A” game tonight. Look for the Devils to address some of the defensive lapses from last night’s game. New Jersey’s defenders played aggressively and took chances last night, chances that didn’t pay off. That’s the way it goes sometimes. Coach John MacLean won’t hold back, but expect the defense to play better tonight.

But the offense will have to get it done as well. The ZIP Line looked good, accounting for two of the three goals last night. But that was against a subpar Stars defense. The Caps are deeper, and the Devils offense will need to work to generate scoring chances. It was a great start last night, but we’ll see how they can respond to a tough road test on back-to-back games.

There was no morning skate today, so these line combinations are based off of last night’s game.

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Ilya Kovalchuk

Patrick Elas - Jason Arnott - Jamie Langenbrunner

Brian Rolston - Dainius Zubrus - David Clarkson

Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond - Rod Pelley

Henrik Tallinder - Andy Greene

Alexander Urbom - Anton Volchenkov

Colin White - Matt Taormina

Mark Fraser

Martin Brodeur

Johan Hedberg

Game time is 7 p.m., and you can catch the action on MSG Plus 2 or 660 WFAN.

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Game 1 Preview: New Jersey Devils vs Dallas Stars

Written by Darren S on Oct 08, 2010 18:06.

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Here we go!! Welcome to the beginning of the 2010/2011 NHL Season. This summer has been one long strange trip, so much so I feel like linking to a certain song.

The Matchup: The New Jersey Devils vs the Dallas Stars

Where and When: The puck drops at the Prudential Center at 7pm and you can watch it on MSG+ or listen to it on 660 AM WFAN.

Season Series: This is the first of two meetings this season. Last year these two met twice and the home team won each time. Stephane Robidas scored twice and had a career-high 4 points as the Stars won 5-3 on Nov. 21. Patrik Elias had a pair of goals and Martin Brodeur stopped all 28 shots he faced to lead the Devils to a 4-0 victory on Jan. 5.

Devils Notes: Everyone will undoubtedly be focused on Kovalchuk as this is game 1 of his huge 15 year contract but this game also marks the NHL coaching debut of John MacLean. This will also first NHL game for defensemen Matt Taormina and Alexander Urbom. Free-agent acquisitions Henrik Tallinder and Anton Volchenkov also make their debuts with the team. As a result of salary-cap issues caused by Kovalchuk's signing, the team was only carrying 20 players on its roster as of Thursday.

Stars Notes: They are also a very differently looking team this season. Dallas said goodbye to Mike Modano and Marty Turco over the summer and have turned to Kari Lehtonen as the man in between the pipes. The Stars will rely on veterans like Brad Richards and Mike Ribeiro and young guys like Loui Eriksson, James Neal and Jamie Benn to get them back to the post-season.

In Case You Were Wondering: The Devils are 12-1-5 all-time when playing their season opener on home ice. That 1 loss coming against the Flyers last season.

Unless Adam Mair signs a contract prior to tonights game, I think the lines are pretty easy to guess.

Zach Parise - Travis Zajac - Ilya Kovalchuk
Patrik Elias - Jason Arnott - Jamie Langenbrunner
Brian Rolston - Dainius Zubrus - David Clarkson
Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond - Adam Henrique - Rod Pelley

Henrik Tallinder - Andy Greene
Colin White - Alexander Urbom
Mark Fraser - Anton Volchenkov

Martin Brodeur
Johan Hedberg

I'm excited to get this started again. Last season didn't end the way we wanted it to and this summer was probably the craziest summer in the history of the Devils but tonight starts the journey of putting our playoff woes behind us.

10 Burning Questions For Devils Regular Season

Written by AJ Manderichio on Oct 08, 2010 14:10.

It's finally here.

The Devils will open the 2010-2011 season tonight at home, facing off against the Dallas Stars at 7 p.m. Darren already previewed the Devils offense, defense and goalie expectations for the season, so make sure you give those a read. Instead of giving a lengthy preview, Darren and I have narrowed down this season into 10 questions we have about the Devils this season.

And, drumroll please....

Martin Brodeur vs. Stars

1. Will the Devils get secondary scoring from Patrik Elias - Jason Arnott - Jamie Langenbrunner so that the top line of Ilya Kovalchuk - Travis Zajac - Zach Parise stays intact?

For me, I think I would feel better if the Devils moved Jamie to the third line and move David Clarkson up to play with Arnott and Elias. The way that Clarkson goes to the net, which isn't Langenbrunner's game, would open up the ice more for Arnott and Elias. With that said, yes, I do believe that enough scoring from Arnott and Elias will allow the top line to remain in tact. Of course, the other question is can Kovy, Parise and Zajac produce themselves but I will let you answer that for yourself.

2. How Many Games Will Johan Hedberg Play?

Every year we ask this question. Marty is 38 and, realistically, shouldn't be carrying such a workload every season. It's a pretty well known fact that this is Marty's call. If the NHL's greatest goaltender wants to play 70-75 games a season and feels healthy enough to do so, then who is to argue. My hope is that Hedberg gets the call in at least 20 games this season.

3. Can the Devils' defense be intimidating? Will Anton Volchenkov do what Chris Pronger does for the Flyers?

In a short answer, no. Volchenkov isn't Pronger. Pronger averages almost a minute and a half more ice time per game then Volchenkov, and Prongers 55 points completely outweighs Volchenkov's 14 points. Thankfully, there is more to the game than that. The Flyers rolled over the Devils defense last spring, but the addition of Volchenov does give NJ an intimidating player on the blue-line. He can certainly lay down the big checks and isn't afraid to give up his body to block shots. So to answer this question, Volchenkov won't do what Pronger does in Philadelphia, but he does make NJ a better and more intimidating defense and that is really what we are looking for.

4. Will the perennial playoff contender get past the first round of the playoffs???

This is the question that I am sure will get asked many more times as the season moves along. On paper, this team is built to go deep into the playoffs. But that is only on paper. This team has to go out there and perform. I do believe in this team and I do believe this team has a deep run in their future.

5. Is Kovalchuk worth everything that happened since July 1st?

I'll be honest, having Ilya on this team makes me extremely nervous. We are tied to this guy for the next 15 years and this deal is not something the Devils do. Well, I guess they do because they did it but, ordinarily, they don't do. They are $35,835 under the cap and carrying 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders, which is the bare minimum. There is no flexibility if a player is ill or suffers a minor injury that sidelines him for a game or two. That would likely force the Devils to play a game with less than 18 skaters or cause them to make a roster move they really don't want to make.

For me, for all this to be a success, Ilya must be a 40 goal scorer (I would like 45 minumum) and must be the first Devil to reach 100 points and it all must happen THIS YEAR.

For the next five questions, follow after the jump!

Devils 2010 Defense Preview

Written by Darren S on Oct 07, 2010 13:48.

Last week I did a quick preview on the Devils Offense and what I thought each offensive player would bring to the table for the Devils this season. Today we will focus in the defense.

The Devils summer can pretty much be summed up by speaking one persons name, Ilya Kovalchuk but things did happen defensively for this team as well. Paul Martin departed for Pittsburgh, signing a five-year contract on July 1st because he felt the Penguins were in a better position to win a cup. The Devils countered that situation by bringing in Anton Volchenkov and Henrik Tallinder to help sure up the defense. Volchenkov is a similar player to Devils legend Scott Stevens, and Tallinder plays a solid defenseman who is especially good at helping young D-men find their place in the NHL. In my opinion, both are an upgrade from Paul Martin, who certainly showed some shortcomings against the Flyers last spring. The transition game was non-existent for the Devils in their disappointing playoff performance last season and is something the Devils hope to correct with help from their two major acquisitions.

Andy Greene - Had a breakout season last year and will be tapped on the shoulder to repeat that performance this season. This is a contract year for Greene so I would expect he would want to bring it. Even if the Devils end up with cap issues, he'll want to show the rest of the league what he is capable of. Look for him to be paired with Tallinder to start.

Colin White - Thought was that he might find his way to Albany but that isn't going to happen. Lets be honest, the brutal type, Colin White isn't the same player he was. A few years ago, he suffered an eye injury and his ability to fight seem to go because of it. I don't expect much from Colin White and wouldn't be surprised to find him as the 7th defenseman at some point in the season.

Alex Urbom - Urbom, just 19, was heralded as the teams' best prospect by GM Lou Lamoriello during the off-season, coming off an excellent first year at the junior level. How he responds and adjusts/reacts to the NHL level will dictate how NHL ready he is and if he stays with the Devils or goes down to the AHL for some seasoning. Either way, the future looks very bright for Urbom, a third round pick by the Devils in the 2009 draft.

As for the Goaltenders, well not much has changed for NJ. Marty will play and carry most the load and probably dictate how much he plays this season. One change from the recent past is the acquisition of a veteran backup, in Johan Hedberg, the type of backup the team hasn't had since the days of John Vanbeisbrouck and Chris Terreri in the early 2000’s. The team should have more confidence in Hedberg and be able to have Marty sit in the neighborhood of 20-25 games.

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